The plan looks a nightmare - bedrooms facing the street, a tiny internal bathroom with no window to the outside (is that legal?) and a "lounge" that looks like it was meant to be a third bedroom. If the internal walls are stud and don't support the roof you're in with a chance, but I'd say to do a proper job the cheap option is NOT going to work. I'd put two bedrooms where the current family room and lounge are and extend the bathroom into the boot room to give window access, or scrap the current bathroom altogether and use some of the space in what is now the kitchen for a new one. Keeping the WC separate is a good move. If you make the street side the social side of the house you can open it right out and create a big front porch that's a social spill-over from the kitchen/dining area, creating indoor-outdoor flow. Planting (two or three shade trees and some stands of tall perennials rather than a "green fence" hedge) keeps your front garden private yet inviting and stops your front porch becoming a stage set for the street. Good luck! I think you'll turn this very ordinary house into a much nicer place to live!

Check out this discussion - there are sooooo many options!!! [https://www.houzz.co.nz/discussions/have-you-remodeled-a-fireplace-lets-see-it-dsvw-vd~790201[(https://www.houzz.co.nz/discussions/have-you-remodeled-a-fireplace-lets-see-it-dsvw-vd~790201) Here are our before .....

I'll stick my neck out and say I love painted brick, especially when not in overwhelming proportions, so I think your house would lend itself well to this treatment. I can see the brick on your house painted in Surfmist - I believe it would totally transform the feel of your house. I love what you've done so far. If you do paint the brick though I would paint the garage door the same dark grey of the wood trim. Jon n Kate Miller are right - if you paint brick you have to be committed. Also don't take short cuts on surface preparation but if done properly there's no reason it shouldn't last as long as any other painted surface.

Hi Do you need four bedrooms? If not, turn main bedroom into a kids room. Turn the lounge into main bedroom with en-suite, knock down the wall between the kitchen and the bedroom at the back of the house and then create one big open plan kitchen living dining across the back of the house. I envisage you would need to knock out the back wall of the house and add some square footage to get the space you would desire. You could also build a patio across the back with stacking sliding doors to create a beautiful indoor/outdoor living space that overlooks the pool. Good luck!!