Are you able to post a google shot of your and surrounding properties, so we can see roof and how close other properties are including driveways, thanks

Absolutely! It’s the left red roof. Also existing carport is under roof of back unit, but land there is in our title.

Maps view

Driveway is fenced off with walking laneway behind.

Thanks Chole that is great info, can you show the boundary which includes the carport to the driveway

Yes!

thank you, do the carports have brick walls and garage doors

The back unit does. Ours doesn’t. Just the shared brick wall, posts on the other side with fence on side and back.

Is the fireplace worth keeping. Given your front yard is really your best open space it would be better to have entry never garage

We’d like to keep the fireplace. It’s an old gas heater, so we’ll replace with a gas log heater.

If you are going to move walls probably best to replace roof at same time as it will reduce the loads.

my suggestion would be for an open plan kitchen dining living area (with optional structural post if necessary) with separate powder room, reach in laundry and highlight kitchen windows for light with privacy and add a wider verandah across the front of the house for outdoor sitting and relocate the front gate to create a more private front garden with space for kids play area and keep the backyard for carport, clothesline and bins etc

These are some of the photos of the house after the reno

Wendyec and oklouise thank you both! Both are great ideas, especially the note of not wanting to walk through the laundry when coming from the car out the back, I hadn’t thought of that! We are re-thinking it all.

Also incredible to see the Reno on a house that looks basically the same. You did an amazing job. 😍

This includes the possibility of your new carport and connecting the existing carport for additional living space ie 4th bedroom, this is all subject to council approval and how much work hubbie is prepared to take on

Thanks Siriuskey! I love the first one. Great long term plan. We’d probably put a cupboard where the external basin is and save the extensions for a couple years down the line. But we like this layout the most so far. Laundry/mudroom makes sense.

Having lived in a similar size house (about to move) with two kids for 10plus years (started off as similar ages to yours)I know your dilemma and can offer some advice. That second toilet with a basin will be a lifesaver. A laundry is a bonus - don’t have one unless it’s fits around the rest of the plans. Think about how you’ll live over the next ten years. For me a biggest improvement was having a drop zone with hooks and a shelf (no room for a mudroom)- very simple thing but made a huge difference. If you can try and carve out a separate space, even a nook, for separation of living spaces - open plan is not always that great. Don’t get hung up on keeping features like the fireplace- it’s a nice to have but doesn’t add to functionality. And the last big one is absolutely develop a master plan for the property. It will help you plan stages and make sure you don’t repeat works or have to undo past work. Good luck.

Great advice @bigreader. Thank you 🙏

We think we like this layout best. Furniture is just in there to get an idea, nothing finalised yet. I think the access via the laundry this way might be a little easier with washer/dryer at the other end. It also leaves potential to split it into a laundry and a walk-in-pantry/cupboard down the track if we’d like.

To make your days even healthier, make sure you install a basin in the toilet. Maybe take a small amount of space from the laundry for you basin and vanity. Also what are the actual dimensions of rooms, not square metres?

The basin in the toilet can also be a second place to brush teeth. Make the space multitasking.

Thanks Dreamer. Yes, we will definitely be putting a small sink in the toilet and will take up space from the laundry if needed. I’ll screenshot with the room dimensions, I’m not sure how accurate I was able to get them, but I tried!

That looks good. Def need basin in toilet Try and create a private yard at front with sliding door off living r,oom

Thanks Kate, that is the plan! We will wait and probably extend out the front, then add a deck with sliding doors or bi-folds in the living room to the deck and yard. We’ll be redoing the front fence for privacy first as kids will be playing there and we’ll have a swing set. We will move the gate to the corner on the driveway, for added privacy. I’m excited about this layout, I really love it and think it will work well for us. Hopefully the builder agrees and estimates within our budget. 🤞🏻

Good luck home you have many happy years there

Oops home should be hope.
And. Flip sink and place drainer as far right as you can to maximise usable bench space. You don’t want sink in middle splitting it.

Great Plan Chole, I know hubbie is a plumber but be aware of the size of the Powder room, with the depth being 1.53.

Requirement is that there is 1.2 space between the edge of the toilet and the doorway unless the door opens out or has hinges that can be removed externally. Otherwise you will need to widen the space which you can do.

https://www.abcb.gov.au/news/2019/construction-sanitary-compartments#some-important-principles-to-remember

Thanks Kate and Siriuskey. Good point, we will refine the dimensions soon and ensure there is adequate space. Thanks for the link, this is super helpful!

Hi everyone! As an update, dream layout is going to be too expensive, so we’re working within the existing layout as much as possible now. Kitchen has me stumped though. What are your ideas? The existing kitchen cavity will become a little smaller as we will make the bathroom big enough for an in-wall cistern toilet. Therefore we’ll only remove the living room wall and move the bathroom/kitchen wall. Should we make the cupboard space a pantry? New kitchen width will be 2.7. Can also move the laundry door. I’ve attached what we’re working with. All ideas are greatly appreciated. 🙏

We’re also planning to replace the kitchen window with a smaller window that will be max 1.5 wide so overhead cabinetry can fit either side. I don’t love corner cabinets in kitchens, but will concede to what we’re working with here.

Avoid the in wall cistern. Go with a close coupled suite instead. It’s an easier installation in an existing property (and easier means cheaper) and easier maintenance access.

I’ll tell the hubby! He’s our plumber 😁

Since you don’t like corner cabinets, and the kitchen room is very narrow, and your husband is plumber, and that you have already thought about moving laundry door……my suggestion is the following: Remove window altogether and place a glass door at that end to access the back patio. Then install all cabinetry and appliances along the left and right walls. The side cabinets could be 650mm deep which leaves a circulation passage of 1400mm wide, which is wonderful. I would also keep the storage cupboards in entry hall for needed storage. A rough sketch and concept photos attached.

Thanks Dreamer! Great idea 💡

Given you have a plumber on hand you can have whatever toilet you like.

Hello Chloe, I guess this conversation was from a month or so ago so no point really my putting in my suggestions but: Congratulations on the purchase of your first home: always a great thing to do. If you get kiddies into schools you will be stuck there for the years and enjoy the neighbours who become friends and enjoy being in the whole area. I know 45 years here!! I would prefer to NOT have the internal toilet but in that plan was room for a cav slider. Make sure the laundry is large enough for all the laundry activities. And I like the idea of the galley kitchen that Dreamer suggested much better. As to moving the laundry door: as long as the traffic to and from does not alter the dining area it is good. the original L shape living/dining is a pain to furnish and not be walking thru conversations and tv. The in wall toilets are a pain to repair apparently so wall mounted is better. Go well it is a great first home and you will be happy there for years to come. ENJOY Margot

Thanks Margot! For yourself and anyone else interested, I’ve attached the layout we landed on. It’s not exact, but walls and doors have been moved/removed and plaster is in this week! I think the kitchen design we landed on will work well for the space too. The attached also shows where we’ll likely be placing current furniture. Space for the kids play area beside the living room etc. We’re currently stuck on paint colours, so I’ll post that next and see what everyone thinks.

We ended up going with a normal out of wall cistern toilet as the in-cisterns only gave us an extra 3cm which seemed negligible and not worth it.

We’ve also replaced the kitchen window and the living and bed 1 windows. Weatherboard at the front of the house is all replaced as a result too! Facade is already looking a lot better. First pic is original and other 2 are current. It’s not painted yet, I’ve only been able to do a little so far.

We are tossing-up between Dulux Natural White or Vivid White. Please help!! Living is west-facing and gets the most light with the large window. North facade only has a small window and east facade is a small window too. Very yellow in the afternoon and pretty dark throughout the house in general. Though bedrooms all have large windows. Kitchen cabinets will be a bright white and bathroom will be tiled 3/4 up the wall, I’ll attached the colour scheme.

1st image is bathroom. Grey tile is floor, light tile is walls, pebble is niches with wooden vanity and matte black fixtures. Kitchen cabinetry and bench top is second image with matte black hardware in following 2 images.

Kitchen design

Vivid white and Natural white are two very different whites. I’m not a vivid white fan, it takes talent to make it not stark. I’d consider using a neutral white that is coloured matched to your kitchen cabinetry. That way you’ll avoid a white mis-match which will look jarring.

Looking great. Avoid vivid white. You want a flat ceiling white on ceiling to avoid streaks showing . I’m with dreamer on wall colour. Match to cabinets of splashback.

Kate, bigreader is the white expert…..not me….and agree the right white on walls with contrast to cabinets is important. Otherwise the cabinets or the walls will look dirty or cream.

Wow, what progress! Eminently liveable plan, and your colour choices are practical and stylish, while helping your home feel lighter too. I foresee many years of happy family living. Do keep us updated, pls

Progress! great choices and looking forward to seeing your updates. The following might be helpful .

https://www.dulux.com.au/colour/whites-and-neutrals/popular-whites/

Hello Chloe, Since you can pop the oven in the tower under the mo so your not wrecking your back lifting, turning, balancing all at once with the heaviest, hottest, messiest items from the oven. You can so I believe you should!! Looking great.... huge changes already!! Enjoy Margot