To minimise costs, frame your windows, I would place a canopy above the front door (if this is the front door near the garage - if it isn't don't do) to draw your eye and paint the front door with strong wow colour - even if it is a few shades darker or lighter to what you have chosen for your window trims/roof line. Maybe large number near door also will drawn your eye to the door. Landscaping around the front will also add punch/wow - you don't have to do everywhere - but at least at the front and then you can work your way to the rest of the garden, but keep the rest of the lawn mowed (even if they are weeds) and edges trimmed. Look at a couple of other houses and pretend you might buy and note what your eye is instantly drawn to... go back to your house and note what you are instantly drawn to.... do you want to be drawn to those features? If not, make them blend and highlight the areas you want. I have just had another look at your photos - is the front door near the garage door or it is the one on the left hand...... if left hand don't place canopy at the garage end but would place some large planters (large plants too) to accentuate the front door entrance - you would have the space - but again do some landscaping in that area (the large pots can be placed in the garden beds (on a large paver) and smaller plantings around them, make the front door pop and place something i.e. large number on the wall next to the door. If the door next to garage is garage entrance not front door, then blend that door with the exterior (unlike what I had initially said when I first thought it was the front door). Tip - Just cause something is colourbond - you CAN paint it - don't think you are stuck with that initial colour thought when installed. i.e. paint your facia and gutter same colour and that will make it wider. (I have personally painted cutters and downpipes many times (when I want to change colouring). Just cause downpipes are connected to your guttering doesn't mean they need to be the same colour - I would colour them the same as the wall colour to make them blend - downpipes are not a feature. Good thing about paint, you can paint it again. A lot of paint shops will have colour consultants.

Hi Jenna, Have a look at Colorbond Evening Haze instead of Dune. If you go to a Masters store you can pick up The Wattyl Exterior Colour Solagard Brochure. When you open it up on one side of the colour chip centre page you will see the colours Monument, Surfmist and Evening Haze - this is the "Cool" colours side the other side where Dune is placed is the "Warm" colour side. When choosing colours try to stay with cool or warm tones to create a harmonious look.

I think the red roof and teal trim suit the style of your house but do agree with the majority that the walls would look much better white. I also think that getting rid of the colonial finial and your dated screen doors as someone else suggested, would improve the look. No one has mentioned this but I do think that your terracotta tiled stairs are a jarring note. Don't know if anything can be done about this as I don't know if paving paint on tiles is successful. I think they would look better dark charcoal. Your garden edging would look better charcoal as well and this being concrete can be successfully painted with paving paint. Or will these gardens be ripped out to build the pool?

I can't quite follow what you mean by 'we must keep the red roof' ? Are you not painting it , or repainting in the same colour , or would you consider a different shade ? Personally , with the White Duck , I'd go for a bolder red roof , with black or charoal gutterings , stay with the crisp white windows and veranda uprights , and the end detailing on the roof , but the window sills I'd do the same red shade as the roof , and the deck a mid grey . Oh , and also , although its cliche'd , I'd do a 1 metre tall white picket fence and double gates in the crisp white , get rid of the wire mesh haha , so everything about the house and fence looks crisp and themed , but also 'period' .