Thanks everyone for your comments so far. Bowmandrum , I definitely agree you need to tick as many boxes as possible for potential buyers. In answer to a few of your questions, we are in Sunny Brisbane, so the weather is not really an issue. However, our dilemma between a pool and spa is the very difficult access, the size of machinery dictates what we can actually accomplish. Hence, from our point of view it very much is a case of asking the question, if we can only manage a spa - will people appreciate it/want it or is it not worth it. Based on feedback with the poll it looks the spa will be worth the investment.

you could keep the powder room and hallway exactly the same, alteration were just other options for the available space although i'd prefer the access to the powder room to be from the short hallway with an extra door into the bathroom (with hooks and towel rails on the back of the door) and distance would only be about 750mm from shower to bath but with walk in space here's another optionand i hear you about the looking at house plans...we have to live with the decisions in our own homes and it's so much easier to make suggestions for others but luckily you have space full sized fixtures although i have happily lived with a shower that was only 600 deep and 1200 wide so, unless you decide to use a shower floor pan, there's no reason why the shower space couldn't be a little shallower eg 750-800 deep instead of 900 would make the distance between the bath and shower more spacious

Summer in Australia is all about the outdoors. For many homeowners, spending summer lazing around on the back deck or beside the pool is the best way to enjoy that Aussie sun. But which deck is the right deck? There are a few questions you need to consider when choosing a deck. Is the material fire safe? Does it have a great appearance? Will it resist salt and chlorine? What is the slip resistance? Is it safe to walk on? Is it pet friendly? DECO explored 4 main types of decking around pools and spas. TIMBER The three main types of timber decking available are Pine, Rainforest Merbau and Hardwood. Timber is a really beautiful decking material, however, it requires a lot of maintenance including painting/oiling every 6-12 months, stripping and re-sealing every 3-4 years, and over time it will deteriorate. A timber deck has great dimensional stability, although it is subject to shrinking and warping, as well as having a poor fire safe rating and poor resistance to salt and chlorine. COMPOSITES Composite decking is manufactured product from either China, Australia or America. Chinese and Australian composites are inclined to fade rapidly and have some dimensional stability issues. American composites have a higher plastic content, making them the most durable of the three. The plastic, however, retains a lot of heat and becomes impossible to walk on with bare feet in direct sun. All composites fail for slip and chemical resistance and have a poor fire safe rating. FIBRE CEMENT SHEET + TILES Fibre cement sheets and tiles are another decking option; however, they do not provide the traditional appearance of a timber deck. This material is a durable, pet friendly and water-resistant (although the decking will become slippery when wet) decking as well as maintenance free. This particular type of decking is a good option for bush fire zone areas (BAL FZ). ALUMINIUM DECO product DecoDeck combines the natural look of timber with the strength and durability of aluminium. The decking system features a strong box section extrusion, anti-slip polyurethane powder coating and allows for expansion and contraction. DecoDeck is manufactured using powder coating sublimation technology to achieve a beautiful natural timber appearance. There is no maintenance, painting, sanding or oiling required. It is comfortable to walk on and will not retain heat like other decks do. DecoDeck withstands harsh environmental conditions and is a non-combustible product. For more information on DecoDeck please visit www.deco.net.au

Moving the niche is not an option at this point. But I do have a question about the niche. My tile installer wants me to consider using the gray tile (same as the floor) on the inside edges of the niche. This is because the wall tile is glass and imperfections in the glass (from cutting it) will show if the glass tile is on the inside edge. How do you guys think that would look? I tried to find photos of a niche where the wall and back of the niche were one color, with the sides being a second color and I couldn't find any examples. Has anyone seen that?