Not very inspiring is it, I feel your frustration. How much longer do you think you will be there? Didn't realise you were planning on selling soon.

@fianou,
I have been out with the camera late this afternoon and took a shot of the flax and miscanthus plants around my fish pond for you to get an idea of the cover and height that can be achieved with these plant that range from 2 mtrs to about half a mtr.
You can very easily take some of the plants with you when and if you leave in the future by dividing the plant up much like a agapanthus, so if you spend money planting, you can save money taking a portion of these plants with you.
Sorry the photo's aren't real clear, bad time to take pictures before dusk.
Cheers,
Barbara

I'm thinking more a blue with cream accent and the darker roof.

Hi Sue, I wanted to say that, bit that is what I did with my own house and thought that is all I could see. I just love blue and white or blue and cream, can't help it...just my favourite colours. I love my house now painted in these colour selections. I think the above house would look fabulous in those colours :)

Not sure if you like this blue and white combo. It's a Wattyl colour (and an older one so you would have to ask for it) Indigo Nights. We love it and have repainted twice without changing the colour.

I would renovate and spray the roof; render the exterior brick in a cream, replace at least one window with French doors in white and put some timber decking out the front and put some effort into a beautiful cottage garden. That's character!!

A dark grey with vibrant white trim always looks fresh and you can add pops of colours with a red or timber front door and compliment with bright plant pots in red or even plant a Japanese red maple in the front yard.

@fianou, the first question to ask yourself is "Is this likely to be a forever home or a temporary one?". If it is one you think of keeping forever, by any means, forget about overcapitalising and have fun with it! Even if your plans change and you get to sell it, it may not make you richer but it may make your life while living there much more enjoyable, and that is priceless.

If it is one you intend to sell in a while, I would highly suggest to stay in line with the houses in your area, and adding a discreet twist of your own. If you intend to sell within two years or so, I would recommend you focus on adding elements that could really add value to your home, and sometimes these are not cosmetic. I can't see much of your home from the picture, but it might be a garage (even a standalone single one) or a workshop, a more secure fencing or gate (for dog owners), etc.

I would also opt for just cleaning the bricks and the roof tiles, instead of painting (I don't recommend DYI outdoor wall painting, especially on porous, uneven bricks, as it requires lots of preparation and specific skills to make sure the paint will stand the test of time and weather) I would also extend your landing at the front, by building a small deck. This would present better but also make your entry much more welcoming and practical. It would also give you a bit of additional space to maybe add a few colourful elements that are removable like pot plants or even a painted rustic garden chair or two. Depending on your budget, you could also create a mini pergola all along your front wall, in order to offer you better shelter from the rain when walking from your driveway to your front door.

Another thing I would do: create a path made of gravels around your home (where grass currently is). This has four purposes: you could work around your house on a wet day without dragging to much wet soil around; gravel being draining, it would not retain moisture against your walls as much as grass would; I know it's a rural area and security is not your main concern, but gravel around a home makes a potential unwanted visitor more noisy and noticeable; from a cosmetic point of view, it would add some texture, while staying in line with a rural feel.

I would also repaint the fascia a light, neutral colour (a light beige) so the house look a bit brighter and slightly more contemporary too.

If there is a pedestrian path on your verge, I would also create a path leading from the verge/road to your front door. It would be much more inviting that having people to walk through grass or through the side driveway. It would also help define your entry as right now, your front house looks a little "flat", with the front door/entry barely noticeable. Lots of plants around the path would add further texture, life and interest.

What about colours then? Paint your front door a vibrant colour. Spray paint your letter box with the same colour. Add a few pots (near the front door) in a similar shade or in a contrasting one. You might even look into adding a bit of external lights (coach lanterns maybe) that yo would too spray paint in your main colour. In a dark, gloomy weather, I tend to chose warm tones over cold ones, so shades of red or orange (burnt orange/terracotta) or yellow could work. See how it works on this rural house I photographed once (on a gloomy day)? It's only a detail, but it works well, it brigthens up the house and from a potential buyer's perspective, it's easy to repaint if you ever sell the house and the buyers are not too fond of the colour...

I hope this helps!

All the best!

Thanks everyone for your advice!

I like the Indigo nights colour you suggested @bargainhunter.

@Twinkleandwhistle thanks for the suggestions of how to add some colour without painting the brick, I will consider your suggestions. If I can figure out how to put things out without them blowing away in the freaky winds here I could make it work. But I think I will buy a guerney and clean the whole thing down first and see how it looks. If I can just paint the front door and add a few bits and bobs that would be so much easier.

