Thanks for the feedback all... Here are some samples and it just shows how important to see them in the actual environment. Looks a little too dark even with a lot of light the longer plank is embelton brand and the other two are colonial quickstep. The two darker boards are already showing the hand prints. The embelton board (Belmont dark) was slightly cheaper albeit they had a special on that coloured board, so it should come in around $32 Sqm for the different colours. I'm almost sold on embelton as the look and feel is more advanced to the colonial. I'd love to go with real timber but this isn't my dream house, plus I have concerns that it would be truly appreciated based on the area I live. I'm aiming for a hybrid coastal look and just finished the walls in antique hamptons, so re painting in the short term isn't desired. In the pics the Belfort dark looks fantastic c but maybe I aim for La Mancha or maple in the embelton range

I can really recommend the Danish brand "Rug Solid, which have rugs made totally out of recycled materials. This is a photo from our living room, where we have a recycled cotton rug from "Rug Solid". http://rugsolid.dk/en/

Hi Rachael and rhjaai Regarding batch numbers................I have not heard that one before, wondering who advised you of that, and which product. Quickstep, Godfrey Hirst, and other quality manufacturers do not have batches, as such, that require matching. You can replace a plank with another batch and it will make no difference. Rachael, I agree you have perfectly matched the floor with cabinet sample, and will look great, but if you haven't already purchased, I'd recommend you look at http://www.karndean.com/en-nz/floors/easy-fit-ranges/karndean-looselay These vinyl planks are amazing and are quickly becoming a best seller here in NZ, soft underfoot, easy to keep clean, R10 slip rating ( R11 is required behind bars/clubs etc, so very high), lifetime residential warranty, and look great.

Hi everyone, well the good news is my house is having the pictures taken tomorrow morning ahead of the first home open. Thank you all for the advice offered and shared. In the end I had to keep to a low budget as its unlikely I'll get it back in the sale price. What I want to do it MOVE it quickly, as the market is poor and we are heading toward Christmas. The first 30 days are VIP. So I did the following; -exterior eaves, guttering paint - whole house interior wall paint (grand piano quarter) and one ceiling - carpet throughout from Harvey Norman - verticals, as other spotlight/ikea options did not fit. I needed to have these made. - new lightfittings - remove exterior rotary clothes line, put an Aldi one that comes from one wall. - cleaning of pavers with high pressure cleaner (my new found friend) - cleaning of kitchen tiles and grout with toothbrush, gumption and patience (gumption is also my new friend) - new shower screen So there we have it! Thanks again for your help and colour suggestions, and multiple suggestions to CLEAN. This CLEAN priority cannot be understated. I considered staging the home however I believe as it is modest and first home buyer home and a new migrant market, it wasn't worth the spend. Fingers crossed!