I offer two options first the low economy option :-) paint the concrete the second option pave either slate, stone or stone look tiles - whatever you can obtain for a low cost preferably second hand - I love recycling and it usually looks good when done with taste.

Hi Creativelychallenged, thanks!! We are so in love with the house and are now planning an extension off the back to get some more floor space :) I can't be stopped! The front of the house has original windows. We restored them and they are pretty much the only thing that we kept in the house. Everything else was completely stripped out. At the front we also have huge bi-fold doors that open onto the balcony, I'll post a shot of this so you can see those. We look at the ocean so wanted to open the house up to those sea breezes. The floors are brand new. The are an engineered timber floor board that we put over the old floors. The original floorboards were in great condition but we took so many walls down that it would have cost a lot to fix them, so we just went over the top and my husband installed them to save costs. They are "Latte" by Preference Flooring. I love them! Our bathrooms are also brand new. The ensuite used to be the main bathroom but was tiny and didn't even have a toilet. We swapped the floor plan to make it the ensuite and the old dining room became our main bathroom. Here is the original main bathroom (we converted it to the ensuite) Ensuite - Excuse my filthy shower Here is a shot of working on the front windows. They were worth the effort! I'll post a few more before and after shots once i find them out of the 13,000 in my phone :)

There's some great ideas there . The first thing that stands out is that pipe handrail downstairs -- I hate them with a vengence . Remove it , extend the step to fill the space , with 1 or maybe 2 small full-width steps . Just me , I'd do in charcol or black non-glossy 400 x 400 tiles . Most of the windows are black framed , and look okay in my opinion . Paint the upstairs balistrade in black or charcoal -- will tie it in and even though the style is dated , I don't think it would matter -- it would then look like part of the overall concept . I like the English White of the front door , but here's where I'd get colourful -- do the door jamb and the diamonds in the brightest citrus orange you can , and then carry it to the garage door ! The garage door surround ( including the 3 window surrounds above it ) I would paint in charcoal or black . And here's probably the most controversial part -- leave the awnings , but also paint them in Citrus Orange , with the ridges on them in a beige , maybe veering towards an apricot ! This will really lift everything visually IMO , the orange brick will tie in and bland in without looking overdone , the Bright Orange and mainly charcoal or black is modern but not too modern , with the English White door breaking everything while still having Bright Ornage to tie it all in . There looks to be a Butterscotch Orange gate to the left of the house -- obviously , you would repaint that in the brighter orange too , to look cohesive , but you already see how it looks more exciting than the Burgundy Red existing colours . Which leaves 1 thing I don't like the colour of -- the top fascia board or gutter . I suspect Vitamin C Orange would be too much , so probably play it safe , and go either charcoal , or a lighter greeny/grey to match the roof tiles . Probably not what everyone would do -- but that's what I would do with that pallette !

Yep, it sure adds up doesn't it! It's a lot of money for perhaps not an equivalent amount of value gain. But it's not necessarily the builder's fault or issue here. Their pricing here is not surprising, but to clarify not sure how you can isolate the kitchen or what exactly does 30K mean? Is it joinery only, is it including fittings? Is the balcony upper or main level. The question is, is this actually the best way to spend your money? Considering how much you're spending, should you be considering getting proper value for the money and getting more for your money with potentially a different design?. Are you happy with the design? It's going to be super? Is it worth $400K to you for what you're going to get? If the answer's no then a design rethink is possibly in order. Where are you at in the design/doc process? have you used a drafty, designer, architect to help you with the process? What people often get quite wrong with renovation projects is the distribution of budget in regards to HOW it's being spent (you WILL spend it one way or the other), and it always comes back to the design/layout as to how well or not it's spent. Really need to see actual plans to be able to assess and comment further with more accuracy otherwise just speculating on in all. Depending upon your finishing decisions this sort if thing could easily nudge the $450K mark.