Hi Jaimia, I tend to agree with 12sally12 sentiments. Celebrate the house and it's foibles (boxiness, entry, colour, balcony treatment). However it's great to adapt a home to make it yours - just making the right decisions is the hard part! The extent of change depends on your budget and your tolerance for inconvenience. I've listed a few ideas that vary from 'nice to have' to significant structural (and cost) changes. These will affect the colour scheme, and therefore the way it will appear overall. Roof – dark colours appear heavier and more dominant. Your home looks to be built in the 70's, it's likely due for a new roof soon. Consider a fresh new zinc or white colorbond roof. Upgrade the gutters and downpipes at the same time. Balcony – remove the clutter (replace handrails), and extend the balcony beyond the face of the main facade. This will give the effect of elongating the front elevation of your home. The detail of the new handrail extending along the continuous balcony frontage should in turn provide a fresh new look (more contemporary). Arches – these could remain, or go (depending on your desire to keep the quirkiness). These are likely to be aesthetic brickwork only - but check with a structural engineer if these can be removed. Entrance – there are two parts to this: The first aspect is to do with the appliance from the street frontage. Prioritise making the front door the most welcoming part of your home. This can be done with a pathway from the front of the site, with garden areas and great planting to accentuate the entrance to your home. The other aspect of the entrance is how entrance 'reads' from the outside of your home. This depends a little on your location (and climate). As a guide I'd suggest revising the entry wall, including the door and windows proportions to 'open up' this part of the facade to the street. This should be designed in the context of those iras listed above, as well as benign conscious of security and protection from sun loading. I hope this helps Jaimia, (Keep in mind many of the aspects listed above will require structural design asa minimum!) Cathi

If you want to make the house hotter, then painting the roof charcoal will certainly achieve that. Repointing the brickwork is the most sensible from a maintenance perspective. Once you render and paint, then you have to keep painting (and it's likely to be out of fashion sooner or later). Try to keep passive cooling in mind (i.e. light colours & permeable landscaping) with any of your renovations, and I think it always pays to try and embrace and compliment the original architecture and be unique, rather than trying to look like the latest project home. In my opinion the arch window is actually quite cool, and the excellent mock-ups provided by Geo Toria are along the right track.

I would start by removing all the concrete block walls, lattice work and pool fences to give you an idea of the space and opportunities available. You have a long driveway so replacing it will be a major cost, depending on the type of material you use, so you should probably start getting quotes to get a feel for the options out there. You need to think about how you propose to use the space, the privacy and the amount of security you need to your front garden. Do you need a childproof/dog proof fence and gate? Also consider how much time, effort and expense that you are prepared to put into maintenance of your garden as this will affect the design and choice of plantings. A more formal garden will need a lot more work than a garden with a more natural feel. Finally think about your climate, amount of rainfall, amount of frost and other environmental factors that will affect the survival of new plants. Do you need to allow for an automatic watering system, or will you be selecting plants suitable for a dry climate? Look at the type of plants that have thrived in your neighbourhood. It would be worthwhile establishing a budget and having a chat with a local landscape design professional who is experienced in your area. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Hi @Puddle, there are many good comments and ideas for you to consider in this thread, i have been in the process of renovating a 1976 model on the southside of Canberra. I have lived with my wife in Canberra for 6 years and have been in denial of our climate until recent years. It is alpine cold in winter and insanely hot in summer. The things i recommend spending money on are Windows - Get the best you can afford, double glazed glass in uninsulated frames, or double glazed window units with high air penetration should be illegal. Good windows keep winter heat in and summer heat out, its also very peaceful in a house that is well sealed. Solar panels - This was the first thing we had installed when we moved in, we are lucky to have a north facing roof space, wife works at home most days and is a high energy user. We enjoy a fully electric home, heating/cooling, cooking, hot water. Gyprock is cheap, Insulate your walls, floor and ceiling! strip all external walls and insulate, it is also easier to do windows if the wall linings are being removed. Once complete it makes life inside much nicer. Unless already renovated the wardrobes in bed 1 and 3 are likely chipboard, not sealed or insulated and a massive heat gain/loss depending on season. Building a comfortable, functional and energy efficient home in Canberra is much more than wall locations and paint colours, initially spending money on getting the "building envelop" to a high quality, (well sealed from air transfer and insulated) will allow you to install ensuites and move kitchens with the remainder of the budget. I have a problem with people saying there is a "Canberra tax", i am a professional tradesman and there are many other professionals in Canberra getting paid more than other capital cities, This includes the public service and its "consultants". Canberra has a high cost for all services underpinned by the public sector. Everybody deserves to get paid appropriately for their work. A client should always feel comfortable with the tradesperson they are dealing with, if not keep looking until you find the right fit. Enjoy the process!