Poor Carson – what a house! I don’t know what I would say here… In any case, our Outdoor Design Dilemma oracle and host of HGTV’s Green Force, aka Carson Arthur, takes this dilemma in stride, and diplomatically suggests that a front door would be a good idea.
To the homeowner’s credit however, she knows this is a bit of a problem – this here buy was an investment. See what Carson has to say below.
From Julie D.: "My husband and I are in the process of purchasing this house as an investment. It has to be one of the ugliest homes I've ever seen, and the design dilemma is that it doesn't have a front door. The front door is actually inside the garage (which appears to have been added on sometime after the original structure was built). Because this is an investment, we don't have a lot of money to put into it, but what can be done to improve the curb appeal? We wondered if we should add a front door and porch, but I think it would be too expensive. Any other options? Thanks in advance for any advice you could offer!"
Carson suggests: Julie,
You might actually be looking at purchasing the ugliest house I’ve ever seen. I’m a bit baffled by this dilemma. By not having a front door, you avoid all kinds of unwanted visitors, but how do the guests know where to get in when the garage door is closed?
If this is an investment, you have to put in a front door. Any realtor will tell you that. No one will buy a home if they don’t know where to get in. Most potential buyers will be looking at several homes in a short period of time and when they see yours, they’ll keep on going. Remember, you are trying to increase the value of your investment, not resell it for what you paid. A front door is mandatory.
Without knowing the layout of the inside of the home, it would be very tough for me to suggest where to put the new door, but when you do have a location, that’s when you plan the landscaping around it.
- Currently, the garage door dominates the look of the home. You need to draw the eye away from it with some dramatic plantings or decorative structures planned around a substantial pathway leading your guests to the front door.
- Talk to your realtor about what they think the house could be worth in a good real estate economy and budget your renovations from there. A front door and landscaped yard can easily cost between $7500 and $25000. It’s a big spread and you need to really think about this before you make your purchase.
Good luck!
Carson
What do you guys say? Ever seen a house with no front door?
Got your own Design Dilemma, outdoor on indoor? Take a photo, and send it (in jpeg format) along with your question to stylesheet(@)hgtv(.)ca. (Don’t forget to take out the brackets when typing out email address.)
Previously on Outdoor Design Dilemma: Traditional Home, Modern Façade?
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