Hi Nicky, my apologies I have only just seen your message. We went for cornforth white Farrow and Ball (which it definitely not white). The shutters are not back open yet but some of them will need to go back on because the large expanses of grey look very grey. The bits next to the white look less austere. The new white garage door with windows has made a big difference. I'd be careful with a very pale grey because if your windows are anything like mine you'll find that they are not actually that white after all....

Hi, You may find the following guide useful when deciding between a hipped roof or flat roof, as either option may provide you with the space you need. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/17/extensions/10 Do also consult your local planning authority for clarification on limitations you may have in terms of extensions and exterior features. As suggested above, we would also suggest you persue a contemporary design! We have an online Houzz portfolio and ideasbook if you wish to explore further for ideas!

I think you need to look at the cost of the glass veranda as it is likely to be more expensive than the render that you say you can't afford. I am also not convinced it is going to look better because of the proposed flat roof on the bay- you could always get rid of the bay and have a plain window instead. Personally I think that you make the lounge lighter by adding light reflecting paving/ chippings/ pond outside the bay. You can also likely make the room feel lighter by changing the flooring in the room for paler. I really like the double front doors but glass doors would of course let in more light. I think replacing the digits and facials will make very little difference to the feel of the house and should be the last job you do not the first. If it were my house I would be more concerned about the windows above the front door. Personally I would perhaps have just one window here and if another window is necessary put in a velux above. Lastly you write about wanting to update the house.... do you like the style of this era.... if not perhaps you should be thinking about changing the window proportions or covering the brick even though this may not currently be in budget?

Hi all, Thank you so much for all the helpful comments and suggestions, and sorry that it's taken me so long to respond - house renovation and work have been keeping us on our toes! This has become a long post, so a quick reminder - we were looking to renovate and rewire our 60s house to update it and also make it more wheelchair friendly downstairs for when my mother-in-law comes to visit. We employed an architect and came up with what turned out to be an 'aspirational' design (much more than the budget!) so we ended up deciding to split things into two stages: Stage One to add a downstairs wetroom for accessibility, remove chimney throughout and add a porch Stage Two to do the extension across the rear, removing the conservatory to open out a large kitchen/diner and add a utility room The layout below shows both Stages One and Two as complete. Bits shown in red are existing walls which have been/will be removed (apart from the wall in red in the seating area below which is between the existing kitchen and dining room - that's a mistake). So.....the building work is now done - hurray! Stage One is complete, we are much poorer, and we now need to decorate the whole house :-) Some before and after photos below - please bear with the terrible photography skills. The rooms aren't big enough to allow for expansive photos!: We've re-plastered throughout, apart from in the kitchen and upstairs bathroom, as we'll deal with those later. Current challenge is deciding how on earth to pick paint colours and flooring throughout.... Anyway - hopefully that gives you a sense of where we've got to. Best wishes