Thank you oklouise

The house started out as a small single storey fibro house (left section). By the time we bought it, it had a 2 storey extension 6.2m w x 12.1m d added to the right side and the whole house was bricked over - leaving a strange stairwell on the side of the new extension (which we faux brick stamped 15+ years ago as it was bright white). There is a small step down to the front verandah but still good head height.

The current garage doors are also quite high at 2.5m and would not need to be as high when replaced. So hoping the bulk head (if that is all we come up with) would be consistent / level across the front. That was just my first thought, but fresh eyes and fresh/other ideas are welcome!

You have an interesting dilemma... you certainly somehow need to carry the strong horizontal line from the low section across the high section to tie the 2 parts together.

What about an awning in cb dune above windows above be garage

What about continuing the verandah roof along above the roller doors. It doesn't actually serve any purpose, other that continue the horizontal line as suggeted above. Also I agree about the awnings on the top windows.

I agree that would be an easyish fix, but you would still see the stairwell " bump ".

Thank you. What type of awning do you mean please for above the bedroom windows, and is it one above both windows or individual ones please? Would you do anything to the front bricks - clad, paint, partially render?

Not really sure what kind of awning. You might need to get some awning places out to have a look. The windows above the roller doors sort of look unbalanced. So evening up the proportions would balance it out. Also depends which way the front faces. Do you need sun protection? If not then the awnings could be for aesthetics only.

Sun protection is not required. I had thought at one stage that I would put a large rectangular box/awning around the 2 windows as they aren't centred.

Please excuse my rough sketch...

The 2 garage doors are different widths also which add to the unbalanced look - so I would like to replace with a single door.

If you had a house facade like this, what would you do with it ???

this miserable 3D image shows an impression that uses your idea of the horizontal parapet with asymmetrical openings eg from left to right 4m then 5m and then a 5m wide garage door with the forward extension to the garage and a tall "chimney" shape wall to both disguise the stairwell and offsett the lobsided upstairs windows

the awful colours are just for this demonstration as the various shades of grey shown in your original photos would be much better

Hi Josie,

Hope you’re making progress! Thought I’d jump in and suggest bringing that Colourbond fence to life with an artificial green wall. I’m biased, of course, but it’s begging for some visual interest! Check out our profile for some inspo.

Richard

UPDATE: Life happened, so nothing has happened!

*~* Just wondering if you have any suggestions for how to update it in 2026 please? *~*

They bricked around an existing house when constructing the double story section in the 80s.

Single story brickwork has to be changed or repaired / tied in.

Should I remove outer brick shell on that section and update with standing seam colorbond and insulate etc.?

Thank you

Josie, you’d do best to start your own thread with pics. Your question may get lost in this old thread.

What does your house look Ike today? Is it the same as the first picture taken in this thread in 2018? Maybe a daylight 2026 photo would be good. Showing full house facade to see the garages, as you mentioned these were not the same size.

Thank you @bigreader and @dreamer . I have started a new thread and added 2026 pics: Please help update the exterior of my 70s orange brick home