Thanks Emily! That's a good idea, my only concern with a metal roof is if it would be louder, i.e. when raining?. Also what colour metal would you suggest? I absolutely love glass doors and I absolutely love a good quality timber, and would love that to be a feature of the house exterior. I've attached some photos of the kind of door I would love - glass mixed with timber! Love the industrial vibe of the picture you've attached - I just have to convince some others of this look :)

White-tail spider in my track suit pants WHICH I WAS WEARING! I thought it was a lump of lint from the laundry, drew it out, and promptly flung it across the room once I realised... never to be seen again! How it didn't bite me and sat still to be picked up, I don't know - it must have known I wouldn't do it any harm. We lived in lots of country places, too... We were invaded by small black crickets one year, and lady bugs, another year, in your drawers, in your hair, in your pantry, in your undies... everywhere! And then the blue tongue lizard that would go in and out with our dogs via doggie door, and made itself a nest in our laundry... I gave up and left some old towels for it. Had an echidna get up into the wheel well of our car... wild brumbies in our patio... the list goes on. My husband still says that the most unwelcome visitor was his mother... I like her better than he does!

Analysis first, then plan, as Tookoo recommends. Use native plants, as neotoma recommends. Get specific plant recommendations locally, as Terri & sgelade recommend. Here is my two cents worth, for the shortterm. a. Remove and stockpile the lawn edging and most of the mulch back against the fences. b. Take a can of spray paint, or a bundle of surveyor's flag, and mark the largest circular or curved form that will fit within the fenced areas, no matter where the trees stand (inside or outside of the line) to form the temporary edge of your lawn area. See if the entire family agrees on the alignment or just do what looks best to you as the Senior Gardener. c. Add the wood edging to the new edge, or, it will look a lot better if the edge is not visible, using a steel edge whose top edge is down just above the grass roots and no longer visible, and not an impediment to the lawn mower. (when you form the plant beds, you will dig down a couple inches at the edge, where it meets the steel, and then slope the bed up from there, and the mulch will be contained at the level of the lawn, beyond) My recommendation, after you call in your landscape advisor, is to fill the beds totally with ground cover, beneath the shrubs, so no mulch will be seen after the two years of plant growth, using only a finer textured mulch which will become part of the soil bed. (Maybe the bark mulch will smell good in your new fire pit, along with the wood edging.) d. Plant the entire area with grass seed or sod and enjoy the beauty. The curved edge will make the space appear and feel larger and will decrease the maintenance of the smaller bed areas. On the subject of tree placement: analyse first, then plan. Look at all the views beyond your fenceline from all windows of the house, the living/ dining areas, all the bedrooms, to enhance the good views and to block the big, the bad, and the ugly. The large trees on your list will block views from the upper windows, The small horizontally branched trees will be a piece of sculpture in your downstairs view throughout the year, while their flowering and fragrance yet another reason to be alive. For instance, if you have an attractive small tree that has attractive flowers and foliage, PLUS has attractive bark color and has a sculptural quality in the off-season, you won't have to visit the museum quite as often, with a sculpture garden right out your window.

I think your concerns are valid. Too much red. The roof does not look original to me, it looks painted already. If it is in good condition (pointing is all good, no broken tiles, no leaks)- it would be a straight pressure wash to clean, then a repaint. Perhaps get a couple prices? Late 70's, early 80's- this roof could of originally been brown, charcoal, green or even blue! I'm personally not a fan of 'adding' maintenance, so would avoid rendering, bagging or painting any of the brick (house or fence). If you have the budget, change the windows. You won't regret it- it will improve aesthetic, functionality and your electricity bills. There is little to any price difference between timber and commercial aluminium. Both would allow for a thicker, more defined frame, vs what you currently have. As for colours- by losing the commitment to all the red- will open up lots of options. Just depends on the look you want to achieve. PS- can't believe an air con installer would put those units there!!...when they could of gone around the corners, with conduit coloured appropriately and along the top of the fascia- you'd barely see them!...so dodgey!