Good luck fianou - do keep us informed.

Been on holidays olldroo so I haven't had time to start yet!

Hahahaha, so now you are all rested, you have no excuse.

Hire a pressure cleaner, put on your bikini, and have at it!

Plant a row of wattles, on the windward side. They are quick growing, and when they've grown a bit, you can plant things inside the garden, which will then be more sheltered. Wattles are not long lived, but they will serve the purpose and furnish Spring/late winter flowers.

Chook - a bikini ............. in this weather ................. in Tassie??

If I could be permitted to take you down a different path - chucklechuckle.

In your initial photo, one would assume this is your favorite view of the home. Lead your guests from this spot to your door.

(not down a path to the barn and then force a 90 degree turn to avoid hitting the house. They can no longer see the alcove where they hope the entrance to be.)

Lead the path, and your eager guests, a bit to the right, so they can see their destination, - or begin the walk over to the right.

Lead them through the color and fragrance of plant beds, rather than hiding them at the foot of the walls.

Create a little entrance terrace outside the front step to greet them with containers of seasonal plants and fragrant herbs, perhaps a small bench with a colorful cushion, saying "You are welcome to my home".

Plus, you will be able to enjoy the color from within the home, as you gaze out at the dawn.

Casio, we have done that at our place, in an endeavour to plan for the next drought, less thirsty lawn.

Bravo, double C

Try white paint and a real door.

Oops teal! Not real!

Olldroo whats wrong with the Tassie weather, had my swimsuit on this weekend? Joking apart thats a nice sturdy house , make the inside home and plant a few nice small trees and shrubs, then have a look and see whats the go for the neighbourhood, be careful not to over capitalise stay in keeping or just a bit above so when you sell you don't make a loss, and if you choose to rent out it will still "fit" with its locale.......................

Models do bikini shoots in Winter. Not sure they would pressure clean a house in them, might break a nail or something.

Nothing wrong with Tassie weather maggie - if you don't like it you come back in half an hour. I can quite believe you wore your swimmers this weekend, I got snowed on one January :))

I do remove one fine day, skiing in the morning and by late afternoon swimming......its a great place to be ;)

And the air is so beautifully fresh and clean.

Wow... I didn't realise I still had some comments and suggestions. We have decided to opt for the cleaning only option and to paint the inside window sills and doorframes to freshen it up. We are putting our savings into the mortgage to maximise return. We aim to have it listed for sale by spring. We have opted for a few capital improvements, pellet heater, new stove, and 3 stage whole house water filtration system ( there have been lead in the town water issues here and that deals with it). That makes us happy and comfy in the meantime.

The plain brick I personally find quite grim, but its not uncommon here and I think it won't put anyone off. I plan to get a big colourful cluster of pots to put near the entrance for some colour.

I have been tidying up the house using the Konmari method and its looking really nice inside, its simple but it seems to have a welcoming vibe now.

I think I have been using the Konmari method most of my life without realising there was a name for it. Sensible decision @fianou, good luck with the sale and your next purchase.

Fantastic ideas...had no idea that one photo could generate such great insight and varied ideas

All I can say is that if you don't want to overcapitlise-keep it simple,clean and looking low maintenance. I'd spend most of my money in designing a colourful and fragant garden suiable for your area.Look around and see what other have planted....ask for cuttings...and decide early on if you are looking to plant a formal or informal garden. Best of luck!

If you have a budget for it, and if that is one front room, I would knock out the windows and the wall between and put a large sliding door that is from the top to bottom or windows from ceiling to floor with a timber deck out front. You probably would have to replace the other window at the front & put in a ceiling to floor window too, but then I read the comment above from 164800 and think they are spot on about a beautiful garden to pretty the home up ;-).

Hi fianou, did you decide on your project? Any updates? Hope all is going well

Me too :)

and me!!

and me......love to see end pickies

This makes 5 sticky beaks!!

been missing you Oldroo, hope your good.

Yeah!

Way too many comments to read through them all, but I did notice lots of pics with bright colour schemes.

Unless this is your "forever" home I'd steer clear of those combos, they'll put off buyers! Plus all those houses have beautiful features and trims that the paintwork is working with.

Your question was about giving it character and charm, but in the earlier comments I noticed you also thought it drab being grey.

