Hi Siriuskey, They are timber looking tiles - we absolutely love them. We are considering the same for the new place but potentially herringbone/parquetry arrangement. Much more expensive vs. laminate but easier to clean and no concern in relation to water...

1. colours...simple way to reduce choices is to start with the Colorbond selection and eliminate the ones you don't like and there will only be a few left to choose form...oskuee's suggestion for shades of the same colours sounds ideal..eg Colourbond Mangrove or Gully with Surfmist fascias and eaves and consider painting just the front windows for a fresh new look 2. if you can't live with the arches the cheapest way to modify the appearance would be to add a continuous painted panel of timber across the top of the windows (or better still custom made powder coated painted steel to match the windows...ask a steel fabricator for a quote including manufacture, powder coat and installation over the top of the window to hide the arch...try a piece of painted cardboard in place to see if it makes enough of an improvement to be worthwhile 3. balcony rails painted (powder coated is much more effort but gives a range of textured finishes and is more long lasting) in darkest grey/brown? to match the windows and check repair and repaint the balcony floor and the flower pots 4. balcony support columns look quite flimsy and i would check that they meet current required safety standards check Australian Building codes or a structural engineeer consult not cheap but worthwhile.. and regardless of being big enough i would prefer more substantial looking square support colums with an extra column between the garage doors and the balcony railing may not be tall enough for current safety standards (check BCA) and consult a fencing contractor to identify options to add extra railing across the top or replace the whole railing 5. garage doors will always stand out because of the angle of view...try the darkest shade of the new colour but lighter coloured doors may be worth trying (you already know how the dark doors look)...try hanging a sheet or similar over a door to see how a light colour feels and then painted newspaper stuck on the doors to test different colours 6. i would prefer the gable to blend with the roof..it's too small to be a feature from this angle..paint the barge board and gable end to match the tiles 7. if the concrete stairs are in good condition just try a water blaster to clean the concrete and leave natural 8 and, while you have the water blaster, clean the brick walls and driveway and check and repair any broken pavers or missing grout

Definitely an attached garage is always a big plus, particularly in terms of value and resale "tick boxes".........which is one of the benefits of the concept I threw out there a few weeks back that involved developing the more logically oriented extension that connects the garage across where the pool is currently.............which obviously involves moving the pool or removing it for a period of time before it can then be potentially reinstated............ My professional opinion remains firm that for the long term investment that is the superior outcome, better spend and highest value-adding option for the property, even if it takes longer and costs more to achieve......budget limit is one thing, but equally you can spend a certain "budget" limit to simultaneously achieve a "more expensive" & lesser value adding result...........let's say you have a limit of $500K but budget aside the arguably best value concept is more like a $650K exercise. A compromised spend of $500K can be actually the "more expensive" option long term in comparison to a higher cost but higher value spend, that perhaps could be achieved in stages or over a longer period of time, say building first and then eventually finishing off landscaping. Rome wasn't built in a day and I've written before about the time/cost/quality relationship and how managing those one way or the other will influence the long term outcomes for a project, for better or worse....... We'll never tell people what they should or shouldn't want in their homes, but when it comes to resolving/identifying the most logical and profitable and balanced options/solutions for a certain outcome, well that's kind of the business that we're specialised in.............. I am also suspecting that there could be some misalignments/tension on the "client" camp/side (ie his wants vs her wants) of the process that is making it difficult to properly prioritise and robustly shuffle the various project variables........the "in limbo"/"going round in circles" is a classic symptom and ultimately requires resolution somehow.........

I love Julie Herberts classy ideas ! I am budget , cheap , sorry value for money . Without seeing the rest of your house , and the fact you have some grey ( everyone who paints grey should be arrested IMO haha ! ) , you need to do something . And that something is pretty easy . A couple of litres of the brightest Sunshine Yellow paint . Paint both sides of the screen door ( don't replace it -- it's budget we are looking at here ) ; paint the front door Sunshine Yellow ; paint all the white around the side-light windows in Sunshine yellow . Done . Or if you really want to go classy , go yellow as above , get 5 or 6 lengths of 40mm x 40mm timber , plane or sand the sharp bits off the corners , stain them a nice rich light-to-mid-brown , and screw them vertically over the side glass ! Colour and class , for under $500 ! The problem is you will look at a few other ugly windows , and put those wooden uprights over them too , and even try and hide some of the grey and beige with them too !