This is fabulous! My husband and I want to do the same thing in our retirement. Give an old home a face lift! This plan is just great!

they look great

It is not a great job, and it looks like the installer made the top trim piece a little short, so it makes me wonder if any other corners were cut? Did the installer run any flashing under the weatherboards, or does the top trim piece continue up behind the weatherboards to act as a flashing? When you are installing a manufactured, straight, smooth piece of aluminium against a rustic, hand-made, brick wall, which is never perfectly straight there wall always be gaps. It looks like the first angled plank above the window trim may already be rotted, so it is a pity that you didn't get this replaced/repaired before the window was installed. The lump of black silicone isn't going to help any existing wood rot. If you had wanted a neater corner joint then powder coated aluminium is not the material, but timber windows do need more maintenance.

$300k would be the building budget only and will often not include the architect or other professional service fees like surveyors, engineers and certifiers. The biggest point to remember, is the reason behind engagement of an architect. Are you after a great lifestyle outcome in your home. Are you are detailed person wanting to ensure there is a place for everything in your home. Does your site offer something where you can gain by tremendiously. Do you want your own ideas challenged. The fees set by different architects are yes based around scope of service but also based around their skills and so not all architects do charge the same rates. My own service is for the building architecture, interior design and landscape design, you might say what does that have to do with my lounge room extension and in your case there maybe only interior scope or your external spaces maybe also impacted. My services also includes external real costing work from a cost planner, so you'll know how much your project will be very soon along he steps the delivery process. My service includes project management and my services covers off on a huge range of sustainable and passive design principles which are applied to my clients projects for best outcome. This is why architects fees can vary between providers. It is your lifestyle outcome that is at stake, Once you have spent the money you need to live with it or sell so ensure you factor in the gain in your assessment of fees . Be careful even though some architects have alot of positive reviews this does not mean their design ideas and direction are going to be best for you. Just agreeing with a clients thoughts is not helpful to a client. I charge on a combination of square metre and hourly service and percentage only on request by my clients. $3000 per sqm mention above is mid standard not high spec finish . But standard is subjective as well so this must be worked through with your architect.