Are you able to install a window on that back wall where the washer is at the moment? I know you said there is a hot water unit on the other side, but if its to one side of the wall and not in the middle, maybe you could install a window on that wall which will bring light into the room. Also I would change the washer and put in the corner of back wall and the external wall, so its facing the sliding door, this will allow you to put cabinets in a sort of L shape and install the laundry sink next to the washer on that back wall. This will give you cabinets all along the other wall, extra space and storage. The external doors you can make them open outwards and all the way back against the wall, all you need is the right hinges. So when you speak to your carpenter let them know that you would like it to open outward completely and up against your external wall. I would also swap the door, so that the hinges are on the other side, so as you open the door outwards it will open to your right as you're looking at the picture and up against the wall not the bathroom window.

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!

A lot of garages get converted into living spaces without any significant drama's and meet all building codes and standards. If the existing concrete slab floor is lower than the existing floor it get's raised up by either a new slab over a plastic membrane or in some cases if it set's set low enough, bearers and joists on piers with a new floor to match the existing. Must allow space for termite inspection. Walls are infilled between engaged piers with (usually) 70mm timber frames. These have sarking and insulation just like a brick veneer wall. Plasterboard over the top again like a normal brick veneer wall. Special consideration to termite control but again no issue. There are no cheap fixes but I've read about the spray on type's of waterproof and suchlike. These are equally as expensive as anything else. Depends on your exact situation and what you're wanting to achieve.

I love the gates you’ve found Dave. Painted white, they will be perfect. You are probably struggling to find gates for further down the driveway because typically those houses didn’t have them. The driveway led straight down to the garage located at the back. If you need gates for security then I’d suggest something that echoes the front gates. Something that will keep the kids and dogs contained but won’t visually interrupt the wonderful frontage. You don’t want to cut off the cascading look of the triple frontage as it moves deeper into your block.