Clean, repair and paint the roof tiles.
Clean up the garden and landscape with a neat lawn and border planting.
Leave the bricks.

I love my bagged and painted house. Lot of people don’t but it is your house. Change it if you want, I have seen lots of bad rendering on new builds. But typically that is due to settlement and flat rooves dripping water down walls.

Thanks for the ideas dreamer. Our roof tiles are terracotta so unable to be painted.

Kate do you have any photos of your bagged house? What colour did you choose to paint it? And what is your roof? Thanks for the encouragement

Hi Katy, excellent, terracotta tiles are the best. Well just give the roof a good clean. Your bricks are a wonderful profile. Is it the colour you do not like or the brick.
Rendering will cover the brick completely, bagging will cover the brick and maybe the profile.
Have you looked at painting the bricks. This will change the look but keep the profile, which I think adds interest to your home.
And as said before, landscaping.

Hi dreamer

I tried painting some bricks around the side of the house but the raking is so deep that it looks silly. That’s why I liked the idea of bagging as I still wanted to see the brick outline. I’ve just read so much about how bagging and rendering add so much maintenance work to a house so isn’t really advised

macyjean Thankyou for your insight! I definately agree.

Save the big dollars it takes to render (or bag and paint) professionally and put it into cleaning the existing brickwork (low cost), painting trim and landscaping. Nothing devalues a house faster than a crappy render or bad bag and paint finish. Consider a colour consultation to help get the right paint colours that will give your home some life.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits.

after cleaning the bricks and roof tiles it would be good to see your house feel more at home in it's setting ... savings from not rendering or changing the bricks could be invested in a better driveway and gravelled parking area and landscaping, lose the plant climbing frames off the back walls and add a generous pergola and/or verandah across the back of the house

House was cream when we bought it. Now it is barn floor with woodland Grey trim and cream windows. Roof is terracotta tiles in a reddy brown colour

Bricks no maintenance
But painted or rendered 10yrs?
Driving in to home with a smile - everyday. You balance it out.

I think your house would suit bagging or rendering nicely, it has a reasonably timeless feel but I agree the landscaping will lift it just as much.

The bricks , and the house , are pleasant enough , and I don't think that is the problem . The windows are okay too , but here's what I think the problem areas are --

-- the roof is quite dominating , but also it looks 'worn' -- I'd definitely look at a chemical clean and waterblast , but also I'd do the gutters in either the white of the boards under them , or maybe surfmist or similar -- a light colour that has hints of silver and blue .

-- the garage door is okay in itself , but that shade looks drab when combined with the bricks and roof . Surfmist or similar may blend in more , but I'm worried it won't look quite right either . A bright red or sunshine yellow will really wow , but as you have 1950's style plant runners on the bricks , I'm guessing you or a previous owner isn't into Wow , playing it safe is more your style ? So maybe a charcoal or even a silvery brown ? IF you do a bright red or yellow , carry that through to the front door too .

-- those plant runners must go haha !

-- tiling the terrace would add a touch of class -- a charcoal or even a beige tile would work well .

-- landscape . The most important thing IMO . A range of gardens , plants , colours , heights . A water feature . Big pots . Mow lawns . A large ornamental tree . Go as mild or wild as you want .

All of the above will almost certainly cost you less , and give a better look , compared to bagging , painting , rendering -- the bricks aren't the 'problem' in my eyes .

Thankyou so much for your detailed responses! I really appreciate all your opinions. I will leave the brick I think and take on Board some of your ideas. thanks heaps

I took a photo of my front.

Beautiful Kate. what Paint colour did you choose?

It’s Dulux barnfloor. A greenish Grey with woodland grey gutters