Clearly the hideous aluminum awning and repugnant front door were doing little to enhance the facade of the house; ditto the windows of the enclosed porch, which besides being installed crooked, and having hardly any putty left to hold their mullions in place, had been etched with graffiti by gang member friends of the previous occupants' teenage daughter.  And okay, maybe we should have watered the plants in the hanging baskets a little more often.

With considerable sweat but much glee, we removed these offending items one week into the renovation.