If you are planning to move in a few years, leave the decision whether to paint the bricks to the next owner - they may not wish to have the regular job of re-painting! The awnings , as already mentioned, may be there for a very good reason - wait until mid summer before you decide to ditch them totally, it would be good to get them working properly again to get the sunshine into the house in winter . Central West NSW is a hard place for plants - hot and dry in summer, frosty in winter. Chinese Star Jasmine is an excellent choice along the side fence, but will need watering when young, especially if that fence is exposed to sunlight the whole day in summer. It will grow and become quite heavy, make sure the fence is up to it. You could plant some deciduous trees in the front lawn to give shade in summer to those front windows - crepe myrtles are tough enough, Chinese pistachios are good - anything will need watering to establish, but once they are growing well you can gradually toughen them up by decreasing the watering; the deciduous trees will lose their leaves in winter and still let the sunlight come pouring in to the house. Grass will struggle under their branches once the trees start to spread, so plan to create garden beds underneath them early on. You could underplant with bulbs - tulips will love the cold winter, daffodils and jonquils will love the winter sunshine when the leaves are bare. You will need to know the path of the sun in midsummer and in midwinter to work out the best position for trees, so take pictures of where the sunlight and shadows fall in the different seasons to refer back to when planting. Roses also love a hot dry climate, but you may not wish to get involved with rose pruning and thorns etc! Talk to your local nursery person, they will be able to give you good local advice and recommendations - if you have an idea of what you need the front to do that will help - do you need lawn for kids , are you happy to kiss the lawn goodbye etc. Wander around your neighbourhood in the different seasons, and if you see something that catches your eye, either talk to the house owner or take a picture and visit the nursery again! Most people are thrilled to be asked questions about their garden, and will prove to be mines of useful information. See if there are any open gardens open to the public in spring / summer - these are often really spectacular, and the grand country gardens are wonderful for ideas , which can be modified for a smaller area and budget.

Does the lattice serve a purpose? Does it offer shade or privacy? If it does, and is still in a good condition, I would paint it and plant a garden. Maybe with climbing plants. If the lattice serves no purpose then your choice whether to remove or not. If lattice is old and falling apart, but is required, I would replace with the composite product that is easier to maintain, then plant garden.

thanks julie, there is a row of pencil lines already further down the side of the fence, but I could definitely continue the hedge all the way down, I've attached a pic. so would you leave the ferns and hydrangeas as they are?.. maybe just put more in to continue around the corner? I'll get my hubby to have a proper look at the arch, it needs to be moved to be a bit more centered I think, but the timber may be to rotted.

Here's my plan . Go and buy 1 ( it may take 2 ) 10 litre pails of charcoal fence stain and a brush . Paint everything except that gazebo thing . So yes , area 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 . Theres heaps of wood , do the lot . The entrance is as bad as everywhere else , and that should be your showpiece . The existing plants are straggly but also old-fashioned . If you like them , keep them , but i wouldn't . The pathway is too narrow , but the pavers may come up okay with a waterblast or chemical clean , but it needs to be 1 or 2 pavers wider . So I'd either get all new , or dig up the existing ones , clean them and redo that area , but get say some reddish brown or charcoal ones and go for a chequerboard effect -- half in that existing beige , half in your other colour . Now you could dig up all the stones and grass there , and that would be my choice , but it wouldn't be easy -- do it once , do it right , get rid of every stone otherwise they'll surface at some stage . If you don't want that much work , get 2 or 3 big glazed pots in your favourite colours , and put plants of different heights and leaf colours in them -- everything from grasses and cactuses to shrubs with red and yellow and green leaves . That will take some of the 'workshop yard' look away , but there will still be stones . Thats probably enough for this year haha -- carry through those themes next year to the other areas .