The period and style of your home suggests gravel as the medium of use. Grey, not blue and fine. Some products have clay 'fines' amongst the small gravel that enables the product to compact really well when laid properly. You can push prams etc over it without a problem. Paving and concrete cause drainage problems with runoff warranting drainage to accommodate excessive run off. Gravel and aggregates absorb the water. The cost is much cheaper but also looks totally better. The sustainable alternative is always about thinking differently.

Hearty Home. If it ain't broke don't fix it is your best slution. The pressed metal looked the part to moi; subtle character, and not like everyone elses. I've just renovated; all new kitchen has bevelled-edged white subways w' pale grey expoxy grout. Timeless is always timeless. Changing your pressed metal look could make the rest of the kitchen design look odd. I note this article is months old; So now I'm wondering what you did?

Hi Lorena, Given that your aim is to sell within a year this gives us a framework for working up a strategy to get the property to market with the greatest potential ROI. Working back from your realistic sale price expectations you can set a budget for your renovation. I would prioritise the internal upgrades ahead of the exterior. If the internals really appeal, buyers may be more willing to accept compromise on the exterior. On the other hand if it looks great from the outside, but the interior is under done, it may turn buyers off. Marketing images of a great looking interior are bound to drive solid enquiry. Once you have the interior up to speed, you will know how much is still in the kitty to spend on the outside. At the very least get all the currently painted surfaces re-painted, which may also mean some substrate repairs given the coastal location and age of the building. If there is still budget remaining after that, consider your options for the brickwork. Maybe just a professional pressure clean will be enough to freshen it up? Rendering is going to be a big ticket item, so perhaps leave that to the new owner's preference. If an investor buys the property they may even prefer low maintenance brickwork. For colour advice, check out manufacturer web sites such as Dulux and Resene. Paying for a colour consultancy is definitely worth it if you are not confident with picking colours yourself.

I have just moved into a new house where we designed a kitchen/scullery very similar to yours - kitchen for preparation and cooking while being part of the household and the scullery for dirty dishes and storage of crockery and food items that are used occasionally or for sandwiches and snacks (little preparation). There is also a drinks area just outside the scullery (with a very small sink and a tap that has a choice of ready hot or chilled water - it is used constantly). The fridge is placed in the middle between the main preparation kitchen and the scullery where the toaster is also kept. People wanting coffee, toast, snacks can access everything without bothering the person/ people cooking. Our hot plates and wall oven are separated by an L-shaped bench with a single sink, which works very well. However, the sink is much closer to the oven than the hot plates which was bad planning. I underestimated the number of times I move between the sink and the stove top (including rinsing my hands between tasks). The sink needs to be close to the cooktop - and, because you are not stacking dirty or drying dishes there, the amount of bench space between the cooktop and sink does not need to be all that large. One other thing that I am really glad we upgraded to is a synthetic stone bench that is allows you to put pans on directly from the oven (most do not) - brilliant. It also allows you to cut directly in in. I usually don't do this, not because I ma concerned about the bench top but because I dont want to blunt my good knives :)