I love your home - it's a classic and I wouldn't paint the bricks at all (sorry, it's one of my pet hates - along with render as there's so much of it done badly) I would though have the roof painted to a uniform colour - a terracotta if that is the neighbourhood vernacular, and I would freshen up the carport, gates, fence rails etc with a lovely crisp white. One of the first jobs would be to update the awning over the window (I'm guessing it's the main bedroom) with a pivot arm awning (colour would echo whatever the roof is painted) .

Nice home

More pics

More pics

More pics

Thanks Georgi and Wuff,

Yeh I'm thinking of leaving the brick as is, what colours do you think the facia's, gutters, posts etc should be.. Or keep them white?

I was thinking of replacing the car port posts with 1/3 brick pillar with a capping stone and then straight verandah posts to the top.. Kind of like the brick pillar on the far left of the house only probably 2/3 the size

Would a window canopy suit?

Hi swampykerr, our house similar era, previous owner had done similar to our house, put fibre cement column around poles, we took it off and replaced with original style. I really like the veranda posts that you have, I am not sure what poles you want to replace. The carport would have been added at some time if you can get similar style fabricated for your carport that would be good, unfortunately our house had been painted several times and with bagging paint before we purchased it two years ago. We have re painted (in all the one colour) as it was too expensive to impossible to take it back to original brick work, our house had a similar awning over the front room, our bedroom, we took it off and replaced glass with low E glass and left off the awning, and put block out curtains in bedroom. Trim and fascia drive, walk round the neighbourhood and check out your era home that is loved...that is how we chose our veranda poles.

I've some before and afters on my profile page ideas books 'my house before and after ' looks very similar to your new place

Thanks Wuff

A formal landscape with that great turf! Think formal federation cottage garden.....?

Front fence and gate look really good. Keep them with a fresh paint job.

Roof looks great as does the face brick. Wouldn't even pressure clean the tiles, they look great.

I'd remove the awning from over front window. That's a great looking window, shame its hidden! Change the other front window to match it (or comparable). It looks like a newer double hung and doesn't suit. It also looks like its quite a high opening too... almost doorish but can't quite see. Could it have had 2 x narrow doors there? Difficult to make out....

I would add a smaller veranda across the front, it looks a bit too 'modern' as does carport. The posts look 1950-60 but not really suited to this house. Probably change the carport and smaller veranda down the track.

For now landscape would make a massive difference to this classic facade.

Thanks loads MB, what thorough and great advice

MB, I think it must have been double doors in that second window, once upon a time.. This house was Lex Marinos's grandfathers house and lex grew up here.. I think it must've used to have a smaller verandah, but they ripped it off and put this angled verandah/carport on it... Not sure we have the $ to remove the verandah and carport though..

MB, Do you think it would look better if I took the current verandah/ car port posts out ( the ones along the front) and replaced them with a brick column similar to the one on the far left of the house (with the capping stone) and then put a 150mm square post atop the brick column to the roof? I could then add some federation style verandah brackets? Like the pics above

I'd advise to wait until you have the money if you wanted to change the veranda back to what it may have had (with an accompanying sympathetic carport perhaps) rather than spending part of the budget on something which would possibly be demolished. It's certainly not offensive at the moment so I'd live with it until you've got the money to get the builders in. If it was likely to fall down then yes patch it up.

You've got a great character cottage with a bit of history as a starting point with neighbours dwellings that look a similar age. Well done you!