While you are saving up for a whole house paint job - 1. Work out the exterior colour-scheme. 2. Paint the pickets around the base is the house, yourselves, if possible. I agree that it should be a dark colour, that works with your chosen final scheme. 3. Prepare garden beds along the front, choose appropriate shrub species and plant ASAP, with possibly something taller sweeping up to the left (of the photo) to break the strong horizontal "box" look. If you decide to change the stairs at some stage, you may have to remove a plant or two, but at least there will be an inviting entrance growing happily in the meantime. Have fun :)

I hear this quite regularly from people building. What seems like a big bedroom for example may end up being smaller than anticipated due to the builder not explaining in clear terms. To have you draw up your own plan in chalk to get an idea of size is crazy. It may look different once walls are up too! The builders sales person should of explained the layout, showed you through your own residence, etc. and made comparisons. While I understand room sizes, easily visualise, etc. the layman (laywoman) rarely does. This must be explained in easy terms by me to client. Same goes for any good designer OR builder. There isn't a lot of fat in the building industry anymore, its very competitive, people shop around more, therefore I guess the time spent with a client must be minimised otherwise it's money being lost. While most ARE good builders its just their customer service is lacking. If you're unhappy, go somewhere else. Its not worth the stress, frustration, time spent talking about it, deposit money, etc. to end up with what you don't really want! Go to a local designer/architect if need be. They can design a residence to suit you, usually have builders that they know will do great work and are once again competitive. Custom designed dwellings are not that expensive, the designer should design to suit your budget as well!!

I like all the garden ideas ( it does look a bit sparse and 'rental property' look about it IMO ) , with a low fence along the front , a wooden screen a couple of metres in front of the door , etc , BUT when I looked at the very first photo -- the wider angle one -- the one thing you notice first is the yellow marker post on the left hand side of the driveway fence . So take that as a cue , and paint the garage door a bright colour to stand out -- primary or metallic or trendy , just one that you like , and personally I'd probably change the curtains ( or even dye them ) to the same colour as the garage door . Right now , everything is various derivatives of off-white and red brown earth brick -- needs a decent spot of colour to lift the houses look IMO . Another option would be 'natural' timber blinds , especially if you had them the same shade of stain as the screen and the front fence , but I'd still do the garage door ( and maybe the guttering ) your current favourite colour .

As others have said, it's all about balance. Firstly, replace the seemingly pointless area of paving to the left of the door with turf while keeping the sandstone garden edging. If you need the parking bay in front of the house reduce it down to in line with the corner of the house and make the garden in front of the house deeper by removing more pavers. If you don't need the parking bay get rid of it all together and turf that area. To make the front door easier to find remove everything in that garden to the right of the Frangipani (which needs some selective pruning) and then run a path from the footpath (or steppers) to the porch. I would also place a feature plant in a pot to the left of the front door to draw the eye and paint the door a lighter colour so it stands out. Lastly, a feature tree in the garden to the left near the Wooly Bush to add some height to that side of the garden.