Having experienced a leaking shower, a step down sounds like a welcome added precaution, which seems rarely done. Supposedly if there is no hob or atepdown there is an angle, and obviously the whole thing is supposed to slope towards the drain anyway, but BeachBathrooms' earlier comment about capillary action rings true. It became obvious very quickly in our other shower that water was creeping across the grout outside the shower so whatever was meant to be done either wasn't or wasn't correctly done. Then there's the modern hotel bathrooms I've experienced where the water simply splashes out too easily. All in the name of style.

I would suggest Luxury Vinyl Tiles, especially for a kitchen where the floor could get wet.

electric underfloor heating is great for bathrooms (and laundry, mudrooms, entry and hallways when it needs to be left on for weeks at a time and not much good for a ten minute shower) and is preferable to anything visible like hydronic heaters that take up wall space but your voids will suck most of the heat upstairs ..our reverse cycle AC has been much more economical to run than the whole floor electric slab heating that we had in our previous house (supplemented with a wood burner and gas log fire in our cold climate) but we made sure that the void over the stairs was able to be blocked off to zone heat downstairs with separate heating upstairs but having lived in different areas of Sydney i'm wondering why a new built well designed house with great insulation would need more than modest supplementary heating that can be more economically provided with AC

Timber flooring is always one of the most popular types of flooring choices for households in Canberra. This is because it gives a warm feel to the house as well as having many other advantages. Many types of timber floors are durable and low-maintenance. However, cleaning and maintenance are still required if you want your flooring to keep their look for long time. This article will show you how to maintain timber flooring, making it look even better as time goes by. LAMINATE FLOORING First of all, a regular sweeping can always help you keep the floor clean. You can use an electrostatic broom, soft-bristled broom or wood floor mop. And sweeping in the direction in which the boards were installed would also help a lot, because this allows you to pick up any debris that may hide in between the grooves of the laminated flooring boards. Other than that, you can as well use a non-abrasive soft bristled vacuum head. Regular cleaning takes away the dust and debris, so when people walks on it, it would be less possible to create scratches. Liquid may harm the flooring. It just happens as we use the floors on daily basis. It wouldn’t be a big deal if you wipe the spills and dirts quickly. If not, they may damage your floors and cause stains. You can use dry cloth or mop to soak up the excess liquids, and then use a clean and wet one to remove any remains. After that, you can leave the surface dry itself or use a dry cloth. Please do not use traditional household cleaning solutions as they are likely to damage the coating of the floor. If necessary, use a pH-neutral cleaning solution. You can buy suitable cleaning solutions from a number of reputable flooring retailers and don’t forget to read the instructions carefully before using them. Use a rug or mat in high traffic areas. For example, entrances and spots near doorway. You can also stick soft pads to the base of furnishings in contact with the floor. This also aims to prevent scratches to the coating. If you have pets in the house, it is also a good ida to keep pets claws properly trimmed. ENGINEERED TIMBER FLOORING Use an anti-static or micro-fibre mop to clean your flooring at least once a week. Therefore you can keep away any gathered dust or dirt. emove any spills immediately so they won’t soak into the board and cause stains. Try not to use mops that are too wet. Only dampen the mop a little or use specialised flooring clean solutions. The less dirt you bring back home, the easier maintenance will be. So do place a rug and use doormats at the entrance to keep away most of the dust. Equip all your furniture with floor protectors such as felt pads on their bases, so they wouldn’t scratch or dent your floor. If the room is for office use, then your office chair also needs plastic pads or a mat set underneath the wheels so protect your flooring boards. https://flooring2you.com.au/how-to-clean-and-maintain-your-timber-floor/