I have seen like an arctic white stacked stone on a house near me - old house updated near my place and the porch now looks amazing. you can go to your local bunnings to take a look at it and apparently it just uses like a tile glue to attach to the brick wall - would need to check on approval with council if this was also allowed. If you can't find builder and want that option, get a tiler as they would also be able to cut these panels and make them look good. - also be sure to get references as they have to do a good job on this as it would be an important feature and be careful not to ruin the facade. Best of luck -.

Hi , Love oklouise ‘s suggestions, a row of ornamental pears along fence would add a modern look, viburnum ‘emerald lustre ‘ underplanted as a hedge, it has a fabulous foliage , ornamental grasses combined with structural plants would look great, a water feature with a feature tree in smaller garden area would just finish the garden beautifully and really highlight your driveway.

You have a classic post-war cream brick home, and the cream brick is the feature with its subtle variation in colour. The dark brown accent colours, which are not original, were probably added in the early 1970's. With your tight budget I would not be rendering the brick. You may like to read my blog post about why you should NOT render a classic home. https://secretdesignstudio.com/render-brick-home-tribute-triple-fronted-blonde-brick-veneer-home/ I would be looking at removing the "feature" awning and replacing it with something more appropriate to the home such as vertical black and white stripe which I suggested to these clients who have a similar brick and tile combination to yours. I would then look at repainting the gutters and fascias to co-ordinate with the awning. Introduce some landscaping to soften the look, and consider painting or rendering the dark brown base brickwork (but never the cream brickwork). Finish all of the timber window frames in the original Dulux Vivid White. I would not be adding the fake Victorian-style verandah to the home as you have proposed with its ornate iron lace. It will just look so wrong mixing these elements from different centuries from homes with very different proportions. I don't think I have actually seen a new renovation with fake decorative iron lace since the 1970s! At the end of the day, you won't be able to "modernise" or change the style of the existing home with your budget. What you can do is to celebrate the 1960's character that you already have and build on the original parts of your home which will be more cost-effective. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls.

On the one hand , that small upstairs 'point' is a bit weird , but I'd be tempted to leave it as it is . I'd paint the entire place in an English Cream , leave the two tall pillars in that 'light charcoal' ( it looks slightly different in a couple of the pics , but that's what i am assuming it is ? ) or maybe a more standard charcoal , and do the gutters in charcoal too . There's nothing wrong with the garage door by the looks of it , but that front door and side panels is great , and I'd do the garage door to match . I initially thought you wanted the carport on the left of the house , but now i think maybe you want it in front ? Either way , I'd carry through with the wooden features -- 300 x 50 or 75 beams , similar supports ( slightly red timber ) etc , and possibly even clear plastic sheeting so that the new garage door can be seen . It would tie everything in too , and with that slope , it would not make the entrance area look as tall . Clean the paths , the entrance tiles ( or re-tile ) and then re-evaluate . I suspect with the lighter paint , cleaner or darker pillars , new or cleaned entrance tiles and the like , the front entry may look more imposing but less intimidating .