I would really encourage you to get a landscape designer's help with this. If you can't change the fence, but want privacy, landscaping / planting will be a good choice.

Working out how to create steps that feel generous and an enjoyable process of arrival will benefit from expert design input ... so you don't feel like you're climbing a mountain, but instead transitioning from the public zone of the street, to the private zone of your home.

I've also got a podcast on this that may help you too.

Regards

Amelia, UA

Hi love the new house,

1) all I could suggest is that first of all don't have a new entrance/gate in line with the front door, off set it. You could replicate another post next to the drive way and if council would allow move one of the original panels across that opening which would move the gate even further along then build a new stone wall beside the driveway.

(Or use the new stone wall to swing a tall wide gate from the left hand side which would close to a new timber? post attached to the old stone post)

2) Are you planning on leaving the verandah open to the driveway? you could make this the entrance with a lockable gate and possibly only one timber step up to the decked area, to get access to the courtyard timber steps on the RH side of the deck would work really well leaving a lovely large space for table and chairs etc

3) plant the courtyard with screening plants, clumping bamboo is very popular at the moment

Love the floating step idea, would look awesome with led strip lighting under them. If you painted the remains of the fence the same colour as the house it will disappear and allow the steps to be the feature. The rest is nothing some more decking timber and planting won't fix.

Lucy the floating steps are great, Are you having glass balustrading across the verandah, posting some more thoughts for you cheers

try steps in the same wood as the front porch. Then put some stackstone on your pillars.