Hi everyone! I am looking for some advice BIG TIME! My husband and I have currently lived in our home for almost five years, and we have painted the entire exterior and recently done some major landscaping. The problem is, we have a suple simple ranch (a big one) and everyone calls it a double wide or asks who we got out modular through. I shouldn't let it bother me, but it really does. I have had to take half a dozen contractors who have come to do odd jobs at our house down to the basement and show them the floor boards before they would believe me that it was a stick frame construction house. I think that is crazy and I am looking for ideas to change the ENTIRE look of the front of the house. I, of course, would prefer a lesser costly way, but at this point, I don't care. The one thing that has already been ruled out by my husband is to brick the whole thing - he says it will look like an office building. We are planning on doing the roof in the next year or so, and the color will be a brown shade instead of a gray shade. We have also waited to see if we get any brainstorms about peaks in the roof, or adding porch eaves, or something like that. I will try and figure out how to post a pic, this is my first post. Thanks!
Posts: 4 | Location: PA | Registered: Jul 07, 2008
Do you have a porch on the front? Is it aluminum or a shingled porch? If it's aluminum, replace it with a shingled porch. Is there a deck on the front? If so, consider replacing it with a shingled porch.
What about your front door? Does it look worn? What about the windows? Are they aluminum? If so, consider replacing them with wood or vinyl.
The landscaping (trees, periennial bushes, flowers) will also help.
I think it would be easy to find some solution without heavy construction/additions. For instance roof color..there are greens and terracota shades for shingles..really good looking. For paint color,, I love "Bleached Sand". I have it on my home.
Also, colorful canvas awnings. Just one piece attached to the top of the window - then of course, the standard depth at the bottom. Nothing fancy - but colorful. Stripes are good - including your paint color and roof color. Side shutters are another nice touch.
You can create a porch with a larger awning and some deck work, and lattice work. Make sure the lattice work is trimmed out professionally. Get some ideas from the net or magazines by looking up outdoor...patio areas.
Before you start altering the exterior of your home, I suggest you consult first with an architect or knowledgeable designer to get a design that will be functional and decorative as well as appropriate in size and scale. And, you will need to make sure the plans are in compliance with any and all local codes.
Exterior alterations are complicated and most contractors prefer to work from detailed drawings so that there is no guesswork. You want to avoid an amateurish mish-mash that could make your less than pretty home even uglier.
You could also put a nice canvas awning up in one of the colors of your new roof, when you get that done. We did that and we put up shutters beside all of the windows. We also put up a lovely decoration on the front wall of the home and on the side some planters on the wall and on the fence some planters. In the back we put a lovely flag pole with a light and on the house up high near the roof, three metal stars in various sizes. Inside we used glass knobs on all doors and on the cabinets. We also added metal cornices on the doorways. We have tried to add a traditional look to our home.
Posts: 1060 | Location: Sarasota | Registered: Jan 31, 2005
Batterbowly, welcome. The pics are very pretty--you have a lovely house. I can understand why people think it's a modular home, though, and I think it has partly to do with the siding. If you could break that up somehow like maybe even putting up a faux brick facade between the windows (roof to foundation) and then horizontally along the bottom foundation. Carry that brick facade along the deck foundation, too.
Another option would be to put up some sort of faux gable ("doghouse" type thing as I just heard it referred to on House Hunters) on the roof so that it gives the appearance of a second story. You would want to put a window in each of the doghouse things you put up there. I don't know how you'd easily get electrical up there to each but do it somehow and maybe put a string of white Christmas lights on a timer so that the doghouse is illuminated (the lights are on in the second story...) but so that the lights themselves cannot be seen from outside. You could even put a teddy bear or something in the window looking out. If you do decide on the doghouse thing, definitely use the faux brick facade on each.
Can you fancy up the front porch, maybe with some white columns or build it out entirely and make it some sort of entry room with a very fancy door?
Finally, some landscaping closer to the house might do a lot, too.
Well, as someone who lives in a modular that looks just like most of the site built homes around here... a ranch is a ranch, is a ranch. I'm pretty pleased as punch with our place, as it is nicer than a lot of the site built homes, and was about half the cost of having it site built (and guarenteed built better).
I think what your house needs is just some more greenery... trees, bushes, flowers... It's a beautiful home, but it is what it is. Without changing it up with cosmetics, the best thing is to add color and personality with plants and other things to take away from the length of it. We built a 12 x 20 front porch about a year and 1/2 ago, and that went a long way in breaking up the length of the house. Bushes along the foundation... trees in the yard... You just need to break up the long line of the front.
Don't be offended if folks think you live in a modular. I have people who are amazed that my house isn't site built. Modulars are GOOD! LOL! (*"*)
Posts: 3420 | Location: pinopolis,sc | Registered: Nov 17, 2003
A mobile has to have a roof line that does not project beyond the side walls for ease of moving it. Changing your roof line will change everything BUT it is expensive. You would have to bring a gable out over your front door which would entail not only roof work but also support structure. IMHO there is nothing else that will really make any difference.
It would be a lot simplier and cheaper if you just got used to the ranch style and didn't care what anyone thought.
P.S. You said you are replacing your roof soon. Please make it darker so house does not appear to float. Roofer told me roof should be at least a shade or two darker than body of house. Look around your neighborhood and those with roofs darker than walls are usually more appealing.
