Emily A permanently roofed al fresco will reduce some summer heat gain (although sitting out there may be uncomfortable) and will do the same for winter. From scanning the comments it appears that you are at a point where you can still may major changes; I cannot recommend strongly enough getting the orientation of your new home right, it will be warmer in winter, cooler in summer and be significantly cheaper (if not free) to run with some appropriately detailed insulation. I do understand the appeal of a floorplan that seems to be all you have aspired too but have seen many a case where people have later regretted those decisions. If you are unsure about the pros and cons of various floorplans then get a design professional (building designer/architect) to give you guidance on an hourly rates basis. good luck

Congrats on choosing blocks for your garden bed. If you're looking for trees, I suggest considering a maple tree. They grow nicely over time, providing shade and privacy. I recently moved to a new house myself, and I'm also exploring plant options. Back in my hometown, we had a reliable tree service that helped us with planting and maintenance. Maybe you can find something similar in your area. I came across this website, https://www.deepdale-trees.co.uk , which might be helpful for you. They offer a variety of trees and services.

You could try asking your question on the dulux Facebook site. They often have colour consultants offer suggestions as to what colours might give a similar result to pictures people have posted. Ultimately though, you should probably choose your timber and stone cladding first and then choose paint colours to work in with those tones.

I planted a row of five Manchurian Pear trees along my front boundary and love their changes through the seasons. They are very hardy once established and are often used as street trees for their hardiness and good scale for a nature strip. Beautiful red/orange foilage in autumn, white blossums in spring, and lush green foilage in summer provides good shade. They look great as a single tree, a group of three, or a row of five trees. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls.