i'll keep this post short but provide a lot of visual explanation. i had to overcome the challenge of connecting the front door to the garage area, especially because the garage is a floor beneath the front door. so here is my solution. 

as you can see, the outside staircase hugs the external wall of the building and is eventually going to connect to the front porch area. the design is beginning to swing into a 'bungalow' feel.

now comes the challenging part for me - designing the front of the house. columns are a must in bungalow design so my design as far has resulted in this:

a front view of the unfinished house provides this view: