As a mother of three older kids I can't stress highly enough the benefit of having a second living space, preferably one that can be closed off when necessary. When they are young it means you don't have to pack away all their toys every night and as they get older its great for them to have a space where they can listen to loud music or play computer games etc with friends without you having to listen to it! If the in-laws are really on "extended" stay it might be good to have another dedicated second living space. There does seem to be quite a lot of wasted space that could be utilised for this with some rejigging. Maybe the storage cupboards between bed 2 and the living space could become a walk-through study (could be closed off with full height sliding doors if necessary) and the study could become a second living space (pinching the additional space of the two robes and relocating the robe in the MPR to the opposite wall). I would also change the door to the WIR to a sliding, pocket door and use the space behind for shallow shelving to store handbags and shoes. Look forward to seeing how it all turns out.

The trouble with that Tribble4152k7 Trek is that everyone reading who has not experienced it thinks its just a page of jokes. The trouble with many milennials is they want everything now and have 'tanties' thiking they are entitled to it then they compare themselves and their situation to others when they have no idea how those others got where they are. It doesn't drop out of the sky for anyone but it might gush up from the ground for some Oil rich people. Some have absolutely no idea of what "I can't afford that" means! A good starter home is one you can afford but unfortunately, when they have no idea what "afford" means its not going to work is it? From what I've seen some milennials can't even manage on two salaries...and good salaies at that, many times because they include in their budget too many things they consider are absolute necessities. Because some of them earn two salaries they believe they are entitled to certain luxuries...theres that word again...the two words that defeat the purpose of getting their own home...even with a mortgage.... "afford" and "entitled". Sometimes $5 is out of the range of affordability and sometimes a two salaried couple forget why they are working so hard and reward themselves for their efforts. Then there's the syndrome "keeping up with the Joneses"...must not lose face, must not appear underpriviledged, must be able to measure up and match the spending habits of friends....who, you never know, might be doing exactly the same thing. My maxim has always been...and I count it as the reason I survive on very little, is,,,"Old is not bad" - " Out of fashion does not mean its broken" - If it works and is safe don't discard it and if it costs little to fix...fix it.... recycle, repurpose and re-use. If you can pick it up at the Op Shop its somebody else's loss and your good fortune. Finally, ask yourself..."Do I want this or do I really really need it?'...that's a good one. I always maintain that if you have something that you had to work really hard and save scrupulously to get...then you are entitled to it...and that applies to small things and to getting a home of your own.

I will start with an admission - I have read nothing of the comments. However I have helped a friend design a compact laundry. Here was how we did it. 1. Start with a list of everything - and I mean everything, include pegs, those little lint ball things for the washing machine, buckets, mops, vacuum, airers etc - that you want to store in the space. 2. Break that list into where you want to store it - drawers, wall, or cupboard - and then rewrite the list as cupboard, drawers, wall etc.As you are doing this, see if you can store those items elsewhere - we added a ceiling airer in the bathroom using pulleys. Also mark any item that a special storage gadget might help. We added to the back of one door (I think they were custom made 925mm and 2300mm high) a hanger for the vacuum hose, and in the cupboard a hanger that slides out for the brooms and mop. 3. Go measure the space you have, and be exact - if the measurement is 1457mm it is 1457mm. Also, see where you might "borrow" space from. We managed to add another 650mm deep, 750mm wide cupboard by swapping the two bedrooms around, and using space in the guest bedroom wardrobe. 4. Draw up a plan, and be really specific. If you think you need four drawers and a top mounted sink then plan that way. Whilst you are planning think over whether you want top spec and not hide it, or to hide it behind really nice doors. We used reasonable quality from Bunnings and modified because it was behind doors. Also, don't be afraid to "borrow" something from a different zone. In my laundry I used a round kitchen sink, because I didn't want a really deep laundry tub so I could use the room underneath. 5. Go and find a really good quality cupboard manufacturer or builder and ask them to look over your plan and ideas. They may tweak to assist, but remember you know your space and what you will be using it for better than anyone. In my friends case, she had a brother who assisted and made a super looking set of doors. As to resale value, that depends on who you want to buy it, but I have one piece of advice - don't go for the resale value, do it because that is what you want. In my friends case she turned her laundry into the bathroom, and then turned the oversized bathroom into a very natty study. Good Luck.

Jessica Craig, I thought you might like to know this. When my daughter was a baby and I took her for swimming lessons, I met another wonderful Mum Wendy and her daughter, Sophie. Sophie's father had recently passed away and so Wendy was trying to adjust to the hand that fate had dealt her. They had not long purchased their house too. We have remained very close all these years and I can report that both Soph and Wendy are a force to be reckoned with. Sophie (now 15) is a talented singer, is doing well at school and has oodles of personality. Wendy is studying online and working towards fulfilling her dream of one day writing a children's book. The house has been renovated and is a very warm and welcoming home. It has not always been an easy road as single mum for Wendy, but it continues to get richer as the years move by. I hope that in some of your harder moments, this may bring some small level of comfort to you.