Before & After: Ugliest House on the Block

Kimberly Schwerdtfeger loves her house. It reminds her of the house she grew up in. When it came up for sale she begged her husband to buy the place for over a year. Yes you read that right. The home had been on the market for over a year. It seems not everyone shares her love of the home that Kimberly entered into the Shake It Up contest as “the ugliest house on the block.”One look at the “before” photo revealed that the first item to go on the Schwerdtfeger’s wish list was a new roof. I selected DaVinci multi-width shake in Tahoe, which is a standard color blend. The color was a great match for the colorcast of the bricks.

Next on the wish list was repairing the dormers. Fypon has just the polyurethane dormer and window trim to give them a look that is as up-to-date as the new roof. A coat of paint in a color to blend with the roof will be the finishing touch.

The same color would be applied to the gutters and downspouts.

While they are working with the dormers I recommend replacing the windows. Bronze frames will be so much more attractive against the beautiful new roof. They will blend with the color of the roof tiles and the bricks; unobstructed glass will help to update the overall look of the home.

Those initial changes will greatly improve the home but won’t completely overcome the “haunted house” feeling that kept her kid’s friends away when they were young. For that I needed to increase the “friendliness factor” in a big way.

Adding two Therma-Tru fiberglass Pulse® doors to replace the outdated doors was step one. I choose doors with a more contemporary look and added glass. Even though visitors can’t see directly into the home having glass in the door will help to alleviate any anxiety or fear of approaching the home at an subconscious level.

Painting the doors in Empress Teal creates a focal point on the front of the home that is inviting. To make the entry even more welcoming I increased the width of the walkway. I also added an open landing to the wish list to replace the small space enclosed with wrought iron rails they have now. To complete the entry the Schwerdtfeger’s can simply install good lighting, and place a couple of pretty pots filled with colorful flowers.

Last, add landscaping to anchor the home to the lot and show the world just how much these homeowners love their home.

I think this makeover have taken the Schwerdtfeger’s  home from “haunted” to “happy.” What do you think?

Which house is your favorite?