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...

Ruth, Supply cost will vary greatly depending the following factors: - Window/Door sizes, if not standard then costs may increase dramatically. - Type of double glazed unit, thickness of the glass, if it has any coating, gas infilled. - Type of windows/doors such as casement/sliding and so on. - Thickness of the aluminium. - Hardware (hinges, runners, handles & locks). - If the site has a wind rating requirement as part of the building code. - If you are in a rural area then this could have a bearing on cost. - The scale of your project; the larger the supply the lower the sqm cost. - The supplier. I don't know much about uPVC, but would expect this to be cheaper than a thermally broken aluminium window. The price for a particular unit may vary considerably, whereby a small 1200 x 500 mm window will be more per sqm than a 3200 x 2400 sliding door. So difficult to provide anything other than a very rough estimate. Suggest you budget at $350/sqm for supply only. If you have not done so already, then take a look at the Australian Window Association website and presuming your desire for a thermally efficient house, review products under the 'WERS' (Window Energy Rating Scheme) section. Recommended that you use a supplier that has had their product WERS accredited. Hope the above get you started. Good luck.

Thanks @asorbak! The Double Hung windows on the left are from the Essential range, and the Louver windows on the right are from the Signature range. With the design symmetry of our products, you're able to mix and match from our Essential, Signature and Commercial range. Would love to see the images once you're done!

Yes an external blind will interrupt that wonderful second story view, if it has to be down all day. There is not a deck outside that window, so a vergola would not be easy to install, unless it is double storey height. A fixed awning may work. But may have to be large to cover the part of window that is letting sun onto stairs. REtractable awnings, may have times, that they can not be extended because of strong winds. I have had good results with window tinting.