Tribbletrouble, thanks so much for the info, it's great to know that there's a bit of a black trend happening, as the black accessories... Handles, lights, sink, legs were what we really liked when choosing but now seeing it all together it's taking a while to get used to. Like you said though. I probably just need to get the furniture and laying done. Really appreciate your thoughts, links and suggestions :)

I was 23 years old and our first home (1982) was $42,000 but interest rates were 21%!!! It was in Otorohanga NZ and mortgages were tough to get. Best decision ever though. We had second hand everything, even using an old beer crate as coffee tables and book shelves lol. Over the years we have owned only 3 homes though, and if we were to start again we have learned to not over capitalise on homes we have bought instead upgrade sooner. Finally we are ebarking on our first new home build ... bettter late than never though definately!

I'd probably echo a lot of the other comments. The bathroom seems quite large and could be smaller or even split into two smaller bathrooms (ensuite and main bathroom). I'd also consider just including the laundry in the main bathroom. I don't see the need for a separate laundry sink provided you have a decent sized bathroom sink (although your needs may vary) and it would potentially be a much more efficient use of the space. The kitchen seems particularly big to me. I don't really see in the value in having such a large return with bar stools, etc. Surely in such a space, it would be easy enough to move to the dining table to eat, socialise, etc. I think it would be better to place the kitchen along the length of the wall (scrapping the "corner" bifolds, but maybe utilising a window splashback to retain natural light) to really open up the living area. I don't think a bench is necessary. If you position the dining table appropriately, it could double as workspace if necessary, but a long, linear kitchen should provide you with plenty of workspace (and, at one end, potentially room for a built-in study nook which would probably be valuable for a growing family). Ultimately, I'd do a lot of research. Houzz has a bunch of great examples about terraces, for example: [https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/6-inner-city-terrace-renovations-that-conquer-common-problems-stsetivw-vs~52479198[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/6-inner-city-terrace-renovations-that-conquer-common-problems-stsetivw-vs~52479198) [https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/my-houzz-a-renovated-victorian-terrace-with-lofty-appeal-stsetivw-vs~69162741[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/my-houzz-a-renovated-victorian-terrace-with-lofty-appeal-stsetivw-vs~69162741) [https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/my-houzz-a-modest-terrace-impresses-with-a-bright-cheery-interior-stsetivw-vs~74631928[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/my-houzz-a-modest-terrace-impresses-with-a-bright-cheery-interior-stsetivw-vs~74631928) [https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/houzz-tour-bondi-terrace-reno-captures-light-stsetivw-vs~26541297[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/houzz-tour-bondi-terrace-reno-captures-light-stsetivw-vs~26541297) [https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/5-city-terrace-houses-that-surprise-inside-and-out-stsetivw-vs~27642618[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/5-city-terrace-houses-that-surprise-inside-and-out-stsetivw-vs~27642618)

Just to confirm I have taken the great ideas presented here as advice only and have no intention to do some dodgy diy reno's. With the exception of a couple of quirky exposed timbers as you can see in my pictures there are no other exposed beams. As you can also see from the pictures there is a large roof space on the right (east) side of the house but the ceilings themselves are flat with a slight dip on the north wall. Based on my own personal experiences I would have to agree with Two's Company that there is a tendency towards rendered brick in WA (although there are still many exposed brick houses in my suburb) while double enclosed double garages are also highly desirable. I would also agree that toilets within the main bathroom and non traditional laundries may be considered unusual by many (but not all). Ensuites with toilets however are still very common. Also due to the nature of our work we would prefer the laundry separated from food/kitchen area. For a 4x2 house it is only around 155m2 excluding carport/alfresco which makes the rooms feel quite cramped, hence the desire to open up the family room. However, as Two's Company suggests we will need to first get a builder/eng in to check load bearing walls etc as this will undoubtedly affect what we can achieve within our budget. Having said that I still excited by many of your ideas and with luck hopefully can work some of them into the budget. Cheers all :)