This is why it's always good to have a pro to hold your hand for at least some of the way, (carefully chosen though, check out his/her finished projects, the more varied the styles, the better she/he will be able to understand and adapt to your desires), they can provide the invaluable visual supports too. When it's your own house it's notoriously difficult to see the possibilities, you have it under your eyes the whole time and the defaults shout at you and prevent you being able to see it objectively and envisage the possibilities. you're emotionally involved and emotions always have the upper hand on the brain, so you just keep turning round in circles. Something akin as to why a psy must never attempt therapy on a member of his own family, if you follow me :D As for the façade color, are you sure it needs changing that much ? Once those thick white frames have gone and the new windows nestling more discreetly, correctly positioned and re-proportioned, the aspect will change drastically and be far more streamlined and modern. (the devil is in the detail) I'd also strongly suggest that the wood facing just breaks off around the windows, no framing or finishings. Same thing for all the windows, the small ones too. Entrance : Same as for the windows, that outer frame shouldn't be touching the ceiling, you can try taking that off and painting the door another color before deciding to change it and once again the door could do with setting back a little. You could maybe take that doorstep out while you're at it. Also, i don't know what is happening to the right of the door but i see the concrete steps leaing up and feel it would be good to create another level to make it flush with the bottom of the door if structurally possible. This would tie it all in better and you probably wouldn't need any additional definition to your entrance. Anyhow, as i often quote, i'm a firm believer in " Less is More " , and vice versa of course ^^ Question #4 i can't answer as i haven't really understood the problem And #5 i don't think so, but once the other transformations have been taken care of i think you'll find it speaks for itself. Whatever, it's a very exciting project, the bones are great and i'd love to see photos of progression once you get started.

Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

I think like you -- I wouldn't spend $10k to make new cabinets just to centre things . A couple of 'thinking out loud' thoughts -- is it worth adding another layer of wallboard -- I'm thinking ply rather than gib -- then tiling over it ? It may stiffen everything , and ply has less flex , and as you are tiling over it , the finish doesn't matter too much , and the fact it would add say 18mm to the wall depth would be hidden by the fact that its to be tiled anyway . You may have to add a 'wider' facing around the doorway so it hides the extra thickness , but relatively easy to do ? Or is it worth looking at changing to a solid door ? Yes , I know it cuts space a bit , but depending whats on , say , the left hand wall , it may work , and its another way of stiffening up the wall , although it would need a builder .

windows in master bedroom need to allow views and privacy and much as i would prefer bed on NE this keeps the bed in view towards and from family room so prefer bed on south wests wall and small sliding doors pushed towards north side of room with tall narrow window beside sliding door and highlight window for light with privacy and wall space for chest of drawers...acknowledging theta the pwdr doesn't have a window but my suggested arrangement uses less total space more efficiently and is better for older kids and long stay visiting parents (more people can use the various options at the same time) and a small ventilating skylight will exhaust and brighten the toilet and vanity area ...the wide door into the lounge can be a stacker or stable door so you need to investigate local options (and everything is expensive unless it does what you want...we always use solid core doors that can be ten times the price of a basic hollow core door but love them so we economise elsewhere) and barn door between entry and family would be OK as long as you like them and it doesn't compromise lounge doors but could look ok if both doors are the same style and different widths...and location of dishwasher is personal and if you have already been unhappy with sink in main kitchen then have it in the scullery...main advantage of my suggested kitchen location is that it's closer to the front and the family area and external doors and the pantry uses the central space that can be much better illuminated with another ventilating skylight instead of a tiny external window and noisy exhaust fan