Could you put the laundry behind doors so that you won't see it with the walk through...by the way...I am just over the water in OZ, know what you mean by costs... will get some pics....this would be my option...just going on what you are saying.... The good thing about this is that you can shut the laundry away except for when you are washing...... I would have the washer with the dryer next to it if you can and put a bench over the top of the both of them....for this it is worth getting a front loader if you haven't already got one.. this will avoid the bench on the other side...it can all be contained and done on the one side of the laundry. Don't go for sliding doors ...the glass look great but they will need a bottom track and if they don't have one...they will move a lot....not great for this even though they look great. As for having the bench over the top of the washer and dryer, you can then have overhead shelving, does not need to be cupboards as the bifolds will hide what is in there...double cost other wise. hope this helps...Robyn

10% is actually the rule of thumb number that I have heard used for years. Of that 10%, about 60% typically goes to construction docs and the other 40 goes to the earlier phases of the job. Pre-design, if any, is often done hourly. None of this is set in stone anywhere and it will vary depending on the designer's experience and overhead, the complexity and size of the job, etc. There is certainly nothing alarming or unreasonable about asking 10%, and in design, as in most things, you generally get what you pay for.

When installing over top of old ceramic/porcelain be aware that you will most likely have to "sink" the old tiles in cement to do this. That means grinding down the tiles a little (rough up the surface) then the self leveling cement is poured and allowed to dry. The new floor is then laid over top. Vinyl is notorious for requiring EXTREMELY flat surface. A ceramic tile rarely has this requirement (grout lines and "high spots" around tile corners give problems). A glue in place tile is also going to have the same problems and the same solution = sinking the tiles in cement. This adds extra costs to the floor. A rigid floor like a cork floating floor can handle a bit more floor deflection than vinyl or laminate planks. If labour in your area is relatively cheap...you could probably have the tile removed and the sanding of the mortar done for the same price as coating in concrete. You will also have the luxury of being able to lay any floor you want once it is done AND you don't have to worry about increasing the floor height. It is possible to sink the ceramic in cement...but is it the most cost effective option? Maybe not.

Hi Carlos, many of our clients choose salt or mineral water treatment systems for their ease of use and their cost effectiveness over time. You add sodium chloride (salt) to your pool and as it is pumped around the filtration system it passes an electrode that creates chlorine gas. This chlorine gas is what sanitises you water killing bacteria and keeping your water healthy. What size is the pool you're looking for as we can let you know the setup costs for a system like this.