Given your coastal location and aims for both coherence and low maintenance, you have a wonderful opportunity here to landscape your garden entirely with natives. As you’ve already decided to start with lillypillies (careful to avoid the variety prone to psyllid - the most resistant varieties according to Don Burke are Acmena smithii and Syzygium luehmannii: http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/flowering-plants-shrubs/best-lilly-pilly-varieties/#.Vq0lfMf2PNw), I suggest you refrain from mixing in exotics to any significant degree apart from specimen pots, or other feature items. This way you have control over high maintenance species which should be nurtured for their specialness rather than a becoming a chore to avoid. I spent time visiting friends and family on the Mornington Peninsula this time last year and was shocked at the mindless distribution of what would be considered rampant bushland pests (invasive weeds) in NSW. The entire peninsula seems to boast only remnants of bushland with robust integrity. Agapanthus – because of its hardiness – has decimated vulnerable parts of the NSW bushland (especially in the Blue Mountains), requiring teams of volunteers to hack it out from rainforest and catchment areas in all weathers. Of course aggies are most romantic lining a long gravel path to a mansion, but this does not appear to be your situation here. Forgiveable in past eras, there is now no excuse for beautiful, fire-prone coastal landscapes to be placed under siege by introduced species. A substitute native I have successfully grown is Libertia, which clumps beautifully, is hardy and has a lovely little white star flower in the spring. Herewith some suggestions for conceptualizing a native garden, whose purpose, while often forgotten, is to attract birds and butterflies and to generate beauty and harmony and a sense of peace. It goes without saying that bonuses to the spiritual dimension are the disappearance of weeds and a farewell to mowing. A guiding principle in selecting natives is to select species native to your area first; information is readily available online. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but can save heartache when it comes to planting trees and shrubs that have evolved successfully in other soils and climates yet may fail in yours. Suggest a drive around the area to observe established native gardens to gain inspiration. First off (so long as not near power lines) I’d echo your coastal gums by planting an advanced specimen bang on your front right hand corner boundary, from where you might radiate a rockery. Your front garden cries out for drama, and while a rockery may be your biggest expense, one or two large feature rocks placed among an undulating design can be filled with scattered smaller rocks and a wide range of sun-loving and architectural flowering grasses (e.g. lomandras, dianellas, fescues, grass trees, kangaroo paws, etc), gorgeous flowering native plants (e.g. correas, philothecas, westringias, waratahs, proteas, etc), shrubs (e.g. acacias indigenous to the area), and groundcovers (e.g. myoporum, pratia, and brachyscome, prostrate form grevillias, the beautiful rock cover scleranthus biflorus, etc) will bring endless birds and human happiness. As for shrubs and trees, the choice is endless, thus requiring planning in consideration of the growth habit and life of a tree - which in the case of acacias, may be a mere 15 years. Decomposed granite will keep large and small landscaped areas (such as paths and rockeries) free of weed and also provides nutrients to natives (cautiously spray weeded ground with a strong solution of glyphosate before laying gravel). Be careful not to place too much soil over the tops of roots when planting, as many natives absorb phosphorus this way. Seasol is fine as a wash-through fertilizer after planting, and planting just before rain is due is another handy tip for a nitrogen fix from mother nature. Frequented by nectar-loving and berry-eating birds, the long-lived Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarus reticulatis) has to be one of the prettiest native trees of all, with its grey green foliage all year, feathery pale pink flowers in spring, and blue berries in winter. It can be hedged, but is at its best lightly pruned. It is comfortable in semi-shade, so could be planted as a feature tree out the back, but could also be a stunning success as a hedge from your garage to the letterbox. Grevillias (Mallee Dawn has soft foliage and a lovely pale orange flower) and Callistemons are relatively fast-growing once established and will quickly attract native birds (especially honey-eaters which will then gain confidence to move into other protected areas of your garden; always best to place birdbaths among shrubbery - e.g. the white-flowered Leionema – to offer little birds rapidly disappearing from the Peninsula the protection they need). Victorian Christmas Bush is a mid-height stunner and Isopogon is fabulous planted under banksias and hakeas for a bushy spot. I one saw a gnarled old banksia out front of a house that was probably the most beautiful tree I have ever clapped eyes on, perfectly pruned with its trunk formed like a bonsai writ large). A weeping acacia cognata makes a great corner feature or specimen tree, and a native hibiscus will flower profusely and gloriously in full sun. Shade at back and side cry out for more romance. You might plant native violets to run up the side under a hedge, or to fill a corner rockery out the back. Suggest plant hedges/screens and feature trees first (thus establishing your shade ‘canopy’), and construct a temporary planter box somewhere out the back where you can bring on smaller plants and shrubs while waiting to decide where to put them. The squareness of the back garden can be broken up and softened by strategically placed trees and shrubs, e.g. a large native tree in the left corner, that segues into your lillypillies, under which you could landscape a seating area. You might consider a Kennedia, Clematis aristata, or Pandorea pandorana (Wonga Wonga vine) to cover the side fence behind the garage (and definitely the back shed!). You might add two more callistemons to surround the back shed to conceal it, as well as adding variety and interest. You might infest patches of your back lawn with a native variety, such as weeping wallaby grass (e.g. Griffin). You could dig a shallow trench along the retaining wall and plant a dwarf lillypilly hedge (or substitute, like dwarf acacia cognata) along its length. One might even concede English box for the spot. Native violets/native geraniums (geranium solanderi) will both cascade over the side of any retaining wall, and will prettily flower as well given enough sun. You could plant a white hardenbergia each side of the steps (or even matching specimen eucalyptus ficilfolias!) and consider extending a simple pergola over an entertainment area that looks out over your masterpiece. Trust this inspires a little, Sandman. Keep in mind that the most interesting gardens have three layers: the canopy, the understory and the ground level shrubs, grasses, and ground covers; with the right inquiries to nurseries as to ‘microclimates’ and growth habits you will create a thing of joy – as much in the making as in completion. So far as I know the only other necessary qualification for creating a successful native garden is being a skillful pruner. Natives love to be pruned and shaped, and as long as you ‘prune to the node’, you will prevent die-back and disease, your foliage and flowering will be dense and glorious, and your garden will be the envy of the neighbourhood.

