Don't demolish! The house looks like it has good bones and potential. You will just overcapitalise if u do the slate is back in vogue ATM , so if it's not obstructing entrance, leave The kitchen is good, leave as is and add ur own touches bathrooms- they Will Need updating, however, we really Need to see floor plan to look at How ur 'shower cupboard' can be utilised! does the bathroom have a separate bath and shower?and what are the rooms either side of this space? as ur family grows u Will realise How Space and Storage is a major necessity! Could this space be used to open up bathroom and have a large double shower? Or a walk in linen? Linen cupboard not far from bath is Always handy or walk in robe to an adjacent room? now people are recommending upgrading the driveway? but as a whole, the landscaping is the Main point! this doesn't mean u have to rip the whole thing out and start again, though There's a lot of products out there these days that can be used to recoat bricks, cement.. Etc.. So do ur research on costs of upgrading what u have before investing in anything expensive! gardens? Now a good Pest controller will tell u to Never build ur garden bed up against the house. This is due to moisture, which can over time affect the house.. And because of termites. You may be in a lower risk area but they're pretty much always around. So always leave about a metre of cement etc between house and garden, to be safe! Now, most importantly- any home renovator will tell you to actually Live in the house for about a year( to see all seasons) to see how the house functions. Note sun/ shade / light/ heating/cooling etc and it's impact upon the house's current aspect, comfort and presentation. This Will help with colour shades u want to choose and where u will need to add windows for light or awnings, solar panels etc. It will also help with the landscaping, for choosing plants and watering types, levels required to maintain them! hope all that helps somewhat?? best of luck!

Jessica Craig, I thought you might like to know this. When my daughter was a baby and I took her for swimming lessons, I met another wonderful Mum Wendy and her daughter, Sophie. Sophie's father had recently passed away and so Wendy was trying to adjust to the hand that fate had dealt her. They had not long purchased their house too. We have remained very close all these years and I can report that both Soph and Wendy are a force to be reckoned with. Sophie (now 15) is a talented singer, is doing well at school and has oodles of personality. Wendy is studying online and working towards fulfilling her dream of one day writing a children's book. The house has been renovated and is a very warm and welcoming home. It has not always been an easy road as single mum for Wendy, but it continues to get richer as the years move by. I hope that in some of your harder moments, this may bring some small level of comfort to you.

Hi there, I personally don't like the look of that rock wall with your home. It does nothing for it. I would get rid of it, you may even be able to sell the rock for a bit of cash. I would besser block a retaining wall in its place with posts and render this, then use your timber horizontally slated between the posts. Select a paint colour that works nice with your timber colour and carry the colour through to your house. This will also work in with your side timber fence. Also remove all the plants in the front, just because they are lovely doesn't mean they are in the right place or serve a purpose, you may be able to transplant them somewhere else in the yard. Plants: mop tops are a great feature tree and give lots of shade in summer. A hedge along the inside of the fence would look great, Lilly pilly's are good and Japanese box is tough as boots and requires little water once up a bit. Westringia, birds of paradise, hibiscus, viburnum, Murraya all take heat, depends on what look your after. My average temps in summer are 47 degrees and winter -3 & these plants survive. Yes I also agree with a path from the front to the door. Front door to house could have some timber posts added with an awning/patio to make it stand out. The timber would carry through from the front fence. Painting the brick can also give it a lift if you don't want to go modern with render. You could also paint the concrete driveway, there are some snazzy options available for this, plain or stencil. Best of luck! I'm sure it will come up a treat.

There's some great ideas there . The first thing that stands out is that pipe handrail downstairs -- I hate them with a vengence . Remove it , extend the step to fill the space , with 1 or maybe 2 small full-width steps . Just me , I'd do in charcol or black non-glossy 400 x 400 tiles . Most of the windows are black framed , and look okay in my opinion . Paint the upstairs balistrade in black or charcoal -- will tie it in and even though the style is dated , I don't think it would matter -- it would then look like part of the overall concept . I like the English White of the front door , but here's where I'd get colourful -- do the door jamb and the diamonds in the brightest citrus orange you can , and then carry it to the garage door ! The garage door surround ( including the 3 window surrounds above it ) I would paint in charcoal or black . And here's probably the most controversial part -- leave the awnings , but also paint them in Citrus Orange , with the ridges on them in a beige , maybe veering towards an apricot ! This will really lift everything visually IMO , the orange brick will tie in and bland in without looking overdone , the Bright Orange and mainly charcoal or black is modern but not too modern , with the English White door breaking everything while still having Bright Ornage to tie it all in . There looks to be a Butterscotch Orange gate to the left of the house -- obviously , you would repaint that in the brighter orange too , to look cohesive , but you already see how it looks more exciting than the Burgundy Red existing colours . Which leaves 1 thing I don't like the colour of -- the top fascia board or gutter . I suspect Vitamin C Orange would be too much , so probably play it safe , and go either charcoal , or a lighter greeny/grey to match the roof tiles . Probably not what everyone would do -- but that's what I would do with that pallette !