I would keep the bricks as they are. Repaint the trims and change the front fence, then landscape.

Repaint it all white. Replace the fence and lots of lush landscaping. It has great potential.

I think white is more beachy than grey. Even if it's a very soft grey I feel it would need several other changes to get a beach house look. So I vote white, and yes changing the fence would look great, a white posted fence. (and landscaping for sure, you can make dreams come true with good landscaping!)

Wouldn’t go to the expense of changing the fence, just paint and plant in soft greens and blues. They will then grow through. Coastal wistringias, woolly bush ets

You could go Byron Bay style,

Thanks so much for all the comments , all great ideas so will see how it goes with the budget. Thanks for plant ideas too.

I would start with the colour of the bricks and the trims of the house. Everything there seems to be fighting each other, go tonal using the bricks as a guide and painting trims in complementary colours (you might need to be brave) think of the colours of sand as inspiration. I think that perhaps it would be too expensive to get rid of the fence and you might have good reasons to keep it e.g. pets. I liked the idea of growing plants that will soften it and grow through it, blues, whites, creams. I would mix up the planting with various textures and heights. I suggest walking around the neighbourhood to see what will grow but perhaps try; lavender, rock roses, agapanthus, buddelia, society garlic, seaside daisy... Have fun

House is ok but I would paint the brick white/off white, repaint window frames in a crisper white if you're keen.

I think its the landscaping and front fence more so than anything else so I would get a landscape designer to do a plan and probably go with a timber picket fence rather than the metal fence.

This is all assuming the budget is not huge.

I guess you need to work out what you want to achieve , and your budget . Some of that will be influenced by whether you want to stay there for a few years , or resale .

Personally , I hate painting bricks . If you want to go really upmarket , maybe render it , do it in a light-to-mid grey to appeal to the 98% who like bland , pull out the front fence and replace with thick freestanding glass panels or maybe framed in charcoal powder coated aluminium . Change the ridged end eve panels to varnished wood or a dark charcoal stain , add a wooden deck out the front , again either in varnished wood or dark charcoal . Add a white shade cloth , the thicker and more expensive looking the better . Get a couple of tall palms transplanted on the left side of the picture , preferably twice the height of the house . Expensive , and depends on the interior , but it will definitely add money .

The other extreme -- string an old green net along the fence , add 3 or 4 lifeboat rings to the fence , add a 1970's striped umbrella on a brown stained picnic table on the lawn , and nail a 2 metre long picture of a swordfish along the front roof eve . Done for $225 !

Thanks for your ideas. My budget is $50,000 and my plan is to sell at the end of the year.

Hi Leanne, What coastal area is the house in, if you are in areas like Byron, Blueys Beach it's worthwhile to push the boundaries as that's very much appreciated with these buyers, otherwise you could play it safe with all white, or grey and white like your neighbours house which is a classic colour scheme. What colour are the window frames and do you have any more photos to share showing different angles and what are possible stand out features, what is the roof material and colour. How far from the beach

Yes close to Byron at Brunswick heads. The windows are old and just grey aluminium with very ugly old crim safe screens. I have had a price to replace all the windows of about $12000 plus labour to fit. I need to repaint inside and replace the fluoro lights with downlights and redo the original built in wardrobes that are really tacky. The roof is tile and I had it repointed and painted in monument about 3 years ago. Im about 1km from the main beach and 500m fron the river.

I like your idea with the shutters. The white facade at the front is asbestos and i have to have it removed too.

There is a house in Brunswick with an awesome, beachy front fence. Timber combined with the metal strands that get screwed into the timber. (not sure what it's called). The house is I think opposite the library. Saw it when I was on holidays.

That was kind of my plan to combine current metal panels with a timber post. Not sure if its doable though and i get a bit overwhelmed with

'choosing colours"

From the eastern side of the front

The western side of front. The only change made is the top board is now dark grey”monument “

Western side of front

If you trying to keep with $50,000, if it not broken or detracts significant from the sale price, don’t waste you money and mind space. Keep the fence just paint, save $5k, spend $50. Paint the in white or fairly neutral for wide sale appeal. Got to a native nursery, should be a local Landcare one, and get some local spies that will grow fairly quickly, and 3-5 big statement plants. Markets are great for these. Then see if the expense of changing windows are warranted. Bu the photo it is barred windows, not criminal safe screening. That would be a cheaper opinion, for windows and doors under $4000, an you could get it with lighter metal surrounds, and maybe mesh

The photos are great, you mentioned that the roof and barge boards are now dark grey so I would go with white walls to make those breeze blocks a feature, perhaps some pretty new tiles on the front steps and verandah, trim back the big plants up against the verandah to show the new look. spray Paint window screens white along with the front fence. Is there anyway those " Fleur de Lis " caps on the fence can be removed and topped off with a small plain cap. the following is a photo of an outdoor shower as an example of the breeze blocks etc.

I still think it needs a 2 metre long fake swordfish on the eve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I wouldn't buy a house that had painted bricks - too much ongoing maintenance. Your breeze blocks are on trend for a coastal vibe. I would look at landscaping for your beachy feel if you are planning on selling.

That feels like my main issue, once theyre painted thats it forever and while i think it would look nice white, theres no going back and most of the forums comment on issues with painted bricks. Are you likely to be my buyer though?

painted bricks, timber cladding, render, it's all the same they will eventually all need painting, if its' already white a top up coat some 10 yrs later is no big deal, always use a good quality exterior paint. Your property will get more attention if it looks great and will get better promotional photos, go for it

As per the breezeway bicks in the photo I posted above, yours will look great painted white, you could add a hanging chair with a lovely potted palm.

Let the buyer decide. How many people would refuse to buy a house because bricks are not painted?

I am like me me. If I was to buy a brick house, I would avoid painted bricks. Not much point having a brick house and still having the maintenance of a weatherboard imo.

We bought a 70's holiday property on the east coast that had the brick walls bagged and painted, didn't put us off in fact it was a plus and was a breeze for us to change the colour to what we wanted. Look at Jo Gaines in fixer upper and how much her painted brick houses are loved. Paints cheap and gives heaps of VP for owners and buyers

You get the best price from buyers who buy with emotion. A white painted costal property with lush garden sells a lifestyle. I’d paint the bricks. Plenty of Byron Bay makeovers to Google/Pinterest/Houzz for inspiration.

I agree with Siriuskey and Big Reader, buyers respond to street appeal, and painted bricks are that not hard to maintain if done right. Look at the 3 Birds website too for beachy inspiration.

keep your $50,000 no guarantee this will add money and sell your house or that the new buyers will even like it
spend it on your new place,

Have been keeping a close eye on real estate sales in the area and i believe spending the money will be worthwhile. The places that looked good definitely getting better prices and selling quicker. Buyers generally seem to be coming from Sydney and Melbourne.

Leanne living on the mid north coast, that's exactly right they're looking for a holiday get away that they can also do AIR B&B lettings to help pay for that life style. Properties can be slow to sell in coastal areas, so painting and landscaping will make it stand out as ready to live/let. I guess you have spoken to your local Real Estate Agent

Yes spoken with agents who assure me some updating will make a difference. Although their is difference in opinion over what to do hence my question here. Definetly landscaping and fence.

Keeping in mind the Photos used to Market the property a coat of white paint even just on the front and exposed side of the house, will add a wow factor, you mentioned already having had the roof and barge boards painted a Dark grey

I would also remove those Crim Safe Screens that suggest the neighbour hood is a bit risky, invest in some key locks for the windows instead

At the front, look at white Polvin fencing in pickets with capping on the posts. Include an entry gate. Looks fantastic, and there is absolutely no maintenance ever. Plant lavender that gets about a metre high right along the fence, rather than a hotchpotch of plants - lavender will grow quickly, peeking through the fence in a very short time to give a pretty coastal/Hamptons look.

Highly recommend bagging and painting bricks. Still get the texture of brick patter unlike render.

Keep the fence , fix the landscaping , paint the Besserblock screen white , replace the vertical asbestos with white horizontal chamfer boards , and paint the house trims white . Leave the windows if they are in okay shape . I like security on a house .

Thanks so much everyone for your tips and comments

I have heard painting exterior bricks is not a good idea as they are a material that likes to breathe - ie. white paint may not stay crisp looking for long

Another suggestion is painting the guttering , front security edges and doors in teal and adding the white shutters .

Will your $50,000 spend be justified in the sale price? Sometimes, you're better doing nothing. I would rather buy a house that has potential and is reasonably priced. Some sellers make the mistake of spending big money on new kitchens, bathrooms and other improvement that don't actually add appeal to the property. How many times have people inspected a house and thought, "Love the house, but hate the kitchen!" Consider, replacing the fence panels with plain black alumium pool type panels and paint the posts to match. New panels would cost between $100 to $150 each. If you're keen, you could replace the posts or clad them in stained timber. Leave the bricks. The buyer can decide if they want to paint or render them. If you aren't intent on replacing the gable, which I suspect is asbestos, maybe paint it a less conspicuous colour. A timber gable might be better.

Spray the bricks and gable to match in colorbond shale grey. Will blend with the windows. Ditch the security screens, and replace with standard screens. Paint the front door to match the dark fascia you have already painted. Cut off the tops of the fence, and paint shale grey to match the house. Spend on some lush plants for the front, ie palms, birds of paradise. Plant either side of the front path to soften it, with some silver grey. You could deck over the front steps if you dont like the pavers. Inside paint all one colour, dulux snowy mountains half for walls and woodwork. Ceilings white

My suggestion is to have your home;

1. EXTRA clean and tidy;

2. Decluttered to the MAX;

3. Buy a couple of beautiful potted plants in lovely planters

and place outside, near your front door;

4: Keep the garden tidy and green;

5: Offer a deal to potential buyers (providing you get your asking price or near), that you

will give them back $20,000 after the money is in the bank, to do what they want with

their new home. This will need to be in the contract of course.

6. Have fun deciding how you will spend that unspent $30,000 on your new home!

As someone who bought a brick house recently, a major reason for the decision was the low maintenance of unpainted brick. So, no, don't paint the brick! The facade above the brick looks heavy and dominating because it is so bright white and all one colour. Why not go for a more retro look, break up the solidity of the overhanging facade by painting the vertical trims a different colour? Pick a colour that compliments the brick and keep in mind that colours were more adventurous in the 70s. Embrace the fun of the beach and the retro look without going overboard. Leave the brick as is, paint window trims to contrast and catch the light., maybe add shutters in the same colour to make windows look bigger and add more to catch the eye under the eaves. And paint the front door a fun, bright colour. Citrus colours catch the light and pop, but check they don't clash with the colour of the brick. You need contrast and brightness. Our blonde brick house was built in 1960. We painted the front door, the awning over our sliding doors and our garage door all the same colour: bright citrus orange (the garage door has 2 horizontal white stripes). The result was an instant uplift. We then had the roof restored and painted a terracotta colour (concrete tiles) and cleaned the eaves. The house looks fresh as a daisy and so much more attractive. The paint cost about $100, and the roof cost $6000. Money well spent! Then we worked on the gardens. We took out tall plants close to the house and replanted the gardens with more attractive flowering plants, going for colour. It all looks much more inviting now.