Oh wow you have been busy! It's funny, I was at my Mum's today and we were discussing your plans. We decided the bunk room was a bit small and she suggested moving it back like you have done. Agree the fireplace will be be better on the western wall, with flow from the kitchen to the backyard with large doors. I'm torn about whether the changes to make the mudroom bigger are changing too much what I loved about the previous iteration, i.e. the void and the toilet placement. Although my hubbie wasn't sure about the toilet where it was previously as he was worried sound would carry into the lounge I never thought of that to be honest and really liked how it entered from under the stairs ‍♀️ No views to the south so no need for the window seat, would prefer the void I think and no need for bath downstairs. Which version do you think works better? Perhaps the mudroom was big enough? I did like the extra room off it for storage etc Thanks so much for the renders, I'm a bit concerned that it now doesn't look like my original picture. I'm really trying to keep the look as American as possible with the pitch of the veranda and the pitch of the roof. This style has been my dream and is really so much a part of my vision. I don't want something that looks similar to other houses. Sorry if this seems silly. My builder did mention about the gas bottles and how they need to see their truck. Good idea between the carports. I wonder if it's cost prohibitive to have them buried at the front? Can I ask what the total sqm is for both upstairs and down?

Last piece of advice simonsays - never "assume" anything - more often than not people sorting through this stuff on their own misjudge, either in under or over estimating what's involved, incorrectly thinking that it will be either easier or harder than it actually will be to achieve whatever it is......you need to define your various project requirements/details etc as a starting point, and have clarity on what aspects are more or less important for you. This also must include your budget BEFORE you put pen to paper working through the design solution...so if you want a 2-way fireplace, consider it now, and factor it in within the process of working through the costs (which should be occurring simultaneously.........also, remember that "design" is a process, working towards an outcome, which as always is about resolving project requirements to budget within a particular context/conditions.......the project outcome, whatever that is, will be very much determined by the design process and the extent it is invested in and executed....hope this all helps and best of luck with it all :) PD

I mentioned earlier to think about dropping the wall next to the stairs to hip or slightly higher height to allow for the TV, as this would further open up the top floor and perhaps show the street art, ie the framed print. I know that you don't want anything else hanging from the ceiling but because of the ceiling height you will need a reverse hanging fan to bring all the warm air down into the room that will sit up there if you don't. The heater is because you had one shown in your posted floor plan, this is one of the fires available on my 1997 CAD program, that's the colour it comes in but can be changed within the program cheers

You should ask your builder why he is reluctant about 3 metres ceiling heights on the upper level. It is more work for him, so he should quote appropriately, and be paid for the extra height, the extra materials, the extra scaffolding etc. If you are building as an investment you need to understand your market. Will people pay extra for the extra high ceilings so it is profitable for you? In some really expensive areas homes with ceilings less than 3metres are looked down on by the buying public. In poorer areas people are more interested in square metres of floor area than ceiling height so you would lose money by putting in 3m ceilings to both floors. When building townhouses you need to think with your head, and not with your heart. Everybody loves high ceilings, but make sure that you increase the door and window heights proportionally. Standard height doors look funny with 3m high ceilings. This is one of the reasons why 3 metre high ceilings do cost so much more as you need everything taller, including window furnishings for it to look right. If you are building townhouses for future rental you will need to outweigh the additional cost of the extra height with the small increase in rent that could be achieved. While you say the height limit is 11 metres, it probably isn't 11 metres when it is close to the side boundary. Many townhouses are built close to the side boundary so you should check with your council about the side setback requirements. Usually the taller the building the further it has to be from the side boundary. Best of luck Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits