a pergola would be lovely! are you thinking of growing wisteria?

I'm just amazed to be communicating with someone in South Africa! It looks like you have a covered porch. Do your hang out there? What would be the purpose of a patio if you have a porch? What is to the left in this image - how does the front walk terminate? Can you take another photo so I can see where the walk ends? I can make better suggestions then. Also, before I went into public relations I was a landscape designer for 15 years.

Hi Mousemaker: We've just bought the house :-) No I wont be growing anything on the white pvc pergola.Maybe at the base of the structure :-)

Hi..I think Houzz.com is great...dont have website like this in SA. SA is very much the same design with solid brick house and steel security perimeter fencing. I am a PVC fencing fabricator, so i wish to make best use of our products :-) ..If u have ideas here? Just bought the house, so we havent even moved in. I intend to bring the windows forward and increase the house. (so this will do away with the porch). Walkway is a mess...will rip up...it leads from the front fence to the steps leading to the porch...The concrete at the base of the house, i dont understand why it is there...maybe to prevent water sitting at the houses foundations...like run off prehaps.
thanx so much. rgds Chris

Chris, I was going to say not to do the white PVC fence because it would look glaring - too white and too shiny, and doesn't go with your house, but if you are in the biz...
Is there any other color than white? Green, tan or brown would look better, but anything would be better than a steel security perimeter fence.

I was thinking of creating more white on the house...ie plastering the window sill and painting white, so the pvc fence shouldnt "stand out to much. I also want to limit the number of colours used...so it doesnt look like a cake.
I was even contemplating plaster the facebrick - but this equals lots of effort and expense

My house looked like this. Try extending the porch to make a very big porch. Or a courtyard. Surround the hardscape with lush plants indigenous to the area.

Hi Robin
Thank u for your feedback...
Just to clarify: You suggest i just extend the porch area forward a fair distance? Roof or pergola ? Then around the base of the porch/patio grow plants.
thanx so much
rgds
chris

Since you have a covered porch already I wouldn't spend the money on extending the roof or pergola. Just extend the steps out so that it provides a grander approach to the covered part of the porch. Having a big wide walkway or courtyard leading to it, surrounded by planting beds will also add to the curb appeal. These pictures only show my house a little. But they might give you an idea of what I mean.