My $0.02 - in NSW designers are NOT registered or accredited, beware. All architects are nationally accredited. I suggest that there are a lot of things you can do yourself before you start - get a proper survey of your block, ensure that you get them to provide angles for anything that isn't square....understand if there are utilities like sewer pipes which will affect your setbacks or useable space...... Go online and workout the sun angles for your longitude and latitude helpful for solar and overall layouts. West facing picture windows are not the best. Some of the solar firms have online calculators which help to do this. Read the local council rules and understand them, apply them to your survey and your design ideas....including if you are a corner block and if you want to go two storey...... If it is still a 'go' Get all of the heritage, flood, fire etc checks done by council - around $150 depending on council........ Eliminate or at least understand all the big constraints before you go any further........ Look again at the survey- any contour lines may cost you money, assume a cost of at least $2000 per sqm to start and do some layouts of your ideas on paper, add up all of the spaces, can you actually put them on your block? How much is the total?.......yes garages are slightly cheaper to build but still take up precious footprint space.... Is access likely to cause issues for trades, equipment and deliveries?......... Keep refining and updating the ideas and plans thinking about how you want to use the spaces and move around inside and out.....where are you putting the wheelie bins, clothes dryer etc..... Try the free to use BASIX site forms if you are in NSW, understand how the size, shading and orientation of windows affects your sustainability and adjust, this will also apply many of the local council rules as well..... Do you want a brick house, with render? A pole home, a kit build? A fast build insulated panel build? What type of roof?...... The more you have worked out for yourself the better, look at the kit home options, there are lots and some are very good... Everything is delivered and you just construct with the trades and some may have builders in your area.....The new InsulLiving Code Mark BCA approved options are also worth a look..... Anyway do all of that before you line up for the fleecing floor lol

Dulux Charcoal on the timber and also paint the orange tiles under the window on the timber side. Too many orange stripes, the other two match so I'd leave them. Paint windows and trim Whisper white, paint the top gutter against the roof charcoal and the trim under in Whisper white. Also paint the door step in charcoal. Like your house, all the different textures just need to compliment each other. I'm building mid century design now, I'm using all different textures too.

@Michael Smith - Where do you start? Similar and in addition to Dr Retro's comments, my advice as a starting point for any project is always the same: define your project requirements and nominate a budget. All decisions moving forward will derive from the balance of these two elements within your particular context. you need to refocus on the front end of the process, and set aside the backend construction for the time being...Since you have had no prior experience in this area I highly recommend you invest in experienced professional assistance with the process. It's a given that this type of project (involving building extension/structural adjustment etc) will require building approvals and/or potential planning approvals that require a process of design and development of professional documentation accordingly. Unless you have had experience in these types of things recommend you don't try and manage something like this unless you have a lot of free time, up for the task and are will to engaged/committed for a rather steep and potentially expensive learning curve. False economy in this area is a significant risk and easy trap to fall into for the inexperienced in this area. For something of this scale an appropriately selected builder will integrate the project construction management far more cost effectively that you can achieve independently as a newcomer. This general type/scope of project could be anything from 3-6 months in construction (depending upon the builder/circumstances/detail and whole lot of other factors) but you're getting ahead of yourself with this as first things first you need to establish the project scope and work through the process of design and documentation appropriately for any applicable approvals. If you're interested in further information please feel free to contact me directly - we can similarly service projects of this nature in the Melbourne area.....always keep in mind that there are different levels of professionals and you need to work out exactly what you require in this regard. Are you requiring higher level design assistance? Or do you just need someone to "draw it up" as you know exactly how you want it to be, and can get away with a drafting service.....questions for you to think about and work through/research accordingly..... @anotherbird - this stage can be particularly challenging when you have designed and documented, and then are left on your own to sort through and compare the "apples and oranges" quote differences, and it's not straightforward. I think here it depends on the builder you select. An experienced and competent builder should be able to have some of the things you've mentioned integrated into their process such as the building permit, and also providing advice as to the construction scheduling and how the decisions of finalising the kitchen design etc will be coordinated into the job. Sometimes builders want everything designed and documented prior to starting, others are more flexible and have the capacity to work from contractual allowances and refer you to//utilise their regular tried and tested subcontractors/suppliers to pull it all together collaboratively and sequentially. My advice is trust your instinct with the builder and go with the one that you feel you can work better with, rather than the one who is giving you the best price...the project will ultimately cost what it will cost, and more often than not it's better to pay a premium for less stressful build process with an operator that is tuned into your particular circumstance and needs, rather than go with a guy who might be cheaper but is more about "smashing it out" for lower cost and putting a lot of the responsibility of coordinating fit-out aspects yourselves.... hope this helps Best of luck with it all to both of you :) PD

Hi All, apologies for the delay in responding and thanks again for all your suggestions. Siriuskey - the sunroom is currently used by myself as a study/make-up room (a computer, desk and printer at one end the other end a dressing table). I don't think it would be suitable as an ensuite as I believe it was an old verandah that has been enclosed and the front is all window, which face the street. We live in Northern NSW, near Lismore. I had a new split system air conditioner installed mid-winter last year and it seems to be helping with the heating and cooling, but of course it would be great if we didn't have to use it too often (even though we have a fair few solar panels), oklouise - if we were to enclose part of the patio to make extra room I, think I would 'roughly' leave the kitchen were it is but widen doorways and have a bigger island bench. I would then use the 'new' room as a dining room and the old dining room would be like a sitting room with the potential to perhaps move the loft bedroom stairs in there in the future (which would gain full use of bedroom 3 back). These are just rough ideas at the moment though, we are still open to ideas. Kate - we could potentially move the bathroom into bedroom 3 but I don't know if it would gain us anything... unless I'm misunderstanding your suggestion. siriuskey - I have attached 2 photos; one shows part of our patio looking back to the family room door and you can see the pool fence for where it is situated with the house. The second one is an aerial photo of our block showing the house and pool. I hope these are useful. The patio has a room and ceiling and concreted floor, so I don't think it would be too hard to enclose part of it in. I love all the feedback and suggestions so far, so please don't hold back!! Thank you.