We have two wheelie bins outside, one for normal waste, one for recycling. Our council doesn't require different types of recycling waste be separated, and inside we have a slide-out under the kitchen island counter that hold the two necessary bins for separation. Separate to this we have a small compost bin on the counter. Anything we can compost ends up in the compost pits up in the veggie garden. A place we buy online stuff from is smart and packs their goods in these corn starch bubbles that look like foam - you can wash them down your loo/bath/tub or, as we do, compost them (they just dissolve when wet). This is important when remote - online is a great way to get everything you otherwise might have to travel 5 hours for, but packing materials quickly fill the bins, and there's only so much cardboard you can use as firestarters in winter) This is all helpfully motivated by the fact that we have no garbage service and our tip is about 30km away and that they don't charge for the recycling wheelie bin, while the waste wheelie bin is $10 per bin. We used to fill a waste wheelie bin every week or two prior to living here. Now we're only down the tip every 4-6 weeks (the good thing too is, all the old roof guttering & corro and ancient rolls of fencing and barbed wire that were dumped around the property are counted as metal recycling, and we've filled a couple of ute trips with that for nothing). We could probably do better than 4-6 weeks if we focussed more on (over-)packaging during the weekly shop. The only thing I want to figure out is dog poo composting. It's fine in winter, but when that wheelie bin sits in the summer sun for 4-6 weeks with increasing amounts of (even bagged) poo it gets a special kind of smell only the blowflies love (you don't want to see photos of our fly catcher bottle hung nearby).

From my experience, cleaning and decluttering always made the biggest difference when I had to sell. I packed up anything I didn’t use daily and put personal stuff in boxes to make the house look more spacious in photos. I also spent a weekend patching small holes, touching up scuffed walls, and doing minor repairs, which actually helped with first impressions. For photos, I kept the decor simple, fresh linens, lots of natural light, flowers for colour, and no clutter on countertops. What's worked for me is using smart real estate platforms to check what similar houses are selling for in my area. If you're in Toronto or GTA, comparing sale prices and having up-to-date data really shapes how you prep your place. You can get accurate pricing and advice if you check out smart MLS search in Canada: https://www.broko.ai/

Thank you everyone so very much for your responses and advice. I liked the idea of having a bold piece to tie the church in but like a few have mentioned, something simple might be nice to not overshadow the pieces we've collected. The Nick Cali nesting tables might work quite well, simple but still have the raw wood and we can move them around. I also like the idea of a round table. Annb1997 we actually looked at the carved coffee table, it's super cute and pretty it's a shame that it's just a bit too low to be functional with the sofas. We are probably looking at something around 45 cm in height...but we might still get it anyway and add it into the library nook. We move at the start of Dec, will post photos :) Here's one of the current owner's layout. Thank you again everyone you've been amazing!

You can buy the caboodle bamboo kitchen bench top from Bunnings wood section and cut it to any size you want. If you just wax it, it is quite rustic and would save you the cost of getting a benchtop made. It comes in two thicknesses and is 600mm deep. The piece that I bought was 2.4m long. Have a look at it, at least. Then if you have some other rustic pieces or even units with steel tops, it can tie the rest together. My vote is to keep the stove and get some rustic or industrial cup'd handles. A real farmhouse kitchen is a mix and match thing. My vote is for trying to keep the bench you bought as an island if you can. I would go for open shelves along the wall where the stove and fridge are and put the microwave on one of them. Maybe you could find some different tiles for behind the sink. I would rip those shiny ones off the wall and choose something that will fit in with your mix'n match rustic style, or just something quirky - even old wood. It all depends on how much money you want to spend and kitchens add up very quickly. If it functional and pleases your eye, then you are a winner. If the carcasses are still usable, it is much cheaper to just get new doors for them, when you can afford it. I wouldn't bother with window covering in the kitchen. I would just leave it for the light. Maybe a glass shelf across it with some herbs on it. It already sounds good to me.