SFGate

designideas4me looks nice to me. Are you in southern california? what is your definition of custom? what do you like about the houses that you have next door?

lefty47 HI -- A change of color perhaps unless you are up for major renos and what you think are custom features . Maybe modernize some of the elements like having new frosted acrylic garage doors and a new modern front door . Or up -date the windows by getting rid of the paladian style windows and having modern squared ones . Maybe consulting with an Architect is the best way to go . I like the house the way it is , but it's all new to me because this looks like a Florida or California area house style .

standinginline Without spending a fortune? Probably not, but not impossible. It looks like you are in Florida? Maybe so.ca...? I would say keep to the "tropical" theme, play it up a bit with high end details, and look at design ideas from other tropical climate countries. You should get some new ideas that fit under the realm of "tropical" by doing a bit of searching. Also helps to look on vrbo.com or other vacation rental sites and pick specific "tropical" islands or countries, then look at their high end rentals.

All 4 Show, LLC Do u have a pic of that front area that u say needs help? I see only the lush landscaping in the pic...I do think the fronds of the palms should be trimmed from the bottom up! The house is beautiful otherwise....

judyg The house looks pretty great to me… a .fresh coat of paint? out line the window trim?

Kevin Retired Decorator I would take out the palm blocking the door. Use a lower shrub. The entry will look more inviting then.
I would also thin out the larger tree by the garage. I would add some large pots with brite color flowers to frame the door way. I can't see the door color but a accent color would be nice in a teal color for example. I would paint out the garage doors to match the color of the house instead of the white. You could also wrap the post on the porch with stacked stone. I think the key here is really playing up the importance of the front entry door with strong statements. Then I would soften the drive way with low plantings on the side opposite of the lawn near the house.

slperryman Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. You guessed right....it is a Florida house. (We just moved from California.) I would love to update the portico with a taller one with some portals cut in it....that's not in the budget right now so I think the ideas of paint and landscaping and some minor changes to the pillars will be great.

Sweet Caroline Garden Design That's a track house ?! If you hadn't told me I'd of never guessed. It's very nice. What I see, especialyl since you're in Florida, is way too much grass. Grass is very high maintenance and requires a lot of chemicals to kill weeds . I'd remove the palm tree that's hiding the view of the house and cut out some beds filled with beautiful drought-tolerant sedums, blooming shrubs, etc. and mulch with pea gravel . Check Houzz for Xeriscaping or Florida gardening ideas.

decoenthusiaste Succulents and a nice water feature might help.

mgfadum paint the garage doors a deep, trim down the overgrown trees..esp the one by the garage and add some red to the garden and a large red pot to the entrance doorway! don't forget pots can be painted so you don't need knew ones!

slperryman Sweet Caroline Garden....funny you mention the grass....that luxurious green grass is fake. The scraggly grass to the left of the driveway is real. I will have to remove the astroturf and put in some water efficient plants as you mentioned. thanks for tips on types.

mgfadum....what color would you suggest for the garage doors? Would you paint the white window trims to match?

PS. I shouldn't have sounded so negative about track homes. I've lived in many and I really do love my new house!

mgfadum my choice is a deep red....as for the window trims...not so sure. you'll know when you do the doors. I think it will look to matchy matchy! Good luck.