I am no expert but I would get a painter in to have a look and quote the job. He should be able to tell you if its more than what he can do. I have a painter lined up to do my house and he is going to do some small repairs/ patching work as part of his quote.

Timber weatherboards can be tricky to work with as being a timber they are susceptible to shrinkage, warping, and twisting, especially if they have not been installed correctly and given the proper priming and painting. Judging by the amount of issues that you have with your weatherboards that are fairly new I would say that they have not been shown the love they require when they were installed. Possibly the developer/builder took some short-cuts in the rush to get it finished and on the market. They look like they are at a first floor level with difficult access for maintenance and painting.

I wouldn't waste money on paying for the labour to fill, patch and paint, but remove them and replace them with one of the James Hardie weatherboard products with a similar profile. Have them professionally installed, properly primed and painted, and you will save money in the long run.

https://www.jameshardie.com.au/products/weatherboards/

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

Thank you both for your advice.

It seems I have 2 different options, repair or replace, likely at 2 very different costs!

Something for me to think about that's for sure.

I may get quotes for both options and then work out what to do from there.

Thanks again!

Rob, I think you may be surprised at how similar the quotes are. Remember labour is expensive and materials are comparatively cheap. There is a lot more labour (and longer scaffold hire) in the repair, repatch and repaint option then the replacement. Consider your long term spend for ongoing maintenance, not just a fix for the short term.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls