Thanks for asking.. I am so happy.. the house was so decayed so we decided to rebuild the same look of a 100 year old cottage but move all the living to the front for the river view.. so happy we did it and went for light grey and white and yellow.. so pleased and we have people in the park comment.. we could not go any bigger because of council and flood zone but it makes it special as it is. Some pictures I just took.. I took a picture of the outlook so you can see why it feels just right.. still work to do as in the gardens and just finding the right plants to put in as it is full sun. Will ask for help on that one too to make it feel cottagey but not block the view. Thanks again for asking. Karen

Running cladding in opposite directions gives a contemporary look. Many examples I've seen seem to vary the profile width each. ie. narrow verticals juxtaposed with broader horizontals. You could clad base in a recycled plastic timber-look product or composite timber cladding. (Colour stable and no maintenance). Stone could look fab too. Painting it the Farrier would definitely be simplest. You could do a contrast with the verandah floor and its edge.

The timber railings on the verandah we are replacing didnt stand the tests of time, so I was hoping for aluminium or as mentioned PVC. However this seems really hard to find, unless I settle for a contemporary chrome type number. Can anyone suggest a supplier of PVC or aluminium railings please?

How can you possibly look at this home and think it's ugly. It's not. It's a gem in the making, but right now it's unloved and uncared for! Get rid of the things that are eyesores (the succulents and spindly plants and any plant that isn't thriving - clean back to nothing so you get a clear look at what you've got to work with. High pressure wash the the whole house and concrete surfaces (please use recycled water) then start think about replacing the polycarbonate roof over the patio or lining it,and replacing the screen with screen blinds to remove "birdcage look" and create a more polished look. Paint the gutters, window frames, brick and lower part of the house to match (pick a colour that works for you) and the garage door to match the siding. Currently you've got a red roof, white siding, black window frames, brown garage door, tan brick, grey lower house brick/material, and what looks to be mission brown guttering - so it looks "bitsy". Reduce the colour pallet to 2 colours - it'll bring everything together and make it look more cohesive (remembering that your roof will be the third colour in your pallet). For the garden - you don't really need a landscaper if you're prepared to put in the hard yards. You've got a fairly steep slope think about drought tolerant low maintenance plants such as lavender, lomandra and agapanthus that you only need to periodically prune- for plant selection make nice with your local nursery staff - they're excellent for advice and helping determine the best plants. Think about making your life easier and put in irrigation (drip irrigation works a treat on a timer). Good luck.