My suggestions would be although you think colour to make it inviting, I'd stick with going whites or light colours, just brightening it, then landscaping the hell out of it will make a huge difference to its warmth and street appeal.

Pvc white picket fencing can also be ordered and DIY installed and would create instant charm and appeal to the next buyer...plus it's completely maintenance free!

Lots of plants, which you mentioned you've started on will add softness and a cared for homey feel and I'd use a concrete stain (or paint, but a stain is lower maintenance) on the bricks to whiten or lighten them and although rendering the whole house is over capitalising, rendering the bottom third that you see from the street or rendering a feature wall, would definitely add character and value.

What ever you decide, good luck and remember to enjoy it!!

Probably the cheapest option would be to gurni the cement blocks and tiled roof. Use the same colour of the guttering and add a railing on the porch in the same colour and large pots in the same colour under the windows and along the front path. Will add colour to the house and you can take the pots with you when you sell. Long rectangular pots would look good.

If you are stuck for colour ideas or looking for a way to bring the look together - Bodo Boards have full colour concepts available for only $89.95 which includes the colours to use for your all your internal paint colours and your external main paint, trim paint, feature paint and accent colour - the boards also include suggestions for bricks, paving decking and if necessary garage door types to complete your look. It saves you from putting together all the colour choices and the painstaking time spent looking over concepts. Might I suggest the Australian bush concept - https://bodo-boards-2.myshopify.com/collections/country/products/australian-bush-paint-concept or the traditional https://bodo-boards-2.myshopify.com/collections/traditional - ALL featured paint products are available Australia wide. Good Luck!

What about something like this? We added a front verandah to our government house. [https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/exteriors-traditional-verandah-miami-phvw-vp~15017876[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/exteriors-traditional-verandah-miami-phvw-vp~15017876)

Given the length of time this has been running, hopefully you have let this at a premium and decided to do very little!

Hello Fianou,

Congratulations on your charming home. I think it has so much potential.

I love the idea of teal, it is fresh and welcoming.

I was thinking to give the home some street appeal and to also make it extremely functional. I would see if you could afford to put a wonderful wooden deck out the front, and then I would have window shutters painted teal placed on either side of the windows to give it street appeal, if you could afford to paint the brick I would paint it in a happier white tone with the blue accessory trim on the shutters on each window and also on the roof trim to tie it all in. On the deck I would have flower boxes painted in the same teal colour or whatever colour you choose to link in the whole story. I can see it can be so sweet and charming and a real place to call home.

The timber fence at the side would also link in with the decking at the front.

Good luck and congratulations on buying your own home ! Woo hoo !

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/10-unexpected-color-schemes-for-home-exteriors-stsetivw-vs~26198395

Have a look here and to the links given..there are lots of great ideas here if you don't want the Neutral colours, especially beige/greige and grey that are all the rage at the moment...good luck

OLD Post - wonder what happened to the property?

OLD POST I also wonder happened eventually. Would be nice to see a post of the finished house.

I would water pressure clean the bricks, roof and guttering, this would lighten it up a lot. I would also put a covered deck across the front of the house, this would give it a modern look and an extra outdoor space as well, have a timber deck floor on this space and horizontal timber slats below the hand-rail of the deck. I would use a bright colour on these slats and use this colour on the trims, guttering and front door too. There are some good lime green and maroon native grasses that could be planed along the front of the house to give it that well finished look, it would cost around three to five thousand dollars to do all of this and it would give the home great street appeal. When you have the funds, you could add a car-port to the side of the house, using the same horizontal timber slats and colours at the side of it to tie it all together.

Clean the bricks, build a timber deck over the concrete entrance and paint the door & meter box a bright colour.

The OP was nearly 2 years ago, the house has probably been sold by now. No point commenting on this now as suggestions have already been covered.

OLD POST

Oh my... this old post of mine came up and I feel a bit nostalgic about my first home. I didn't realise so many people were following so I didn't keep everyone updated. we rented the house out and went on a big road trip heading back up north where we came from. Took us about 6 months to settle again. We liked tasmania, but we missed where we were from. We eventually sold it at a good profit. It took us a little while to find a place within our budget up here but we did it. Our profit gave us a deposit for the place we have now. We've been in our new place for 18months and we're slowly fixing it up. I've posted elsewhere about that. I'm enjoying settling in, restoring this old house and gardening. It might not be a forever home, but I'd be happy to stay here so I'm enjoying the process.