I think if you replace front door and glass panels as well as the old fashioned lights with something more contemporary it will make a huge improvement. I'd also remove the ironwork and as you cannot re-glaze place some pots and plants on the sides of the large windows to draw the eye away from all the green cross pieces on the windows. Eventually paint the gutters fascia in a light grey/green.

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!

The good kind of mad! (Most) old houses ooze character, warmth and heart as much as new ones do chemicals and cheap fittings. I am a housebody, and love being in my house - I spend my money on it, instead of out clubbing and yes, there are always unexpected costs (new hot water service, leaking toilet...), but if you were renting you would have nothing of your own at the end anyway. Three years ago I bought my first house, a fairly original sandstone 98 year old lady in need of some TLC. No builder's reports in this little town, but then she cost me less than a landcruiser... Things I planned to do, but took forever because of rusting nails, old sizing, old quality workmanship include painting the whole thing, top to bottom, pulling up axminster carpet and getting the floors polished, putting fans and air conditioning in. Things I was hoping to avoid for a few more years but can't, include replacing the original roof, swapping the three-cupboard sleepout kitchen with a bedroom, redoing the bathroom, complete with new plumbing and actual drainage to the septic pit (which I had to have fixed a bit), and then I think the best option for the back room and laundry is just to rebuild them....But I don't regret this house, or the journey it's taken me on. Even if it has turned out to be a much more expensive journey than I thought! With time and google, you can do a lot yourself. Before I moved back three years ago I had always been n provided accommodation, so had never used a drill and only changed a couple of light globes, but now... I took a chimney and fireplace down on my own, then re-pointed the stone and put in a ceiling panel to close it up. I have painted, put up shelves, taken down cupboards that were built into walls, patched cracks, filled gaps, pried off skirting boards, and generally turned it into a home. For the more major stuff, like putting a doorway through a foot thick stone wall and rewiring an original bedroom to house a modern kitchen, I am getting the professionals in. good luck!