Why wouldn't you use a front balcony? It looks very private and depending on the aspect and your view , it would be a great spot for a morning coffee or glass of wine in the evening. As you may have guessed we are building a new home with a front balcony! We have views of a park and distant bay and being a northerly aspect it will be great all year round. I think the problem is the heavy look of the balustrade. A modern update here could give you a beautiful outdoor space- don't brick it in.

Having a closer look at the house, it could be possible to replace the small window next to your fireplace on the left with a door, and still enclosing the side if the garage, I would also install a timber balustrade form the original front door between all posts, so hat door could remain, but be within an enclosed walk corridor rather than wLk our onto a drive. The ballustrading could become a real feature, and be somewhat of an enclosed verandah if people were en lined to need fresh air, or may want to pollute it with a cigarette?? Either way, it will make better use of this side of the home, your windows are too beautiful to conceal and the light they bring in would be priceless. I think removing the brush front fence and installing a picket fence further beyond your front window could tie into the new balustrade m suggesting, and create a new front of house, and still enclose enough behind this feneline for a private and safe yard. I think I can see a timber gate or fence? This is where I would at a minimum put the new picket fence. Maybe say 1500mm high, which is still a nice view fence height from the street but dprivate enough not to see clothes hanging etc. Glad I could be of some help.

Here are some of my thoughts on your front garden ... 1. Create a better "welcome walkway to your front steps . remove the hedge currently there ... mass plant an architectural wow-factor plant and uplight so peoplre know where the front entry is during the nightime. 2. "Correct" the sloping lawn, add a paved area for extra parking. 3. Create a garden bed along neighbours boundary and plant up with a hedging plant for privacy. 4. Create a garden bed in front of the wall using plants that will not block out the view from the windows. 5. For the remaining garden bed toward the kerbside, xeriscape with drought loving plants, choose plants that will not be taller than 5 feet (1.5mtrs) 6. All the garden beds with gravel, crushed river pebbles, or small river stones to compliment existing driveway. No need to change colours of house! Now there'll be no lawn to mow - but a valuable extra parking space - a designated "welcome" pathway to guide visitors to your front door - and a gorgeous "garden" to view from the front windows.

definitely remove the "blob". update the a/c. widen steps. paint gutter and eaves. kill the awning. texture coat the brick walls. I would suggest removing the lawn (weed killer or cover it with weedmat and let it die is cheaper than having it dug up and removed), remove the slope by placing a low retaining wall and cutting and filling it, weed mat, underground sprinklers, strategically placed plants - I would suggest agaves, dragon tree, dracenas, a large feature cactus? etc..., 100 mm thick layer of a nonorganic mulch of your liking. reuse the existing rocks amongst the mulch (half bury them). costs are high to set up, then it is very low maintenance, not much watering required. you may wish to consider a water feature or even 3 d wall panels instead of texture coating (pretty similar costs).