I completely love the twirly bits, and the window trim. It's unique, special and shows the family within has a sort of fun spirit. If you would be more comfortable with a cottage that looks more "regular", then take it off. But please don't! For some color and inspiration, google French provencal fabric images. I can completely see a little black metal bistro table and wood slat back chairs on your porch with a cloth of one of those fabrics. I would paint it a light dusky blue, with white trim and mid-charcoal accents around the windows and the corner pieces on the front porch. Although the yellow with the blue would be quite right too! The front walk looks to be in good condition. You can do a stone overlay on that, letting a small portion of the stones hang over the straight edge, to give it a little more rustic look. It looks like you have a good collection of Queen of the Nile lilies (guessing here). Were they blue on blooming? You can create some slightly larger and curving beds in the front, and transplant some within it. I would add lavender and rosemary in a mix with those. For some grey and texture, put some lambs ears (a perennial) along the outside edge. Check your local growing zone to see what will thrive in your area! Lucky you. What a find!

Not sure what light shade is on the roof at the moment. Have always done white or a shade of white while living around Queensland. It made a huge difference not having to use air-conditioning or fans as much. Because you already have dark brown walls penetrating heat, I would have a light colour on the roof. White reflects heat. Considering winter is not very long, I would choose a light colour as there is more heat most of the year. You can get roof paint coloured, maybe in a white with a hint of oyster. Blues are in, so if you like blue, maybe colour the gutter in very deep dark ocean blue. Don't like blue, so maybe dark grey on the gutter. Maybe then paint 2/3rds of the brown walls and leave some original brick walls as features.

Colorbond will look handsome on that home. If it were possible to repair the roof and retain the tiles I'd do it. But if budget does not allow then sure a tin roof will be fine also. Australia has a long and proud historical use of tin. I live in a heritage town, every house in it from 1880's right down to 1960's has a tin roof, including many homes of that era. If that house were weatherboard built in the exact same year, it would have a tin roof anyway. I'm a history fan, I'm a preservation freak, but sometimes practicality needs to take centre stage and that is exactly what the people who built the house would have chosen had their budget not allowed the tile. For my money, given the lovely colouring of your brick I would go with a Jasper roof, that nice bronze with pick up the detail of your brick and look good and also work with the existing trim. Another thing you can do to avoid the cheap roof look is choose a different profile to the tin. This roof is the same pitch as yours on a similarly proportioned building. The profile however is what makes it look more heritage than a standard corrugation. Not sure if BHP do this profile but I'm pretty sure that Lysaght do. The one thing I would be careful not to do however, is change the pitch of the roof if the trusses also need to be replaced. It's pitch is an essential character of that home and are necessary for right proportion.

Roof-tiles -- surfmist or similar light almost bluey-silver . Gutters -- charcoal ( I'd almost go a metallic look charcoal ) The upstairs windows on the left look wooden framed -- maybe an illusion ? Personally , no matter what they are , I'd like to do all window frames in a charcoal , but the narrower looking frames would be difficult , so maybe do the window sills in a charcoal -- prep well being brick , but it will sort of underline the windows , and go horizontal to reference the gutters . The veranda rails and columns carry on that charcoal theme , and the tiles look like they might be a surfmist friendly tone , so you have another 'tie-in' already done . The garage door may work as it is , it looks lighter than a charcoal and even though it has a bit of a brown tone , I suspect it would work , but in the photo , the beam along the top of the door looks full mission brown -- change that . Charcoal may be too dark , surfmist too light , maybe try and match the door ? Charcoal on the letterbox but with big chrome or stainless numbers , or crisp white . A 1.5mtr tall leafy shrub in the garden , between the 2 downstairs windows , nothing too much wrong with the bricks , but just to add some interest and variety to the garden , and there you go , pretty much done . A more modern look , with the only big $$$ being the roof , which you were going to do anyway .