Hi again, thanks everyone for your input. I have been to a well known window/door manufacturer today which makes aluminium, timber and alu/timber composite to compare all options. It was a local company also so they were able to advise based on knowledge of our climate. The composite was higher in price but was also too contemporary in design, the aluminium was also too contemporary in design and not all options suitable for double-glazed glass, so we have returned to the idea of the solid timber but have taken all the advice on board and are opting for a pair of hinged french doors with sidelights in size to match and fanlights above so we can still retain the overall height and look but the actual doors will be closer to standard 2100mm height. Hopefully this will also eliminate any difficulty with opening them which we would probably have found had we had a bi-fold system or 2.7m door height. FYI the salesperson I spoke with also advised that there is a product available (sold in our local area from Inspirations Paint company) which when applied to the timber doors/windows gives 7 year protection from rot and fading due to rain and UV. He had used this himself on his own timber doors which were also exposed fully to the weather and highly recommended it - so I will post what this treatment is when I have more information on it. Thanks again everyone who helped out with their advice

depends what you need...take some measurements and photos to various suppliers and ask for quotes and suggestions...it may be more cost effective to replace whole walls than several small windows but you need to start with confirming the best floor plan and structural restrictions and researching different options...no point in deciding on options that are not available locally or way out of budget...would love to see a floor plan and photos to better understand what you're planning to do

Nerida, I would probably use Dulux Vivid White, which is better than Dulux Whisper White for trim as it is a purer white. Woodland Grey will work with gutters and downpipes, although with the yellow tones of the brickwork I would get samples of other colours in the blue/grey range which will counterbalance the yellows. Colorbond Deep Ocean and Colorbond Ironstone could be options. The underside of your verandah looks like it may have been stained timber at one stage, but has been painted brown and concealed any grain? I can't quite make it out from the photo? If this is the case then consider a fresh paint colour such as a quarter strength of your gutter and downpipe colour. There is no rule saying that all eaves have to be white. You can't lime wash over paint that conceals the timber grain. I will be in Adelaide mid-October if you want to set up a Dr Retro House Call colour consultation for your home. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

sometimes you can see that the top of the window is the same height as the eaves/transom. How can you ensure that your windows are not too high in relation to the eaves? The reason I ask is because I want the tallest sliding sash possible, but obviously I don't want it higher than the eaves. Suppose I have a 3000mm ceiling with a standard gable and 600mm eaves, what are the maximum height sliding doors I should order? I was thinking ~2750mm, or 250mm lower than the ceiling height. Ideally, I would measure/order the sliding door after the frame is erected, but this is not feasible due to the lead time for the door manufacture. Or would it be better to use a kneewall door instead?