Hi Amelia Like the fine lines of the house with the right planting and garden it will look stunning There may be a few things you would like to consider; 1. Its difficult to tell from the photos but I would check that the ceiling veranda lining is not asbestos - The jointing strips of the lining looks reminiscent of how they used to join that horrible material. Get a professional asbestos remover in to check and follow their advice in getting rid of the stuff. 2. The roof tiles are dark and will absorb heat, they will most likely brake in a heavy hail storm (unless their are really good 'terra cotta' ones like Wonderlicht) and also can let possum and other vermin in, (possum are notorious for lifting tiles) and if you do not have insulation and sizalation on the roof this is the time to put some in - and in the ceilings should you be missing some there. Because now you will have a zincalume roof it is good to earth your electrical system and the roof so that all current overloads are taken to the ground, a good electrician will solve this problem. Also if the roof is replaced with zincalume you should check your "Holding Down" straps to the roof. Because the roof was designed for a tile roof there is always the possibility that the "holding Down" straps were not included or are sparse. Because you are going to a lighter zincalume roof these are to checked and increased or included if missing, especially as you may be in an open area were winds can pick up considerably. 3. Its good that you have north facing veranda's to shield you from the summer sun, and what appears to be a concrete floor with tiles on the veranda. I would not replace it with timber decking simply because concrete does not burn in a fire - and if you are in the country there is always the possibility of fire. However some large white or of white tiles say 500x350 or thereabouts resemble flagstones could be good as long as they are very light in color and rectangular in shape. Maybe something resembling a very light sandstone may give more to a country ambiance than the small bathroom tiles of the 50's. Also I would bring out a roof over the front steps ending it with a "or gable end" pitched end" and provide a nice handrail in the middle and pave the bottom of the steps and area to provide a solid end to the steps using the same tiles as the veranda. 4. The existing aluminum windows are certainly and eyesore and not energy efficient in the slightest. An investment in new double glazed timber windows (Not cedar as cocky's like to eat the frames) or powder-coated white aluminum double glazed windows with "Thermal Break" - which are highly energy efficient would return money in energy savings and look great, especially if your frames are around 50 mm in width or greater. 5. I would not touch the bricks - just use very light colours in the veranda and the, doors, window and frames veranda posts. The garden will hide the brickwork below the veranda level making the roof and the lighter units the main features to stand out. The darker bricks will recede. Hoping this is of some benefit Regards Michael Manias

what a great house!! make sure all the paint and trim is in excellent condition, what about Colorbond Cove and/or Evening Haze for over the windows and roller door with bright white trim and a startling front door (turquoise?) is the flue being used? remove or clean and paint, move the tv aerial out of sight, remove or replace the awnings with better fitting blinds that fit inside the window frames (Sarlon roller blinds will be more discreet and reasonably priced) remove the old planting near the house and add a mowing strip along the walls, clean the concrete driveway and create a gravelled parking area instead of parking on the grass with just a triangle of generous plants between the drive and parking area, level the lawn closer to the house with a low curved retaining wall made of of railway sleepers and prune back the big shrubs to see the edges of the house, improve the lawn and add planting along the retaining wall or right down to the front fence...Dietes, Grasses, and other architectural plants will look good

As others have said, it's all about balance. Firstly, replace the seemingly pointless area of paving to the left of the door with turf while keeping the sandstone garden edging. If you need the parking bay in front of the house reduce it down to in line with the corner of the house and make the garden in front of the house deeper by removing more pavers. If you don't need the parking bay get rid of it all together and turf that area. To make the front door easier to find remove everything in that garden to the right of the Frangipani (which needs some selective pruning) and then run a path from the footpath (or steppers) to the porch. I would also place a feature plant in a pot to the left of the front door to draw the eye and paint the door a lighter colour so it stands out. Lastly, a feature tree in the garden to the left near the Wooly Bush to add some height to that side of the garden.

With all due respect I am going to disagree with amonymousanne, and say painting everything white is completely wrong for this style of home. It is in the "Sydney School" style where the rustic nature of the brickwork and oregon beams make up part of the character of the home. This style of your home is about organic texture and drama, so I would only paint what was previously painted, possibly in a Dulux colour called "Luck" which complements your brickwork beautifully, and is a deep brown/black colour similar to this photo. Your home may even be one of the much loved Pettit and Sevitt homes which are currently undergoing a revival in popularity if they have not been modernised beyond recognition. However the paint is only secondary to the main issue which is your landscaping which is at odds with the architecture. The style of home is more suited to an informal, native Australian garden, rather than trimmed, box-shaped shrubs that look quite alien. Your landscaping should also draw the eye to your entry, the current landscaping is concealing it. Improving the landscaping is the key to improving the street appeal, and new paint, without new landscaping won't be enough to do it. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls