You could replace front fence with a more modern type, add electronic gates for added security while away, your path could incorporate large pavers to add a stylish look, remove large conifer near letter box as they look a little dated now, use water wise plants like lomandra, ornamental grasses, black mondo looks wonderful planted amongst bright green foliage, add an automated watering system and stone mulch as this retains moisture , hopefully you can save your tree, you can cut the roots away from where they are damaging path and relay path, our trees did that and we removed part of the root and added a watering system and that seemed to work , exciting times ahead for you.

Just giving my request a bit of a nudge - does anyone else have any ideas please

Definitely a new front fence, the existing one doesn't look quite right. Then some landscaping.

Further to above suggestions, replace fence with a more modern look , repaint trims and garage doors to match fence, doing an aggregate driveway and path will lift the whole front, use viburnum and structural plants, these are very hardy, add the watering system, remove conifer and trim the roots away from path before laying another, a new paint colour will add a new modern look

Consider appointing a landscape architect to help you achieve your low maintenance objectives. A quality landscape upgrade will not only look great and be easy to maintain, but will also add value to your property.