Many thanks chookchook2. This is the front of the house thus far I was thinking of lilly pilly which are trimmed round shape in big black gloss pots on either side of the entrance where the white hand rail is . I have bad allergies , hay fever etc hence j need to stick to Australian natives, hence either lilly pilly or magnolia ( teddy bear ) plants ...

Greys and charcoals coming in, forget creams and very pale colours. Textures seem to be the next big thing inside and out. Maybe a mid to dark grey with stone that is a mixture of grey and white for the front portico pillars. Could be stacks tone, stone veneer or tiles that look like stone. Wouldn't go anywhere near timber Windows. They warp, peel, stick together after painting/varnishing and are a maintenance nightmare. Every decade or so they come into fashion, people discover all the problems again and they go out. There is a reason for the popularity of aluminium ones.

This will be an exciting challenge! How about starting with which style you would like. Hop onto google and search around before and after pictures that might help you decide on a particular look you wish to achieve. Pinterest has ideas too, and just type in “house facades before and after”. Do you want modern, or beach or Hamptons? Etc. The style should reflect your internal decor style for flow and a bit of harmony. Once you have decided on style, examine which aspects of the current facade you would like to enhance and that definitely don’t work. I would enrol an architect or exterior design consultant to discuss these aspects and perhaps get ideas. Start by considering a focal point - you lack this in your current facade. Could be an entrance, a large window, veranda etc and something that provides depth to the facade. Consider balance and symmetry: you have large garage doors that would benefit from something that balances that. First impressions from me are that the windows are small and shuttered: these might be within budget to change. The house facade is very flat: perhaps features such as a porch addition might break that up. There is no entrance that invites you in and as such it looks shut up. Could you work in a welcoming entrance here? Paint would work wonders and if rendering is too expensive, a good paint job could transform the look. Timber cladding adds interest, a little warmth to a cold brick facade, and charm. Would that fit with the style you are aiming for? It’s a big job but simple tweaks could transform this. Best of luck

On the one hand , that small upstairs 'point' is a bit weird , but I'd be tempted to leave it as it is . I'd paint the entire place in an English Cream , leave the two tall pillars in that 'light charcoal' ( it looks slightly different in a couple of the pics , but that's what i am assuming it is ? ) or maybe a more standard charcoal , and do the gutters in charcoal too . There's nothing wrong with the garage door by the looks of it , but that front door and side panels is great , and I'd do the garage door to match . I initially thought you wanted the carport on the left of the house , but now i think maybe you want it in front ? Either way , I'd carry through with the wooden features -- 300 x 50 or 75 beams , similar supports ( slightly red timber ) etc , and possibly even clear plastic sheeting so that the new garage door can be seen . It would tie everything in too , and with that slope , it would not make the entrance area look as tall . Clean the paths , the entrance tiles ( or re-tile ) and then re-evaluate . I suspect with the lighter paint , cleaner or darker pillars , new or cleaned entrance tiles and the like , the front entry may look more imposing but less intimidating .