Can you attach a photo? Where do you live? Climate.

Arron Would you retain the pretty verandah? If so you could go all out and give your home a Mid-Victorian facade. Render by all means. Detail the corners (quoins) +/or make a feature of the horizontal brick rows in a darker shade of the wall colour. Replace the front fence with a decorative one that picks up on the metal detailing on the verandah; +/or nurture a hedge all along the front. Create a formal garden, using the lovely tree as the feature of a welcoming frontage. A path (with tessellated tiles??) would complete the picture. Have fun and let us know what you decide.

I don't mind maintenance as long as I'm not pruning all the time. Budget wise probably no more than $1000 though I have no idea how much plants cost. I know hedging plants need to be spaced fairly closely. That's a good point about the formal hedge georgi02. I do love formal hedges though.

Could you swap the fridge with the wall oven, going by your photo both fridge and Wall Oven would fit side by side. I would definately have the fridge on the cook top wall and not on the other side of the kitchen. I see by the photo that the timber beam could be in the way, I would speak to your plumber who should have a simple solution on ducting the range hood. A simple one built into a special cabinet above the cooktop can recirculate or be ducted outside by either exposed stainless tube for your industrial/country look or have the ducting boxed in, the ducting can be flexable so no problem avoiding beams.