Thanks everyone for your ideas. To answer a few questions, the main things we are looking to do are to add value to the house (by increasing the size of the carport, improving alfresco area and bringing the laundry into the house) and increase the light into the house (by replacing an existing run-down flat-roof alfresco with a pitched roof, replacing walls with glass windows and doors). @MB Design & Drafting - The dashed line is the shared driveway (strata property). Good idea about swapping the laundry and bathroom, however I have hesitations about the bringing laundry noise into the middle of the house. I agree about the budget being a bit small, so I think we will concentrate on those things that will add value to the house and cut back on some wish-list items. Any thoughts on the layout of the living/kitchen areas? Thanks again.

This is a small space. Made even smaller with the thoroughfare in the kitchen to laundry. My suggestion is to close up the kitchen door to the laundry. You still have the other door from hallway. This would allow more room in the laundry, and better use of kitchen space. Brick up the window on the left side. Take out the wall (if not structural) where the stove and fridge are. Extend the kitchen the length of your current kitchen and dining, installing fridge and oven on that back wall. Install new storage along the wall where laundry door was. They can be 300mm full wall storage, or a bench and overhead cabinets. Have a large dining table, that can double as a kitchen prep bench when required. I have attached a rough sketch and inspiration photos.

All - Thank you so much for your suggestions. Very helpful! Oklouise – Thanks for your suggestions. I like what you’ve done. I had not thought of the the off-centre solid wall suggestion in the tv room. This will make the space more functional. Very helpful. Thanks. Siriuskey – your design was similar to oklouise’s, so again many thanks for this. I like what you did with the entry area so will see if I can make this work given the dimensions of the house. BTW - the house is brick but I am thinking of partly limewashing/whitewashing it - but this is a very low priority item right now. Dr Retro – thanks for your comments. Appreciated. Yes, I'll check the sizing of furniture etc. Kate – thanks for your question re: wall at the end of the dining area. I’d like to create an attractive focal point from the kitchen to the garage wall, rather than just have an off-centre garage door (i.e. going for a look more like the below). I’d also like more storage so I added the partition wall, which could also have cupboards on the garage side. But your vestibule idea could work too. I will look into that while taking into account the other ideas from houzzers here too. All very helpful. Thank you. Dreamer – thanks for your suggestions as well. These give me food for thought so need to ponder more. I’m not sure there will be enough space for a fridge and an island but will draw it up and see. Just to give you more info here, not essential, but I would have liked to be able to have another tv (hidden in a wall-mounted cabinet) on the existing east-west wall that divides the kitchen-tv-formal zones now where the tv faces the kitchen so I can watch the news while cooking. I have looked at adding storage to the entry area as I think the house needs more storage so I will look at this some more again. Thanks again. Really appreciate you taking the time to get back to me on this. Cheers. Thanks again everyone. Cheers.

Interesting to see the previous floorplan, but what we need is the width and depth of the current laundry and Wine Cellar. A couple of 3D versions of what I suggest, please understand that my CAD program was produced in 1997 hence thee old style furniture appliances etc, mind you it's still an excellent program which is no longer produced. I had considered having the fridge on the return wall but! if it was done within the current kitchen floorplan it would reduce the length of a lovely big island. Then guessing the size of the laundry, Taking space from the current laundry to fit the fridge on the return wall would leave nothing for a good Pantry without moving walls. So trying to work with current walls and doors and windows and still having separate WIP and Laundry, I suggest the following, when you enter the house from the side door you will be in the Pantry, if you turn left you would be in the Laundry Mudroom, The fridge could be slid across into the WIP but this would require removing the window. Configuration of the Pantry cabinets to be decided by you, but it could be great for appliances, making tea and toast in the morning and dropping shopping (select the drawings to enlarge)