Is it easy to make this hosue look...

[isee]

..less like a council estate gaffe?

I really like it internally and floor plan wise, but this depressing view is killing me. is it hard/expensive to make it look attractive and if so, how is it done pls?

[Meoricin]

isee said:

..less like a council estate gaffe?

I really like it internally and floor plan wise, but this depressing view is killing me. is it hard/expensive to make it look attractive and if so, how is it done pls?

Painting it might just result in it looking like a painted council house. The whole design is very utilitarian, I think there's something more fundamental that makes it look so council.

The window sizes, and the 'open' section in the brick being slatted whatever the hell that stuff is. If you painted it, and replaced that slatted stuff with brick, and then cut more window holes - that'd probably do it.

[anonymous-user]

Change the windows to brown frames - or paint them. White frames look incredibly council, in my opinion. And maybe paint the wooden slats to match?

And a nice big climbing plant trailing up a trelliss (sp?) under the window. That'll make it look like a vicarage in no time!

ETA and a pitched roof between garage and house, like an entrance hallway up to the side door.

(Easy when it's someone else's money!)

[CypherP]

IMO, that doesn't look 'council' at all. The only thing that it appears to be missing is some greenery. I think the reason why it appears as you describe is because of the vast use of concrete, bricks and mortar, leaving it looking bland and a little industrial.

Some climbing plants/trees/bushes/shrubs and some paint in certain places would make it look much better.

[GTIR]

Do you really live in London?

That looks like Hemel Hempstead or Stevenage "New Towns".

[isee]

Opulent said:

Change the windows to brown frames - or paint them. White frames look incredibly council, in my opinion. And maybe paint the wooden slats to match?

And a nice big climbing plant trailing up a trelliss (sp?) under the window. That'll make it look like a vicarage in no time!

ETA and a pitched roof between garage and house, like an entrance hallway up to the side door.

(Easy when it's someone else's money!)

Just to clarify the garage on the left does not come withthe property,
the garage on the right, does and is connected to the house with that roof wher eyou see the mazda parked.

[anonymous-user]

isee said:

Just to clarify the garage on the left does not come withthe property,
the garage on the right, does and is connected to the house with that roof wher eyou see the mazda parked.

Aha. Point taken - and obvious now you point it out!

Def thing brown windows and greenery though.

[axgizmo]

CypherP said:

IMO, that doesn't look 'council' at all

This ^

It's just missing a big window on the right hand side high level IMHO

[isee]

GTIR said:

Do you really live in London?

That looks like Hemel Hempstead or Stevenage "New Towns".

I live in London, but am looking to move out, hence looking at this house. It's in Petts Wood East (any feedback on the area while we are at it?)

Basically the house I originally wanted fell through 2 days after I given my landlord notice, and this house is the only one that I could see myself living in once the pressure to find a house goes away.

[Adenauer]

My Grandad would have had that less council house looking with one fly past

[swiftpete]

I'd rip off the brown stuff and replace it with white 150mm shiplap cladding. That would look far nicer than that stuff. I agree with some climbing plants up the walls as well.

[MitchT]

Smooth cement render. Paint white. Dark grey window frames. Simple wooden door in a warm brown.

[Adenauer]

MitchT said:

Smooth cement render. Paint white. Dark grey window frames. Simple wooden door in a warm brown.

Presumably the other houses will look the same though, which would then make this one stand out like a sore thumb?

[anonymous-user]

Adenauer said:

My Grandad would have had that less council house looking with one fly past

[wolf1]

Without being able to see the whole view from the front I'd be tempted to close the open car port and make it part of the garage thus making more room for blokey stuff. Also build a small porch at the front to blend into the newly extended garage. Maybe even stick a traditional roof on it that encompasses the garage and porch. Another window to even up the front would be nice but obviously depends on what's behind it.

[marksx]

Council?

This is council:

[isee]

Adenauer said:

Presumably the other houses will look the same though, which would then make this one stand out like a sore thumb?

actually it might not.. here is the view of the two adjacent houses

[illmonkey]

The thing that makes it look most cancilll to me is the yellow bricks. Swap all of the outside facing ones to a more traditional red coloured brick and you'd be away!

Oh, lose the car port, and the wood slats between windows, and change said window (frames) to painted/stained wood.

[Adenauer]

isee said:

actually it might not.. here is the view of the two adjacent houses

Well that looks much better than in the first picture you posted.

[Caulkhead]

Doesn't look very council to me. Very seventies suburban though. You could grow some ivy up it to break up the big slabby walls a bit.