Tough ask to get the no visible fixings. Magnesium oxide board (see the INEX brand) would give you the light coloured look, sheet or boarded look. The product can be painted but looks great raw too, has a shiny side and a striated side so you can have a variety of looks. Good luck

Yes, our harsh Australian environment does hammer our external finishes but if exposed timber is coated with a good quality finish initially ( i recommend 4 coats minimum ) then an ongoing maintenance coat every couple of years, your timber can still look great many years down the track. People just need to understand if you want that beautiful natural timber look you have to put time in to maintain it.

i'd want to know what's caused the damage, lack of maintenance, poor choice of original material or a more serious issue? A roof leak is such an important problem that i'd invest in advice from a professional (roofer, builder, carpenter and/or plumber) and ask them to check the whole roof inside and out including sarking and insulation, cladding, eaves, fascias, flashing and all the gutters and downpipes...unfortunately ignored problems will only become worse and create bigger issues..good luck with it

Yep, it sure adds up doesn't it! It's a lot of money for perhaps not an equivalent amount of value gain. But it's not necessarily the builder's fault or issue here. Their pricing here is not surprising, but to clarify not sure how you can isolate the kitchen or what exactly does 30K mean? Is it joinery only, is it including fittings? Is the balcony upper or main level. The question is, is this actually the best way to spend your money? Considering how much you're spending, should you be considering getting proper value for the money and getting more for your money with potentially a different design?. Are you happy with the design? It's going to be super? Is it worth $400K to you for what you're going to get? If the answer's no then a design rethink is possibly in order. Where are you at in the design/doc process? have you used a drafty, designer, architect to help you with the process? What people often get quite wrong with renovation projects is the distribution of budget in regards to HOW it's being spent (you WILL spend it one way or the other), and it always comes back to the design/layout as to how well or not it's spent. Really need to see actual plans to be able to assess and comment further with more accuracy otherwise just speculating on in all. Depending upon your finishing decisions this sort if thing could easily nudge the $450K mark.