Hi Suzanna, Here are some photos of all three options for your consideration. Pitched roof + brickwork: Pitched roof + render: Pitched roof + cladding: I think render definitely can work but if you're dead set against it you can go for statement-making cladding or try and match the extension brickwork with that of your house. Best of luck!

@Pavan123... just to update you. I've spent the best part of a week (not full days of course - just few hours here and there when I can!) cleaning the wall up. It was COVERED in old render and dust - thick chunks of it in most places. The mortar pointing was like sand as well. So I got a water spray and a putty knife (or a flat edge wallpaper scraper would do) with a dust mask and goggles on and just scraped off what I could whilst spraying water over it to keep the dust to a minimum. Then i manually scraped out the top of the pointing then scrubbed it all with a stiff brush and warm soapy water (I should have used sugar soap) then rinsed it off. Now it's ready to re-point and I will give it a final clean/wipe down after the pointing sets as there are only some parts with the white dust on. I could get brick acid on it but I kind of like the old look so don't want them to be TOO clean and new looking! LOL. My wall is a bit of a mess though to be fair. Will post a pic up later. Whoever built it must have used any old broken bricks lying around as there are chunks missing out of some, some rows are all split bricks etc. Might remove a few and put full ones back we saved.

I don't know why your decorator said that, unless he hoped he'd get the job of doing the continuous repainting! If you want to render it then a through coat render is much better than a sand and cement render that you need to keep repainting after every little chip. A through coloured render will have the colour running all the way through it so if a little chip or dent happens you won't notice so much as you would in a painted render (depending on the colour you paint it) There are lots of different render options. Some are better than others, some are even self-cleaning! Often buildings are rendered only down to cill height on the ground floor because you're more likely to get things bashing into it lower down, which can cause more low-scale damage that then needs maintenance. I'm not a fan of painted brickwork because it flakes off and can look terrible. It depends on what you paint it with though - some kind of lime whitewash might have a softer effect and be a bit more like a render finish so a bit of a compromise option. This would give a pale colour for the wall at ground floor level so the grey windows contrast with it, like the white windows above contrast with the brick. Alternatively you could stain the brickwork, which is permanent. The bricks above are quite a dark multi-mix so you could pick a stain similar to the darkest shades in the original brickwork to tie in with those and work with the grey framed windows downstairs. Either way you need to make it look intentional for it to work. Hope this helps!

Hi Sonia & Minipoe. thank you for your very thoughtful responses, the planter is a great idea and I am definitely looking to change the garage door and front door when I can. I really love the dark grey colours you’ve suggested and eventually would like to get the driveway sorted as quite cracked. I hadn’t considered Sage Green! that will def bring out and be a contrast to the red brick. The blocks under the window are definitely a 70s feature as a number of bungalows round the corner have exactly the same.. we are guessing it must have been a style as I agree, I originally thought it was because a bigger window was later put in.. I think you are right that flowers are the way to go and the climber could really offset it!