Posts: 1739 | Location: North MN & Northern AR | Registered: Oct 01, 2002
Your home is lovely, but I can see why it looks like a mobile home. I wouldn't presume to tell you what you should change, I will leave that to an architect, I am sure that they can tell you what to do in order to change the appearance of the front of the house.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: rker321,
First you have a lovely home. It is what it is, be grateful you have such a nice place. Countrybug is right, what you need is landscaping. The roof definitely needs to be brown, a medium brown at least for contrast. And as someone who lives in a manufactured home, there is nothing wrong with that. People know what mine is but when they come inside everyone has commented that it looks just like a regular house. Personally I could care less what other people think. You obviously liked the home enough to buy it. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on architectural stuff. What do the neighbors homes look like?
This message has been edited. Last edited by: jameysmom,
Posts: 248 | Location: MO | Registered: Nov 30, 2002
I so agree Charcoalsmom. We have a 1214 sq. ft. all electric home and my electric bill averages 100.00 a month. Couldn't ask for cheaper. I've seen a lot of mfg. homes with such lovely landscaping that you don't even notice what they are. It's all about the curb appeal. And also, how rude of people to argue with you whether your home is mfg. or not They don't even deserve a reply much less a trip to the basement.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: jameysmom,
Posts: 248 | Location: MO | Registered: Nov 30, 2002
I agree that there is nothing wrong with a modular home; it just bugs me that people feel the need to comment that it must be one! Also, we are planning on doing a dark brown roof, and there are brand new (just planted weeks ago) shrubs and ornamental trees in the beds that will help the "curb appeal" I guess that I am just hoping to get an ingenius idea to make the house appear less lengthy "rectangular shape" and more "homey-architectural" Thanks very much for all the compliments, though! To Jameysmom, we only bought the house because it sits on 3 of the most private, prettiest acres you have ever seen, and has a gorgeously open 6 room finished basement! We hated the rest of it, but that was more because it had 20-foot-high overgrown bushes out front, was covered to the roof in ivy, and was plain white siding with black trim. (that's why the roof doesn't match!) So, yes, I am glad that it has come this far, I am just looking to make it more "structurally diverse"
Posts: 4 | Location: PA | Registered: Jul 07, 2008
There's always a trade off isn't there? But I'd say you definitely made a good choice. I still say people are rude for questioning if it's a mfg. home I'm sure when the plantings grow it will look lovely. And to me it already is. And my theory is you spend most of your time inside so that's where I always spend the most money.
Posts: 248 | Location: MO | Registered: Nov 30, 2002
I think you might want to change out your shutters. When you replace the roof check into adding a pitched roof over the front porch. Not only will it improve the curb apeal - but will be appreciated by guests in bad weather.
Your home is beautiful. I think some more aggressive landscaping would help. When you get the time and money, you might want to replace the front deck with a real porch.
I, too, live in a manufactured home and I love it. It's solid, it's on a foundation, it's on a 1.65 acre lot with trees, flowers, shrubs, etc. No one except the neighbors who were in the neighborhood when it was set knows it's a manufactured home.
Our house has not depreciated. It was appraised last week and has appreciated over $40,000 in the past 12 years.
Seeing your home I too would question is it a modular? It's not a that your home isn't nice, you have done a great job with the landscaping it's just the home "style" that makes people question it. I do think the cheapest option would be to add some different plants, looks like you have some Hostas along the driveway and they are great plants but there needs to be something more substantial there. Also those little weeping trees I absolutely LOVE but again it's not sustantial enough to take up that corner, you need a larger tree and then some more bushes or such under those front windows. I would post this under hgtv message boards lawns and landscaping and tell them what zone or state you are in and they would be able to give you some good plants to use. I really do think that with some larger plantings you could stop getting that modular question! Good Luck to you!
I think one think that might help. Right now the landscaped section you have is "L" shaped, so it draws your eye up to the left corner of the house and then across the front, which is the angle you want to deemphasize.
If you were to cut the L across (make it a triangle) and plant a tree at the base of the triangle, the focus would be on the porch side of the house.
I think it would be worth your money to hire a landscape architect or architect to come out. Be clear on the phone that you just want ideas; that you're not ready to draw up plans.
Some landscape architects will draw a quick sketch for $50-100 to be applied to plants.
Lots of great advice in this thread. IMHO, your house is so tidy and attractive and you are so lucky to have the open space around you; you might want to consider just ignoring any comments from people who are mistaken about it.
My grandmother had a modular house (bought when she moved to live near my aunt and uncle) and it was just wonderful. I wish she could have lived longer to enjoy it.
Here are two other things I would offer:
1) Take a drive, with a spouse, friend, etc. around your area. Look for ranches that you think look "stick built" or look the way you want your house to look. Then make a list -- what is different between your house and the other house(s)? What could you change at your house that would be worth the cost to you?
2) Is there a way for you to build up the level of the landscaping to meet the main level of the house (rather than where it currently is below the main level)? I think that is one thing that may make it appear to be a modular house. If so, I might do that, and terrace the landscaping down to the current level (a good landscaper could design this and it would be beautiful).
They don't even deserve a reply much less a trip to the basement.
