Happy Friday! I was thinking we needed to have some fun on the site this week, I thought about having an UGLY HOUSE CONTEST. You know - we've all seen them. The colors that scream out at you while you are still blocks away! The eyesores in the front yard. The lack of curb appeal. I know they are out there in every city - and so do your best to share the best of the worst - just for fun!! If you have a great "Before/After" set - I'd love to see them! Nothing tells it better than the eye of the camera!! For now, let's just focus on the EXTERIOR of the houses - I know we could have a totally different contest on the inside of some of the houses we've seen!
Here is my submission - Isn't there some sports team that is Green and Gold? Maybe that was their inspiration. Anyway, these poor neighbors putting up with the GREEN MONSTER! This photo was taken by my team mates while they were out Staging - one of those - "You gotta see it to believe it!" scenarios. I have to agree - nothing tells it better than the visual image a digital camera captures!
Can you believe there is ANOTHER GREEN MONSTER - I took this photo just 2 days ago - in Lincoln, CA.
I posted this to another blog talking about good front doors - as an example of need for curb appeal, but I think this house deserves a shot at winning the CONTEST. Don't you agree? I guess the moral of the story with these 2 examples is that GREEN is NOT a good exterior color for a house - especially when it is of the neon persuasion! Don't you agree that the chain link fence in the front of this house adds that "special" touch?
Care to play along? Put your photos up. We can proclaim a winner based on your feedback - and how many submissions we get!!
Lighthearted and Fun for a Friday!!
- Jennie
Hi Ashley! You are right! They must have really pondered, "Should we paint the trim green or yellow - and what about around the garage? Maybe we can do the footings by the side entrance yellow too!" Can't you just hear it? What amazes me is they left the garage WHITE - I mean, Hey, if you are going to go for it - let's do it all the way. I think a nice red or orange would have just topped this off! If you have a contender - get it up here on the blog!! The more the merrier!
- Jennie
I think they should have gone for purple on the garage door!
Color plays an important part in how we feel. I cannot imagine living across the street from homes like the one in the first photo. It's in an obviously upscale neighborhood. How tough for the neighbors.
There was a home in South Orange County where the neighbors didn't want a man to build because it would onstruct their view. They did absolutely everything they could to undermine the construction of the new house. Finallu, the man building the home got so aggravated, he halted construction and painted everything with zebra stripes. It remained that way for about a year until he came back and completed construction.
Ashley - yes, Purple is a nice opposite contrast to yellow so would look smashing!
Marlene - I have heard of people doing this - in fact, wasn't Madonna painting her house in Hollywood (or somewhere in LA) red or something and the neighbors all revolted (this was her pre-England and fake accent days :)) - and so she painted it with some pattern? I agree that having to live next to an eye-sore is terrible, and then go and try to sell YOUR house with the monstrosity next door! Talk about devaluing the market!
- Jennie
Oh Boy. I can win this. Later I am going out to take some photos of my new darlings. I am sure there will be a gem among them. See you soon.
R
Hi Jennie - Wow!! Lime green??? Hey, to each their own. The best house I heard about (sorry don't have a photo), had the greek flag painted on it. No, it wasn't in the movie. It really exists in South Carolina. I did not personally see it, however, a realtor and lawyer down there told me all about it.
The house is in a development, and the neighbors are up in arms. The owner has been told he has to paint it to conform with the other homes. He is a very wealthy man, and does not want to change his house. Last I heard, he was being fined 100 per day, to get rid of this "eyesore", however, he said he would never change it.
I don't know the result of this situation. I guess it goes to show what some consider "art" others see as an eyesore.
This is fun! Thanks to all that have commented - I still want to see photos - so go through your collections and see if you have any candidates!
Ashley - that middle finger house - wow! At first you kind of think, maybe he was just trying to be artistic, but then reading the article - intentional for sure! That's amazing!
Rich - Can't wait to see your submissions!
- Jennie
I think that the first green monster is definitely worse!
Here in Charleston, we have lots of colorful homes. And they aren't always tastefully done. I'll have to go out and photograph some to compare to your two.
Jennie,
I don't know if your pictures can be beat! Those are definately front runners.
Here is another one - I know it is not as gaudy as the first (although the turquoise trim is a nice touch) - but I have to share that the front of the yard had a big "BEWARE OF DOG" sign on the fence and then 2 tiny chihuahuas barking at me! Priceless!
And then there is this next one - driving by I took this picture of this drab brown house that looks like it really could use a drink of fresh paint - and what you can't see are the 2 uniformed police officers that were in the doorway - talking to the owners. Oops!
And this one - it is not as gaudy as the first one - but at least the GREEN MONSTER had landscaping that looked OK. This house is UGLY all over!
Last submission for today - someone above wrote about the yards with all the decorative things in the front - so I saw this one and snapped a picture. All the little ducks and geese, pots, and big lanterns make for a "WHOA!" I did not know the person was crouched over planting things - sorry for the butt shot.
- Jennie
Oh boy, I had better get taking photos..I have a lot in a particular area about 15 minutes from my house. I can't wait to share. The first green one takes the cake! You gotta love it when people pair two equally hidious colors together on the house and try to co-ordinate them! LOL
Another combo I see a lot is turqoise and bright pink, really-who picks these colors?!
OMG! Jennie, there sure are a lot of ugly houses where you live. LOL! Good thing you're there to save them, but I am willing to bet these people would be resistant to staging, am I right?
I never awarded the UGLY HOUSE CONTEST WINNER - as I was hoping some of YOU would submit your own. When you start looking for them - they are there! I did have to drive to some areas I normally am not in to seek them out - and with a quick shutter as I did the "drive by" I captured some good candidates.
The WINNER for this round is: TA DA! The
First posting the GREEN & YELLOW MONSTER! As people pointed out - the sellers really seemed to have a plan for how they were going to paint the house - and so that is what made it the best of the worst!!
Let's do this again sometime!!
Jennie
Jennie,
THE GREEN BAY PACKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. Okay, those UGLY houses HAD to be in North Highlands or Citrus Heights......
Here in Raleigh we have Brick or Vinyl..... hard to ugly that up but I will search!
dave does
I bet that house looks good in X MAS . .with lights all over it. .is there an HOA in that neighborhood?
Ha Haa haa this is funny I need to start posting some pictures.
Dave
I thought I could have won the contest for the ugliest house,but I only have a "Shack" of an apartment. It's sure ugly, though. But it was uglier when it had mold growing under the sink for about two years, before the Land... I mean Slumlord finally removed the cabinet, but didn't even bother to replace it. I've been contemplating taking him to court for sometime...Oh, Yeah ! I have plenty of pictures from the last two years or more. You should see my "New" Door he brought to me !
Well, it's a real ugly dark brown color, with paint chips out of it...underneath it it kinda white, and green spots. Talk about bad taste ! After 6 years living here (fixed income,so it's hard to qualify to get a nice place) Oh, yeah... I have to tape up the door on the inside, cause it has long cracks in it. If you go outside at night, you can see into my apt.
Go Figure ! I keep hoping that I could maybe "Win" a place . Fat chance !
My Dad saw my place one time, and all he could say was " You could do better "
He says I live like a bum ! I'm so embarrased, I wont let anyone come to visit from my Family !
Just thought you'd like to see some pics of my Ugly Apt !
How do you post a pic here?