Hi nicki6372,

You are right , in initial design windows width was 1200mm then I made it bigger to 1800mm. As I need to put the water tank between the windows wall outside. That way I don't have to relocate the tank to backyard, then my backyard will look more small.

Thanks

Sudu

To be honest, I don't love that floor plan.

The long, potentially dark and dull, entry hallway, complete with a corner, before entering the living area doesn't seem very welcoming. Skylights and art may help, but I'd consider whether it could be a bit wider along the entire length and whether it could lead directly to the living area (e.g. if the hallway ended between the pantry on one side and the kitchen on the other side).

If Bed 4 is meant to serve as a bedroom, even just for resale, then it needs a wardrobe. A hinged door will also probably be better than a sliding cavity door.

The laundry is far away from most of the bedrooms and both bathrooms. I'm also not sure it will be close to your clothesline.

I don't understand dedicated home theatre rooms with large windows. If it's meant to truly recreate the experience of going to the cinema, then it should be as dark as possible. Substantial blinds and curtains may help, but aren't as necessary if the windows are small.

Do you really need a butler's pantry with a separate sink? I know they're "on trend", but I think you should decide whether it's really necessary.

Realistically, Bed 3 is actually "closer" to the main bedroom in terms of walking back and forth between them. To get to Bed 2, you have to walk the extra distance down the hallway. Bed 3 also has the larger cupboard for all of the "baby stuff".

If you plan on having more than one child, then I'd consider separating the toilet from the main bathroom, if not making it a three-way bathroom. The bathroom door and shower door also seem to open into one another. Maybe consider a sliding cavity door?

I think furniture placement in the dining / living area is going to be a challenged, especially the dining area. You're going to need a small table to allow ease of movement around the table to get to the kitchen, main bedroom and hallway to Beds 2 and 3. The placement of the sofa will also encroach on the dining area since it will presumably face the only wall which can accommodate the TV.

The ensuite and WIR also appear to be pretty tight. But, I'm not sure what can be done about that.

Have you looked at many display homes? And open houses in suburbs with a lot of recent builds? I'd try to see more homes to get a better sense of how you want to live in the space. In this instance, I'd personally be tempted to ditch the home theatre and ensuite and use that extra "space" to make the living room more generous and the main bathroom more functional as a three-way, perhaps with a small powder room as a second toilet. I don't love the idea of having lots of smaller rooms, which may never be used, at the expense of creating spaces which are liveable and inviting.

Hi haephestus ....Thanks for your input. I will try to make changes and post it here again for more input.

The lack of a separate wc and the poor use of solar orientation are things I noticed too.

What size is the block? Can you post a site plan as well? Have you considered installing an underground rainwater tank? Are you required to have rainwater tank, and is it for the garden or for laundry and wc? What is the climate, is it somewhere where you would benefit from north facing windows in winter? Where is the hot water system? All the taps are very spread out and you can waste a lot of water waiting for the hot water to reach the tap.

I question if you have the room for a butlers panty. You could have a very functional kitchen with a lot more bench space. Do you really want to do the dishes in a cupboard? Put the money into some other feature??

Hi Gallifrey, what do u suggest? should remove the sink in the pantry? and what should be done ? thanks

I also thought the butlers pantry was too much and without it you could have more bench space and a more open feel, but I think what matters is how you want to use the space? Is an extra sink useful for you, is somewhere to hide the clutter useful to you, is somewhere to leave large kitchen appliances on a bench but where you can close the door useful to you, is there a purpose why you chose a butlers pantry?

"I don't think it costs much more to push the garage wall forward to be the same as the study. This would give you room to have a separate toilet. Which will be essential as kids get older."

bigreader, I agree with your idea to move the garage forward to make space for a separate wc. But I know some councils require the garage to be a certain distance behind the rest of the house, something about not giving it visual prominence, I wonder if that is why it is slightly back?

This is how the butlers pantry will look like.

Hi bigreader, I can't push garage as council will not allow and that's the minimum requirement we have in the plan.

Re the photo of a butlers pantry, I don't see a window in your plan and do you really plan to use one of the shelves to store big letters that spell out H O M E ?

What about my other questions?

Hi macymacmaples, pantry is part of upgrade package. If I try do separately builder is charging more. I know shelves are not to store Letter HOME. I can leave the pantry room without any shelves and sink. And I can plan better option to use the space after hand over. Do u think that's better option? Also I was thinking to extend the stone bench top up-to pantry wall, that will give me more room for down cupboard and bench space?

"pantry is part of upgrade package. If I try do separately builder is charging more."

So it is a builder's standard plan with optional upgrades? I didn't want to say so earlier because I read it as being a plan designed for your needs that you were finalising but as someone said previously, I don't love it either. You said you want your bedroom near the kids but although it has a common wall the secondary bedrooms are along a separate corridor. The laundry is in a strange location which you yourself expressed dissatisfaction with, and you did not explain where the clothesline is in relation to it. The plumbing being so widely spread is inefficient and you did not explain where the hot water system is. The lack of a wc separate from the main bathroom is often thought of as a drawback in a family home. I am sure the plan can be improved but I do not know how much amendment your builder allows?

"I can leave the pantry room without any shelves and sink. And I can plan better option to use the space after hand over. Do u think that's better option?"

Plumbing is expensive and difficult to add later so it might be better to add the extra sink now, but without a sink you could have more bench space or more storage shelves. So it depends on which of those would be most useful for you.

"Also I was thinking to extend the stone bench top up-to pantry wall, that will give me more room for down cupboard and bench space?"

That would give you more bench space but block off one access. More bench space is valued by keen cooks but multiple access routes to pantry and fridge is valued by busy families. So it depends on which would be most useful for you.

Hi C P,

Are u suggesting something like this....

But based on this site living area should be north side. Also we don't like main bedroom to be in front of the house and also it will be west, it will be hotter.

"But based on this site living area should be north side."

Large windows should be on north side with nothing blocking winter sun, eg taller neighbours. I'm not seeing any large windows nor have you posted a site plan.

Excuse my crappy Year 2 drawing skills

Hi C P,

Thanks for the drawing. Interesting layout. I will try to draw it properly and upload here....meanwhile I tried another one today. PLz have a look and suggest. don't worry about the door in en-suite. Master bedroom door can be sliding.

Hi nicki6372

I am from Sydney Australia. setback to both side of the plot is 930mm. I have attached the site plan.

any recommendation Gallifrey?

Sorry, but I'm not a huge fan of the revised floor plan either.

It still ignores the fact that the fourth bedroom doesn't really operate as a bedroom, due to the sliding door, absence of a BIR and vast distance from the main bathroom.

In terms of the changes to the living area, it's great that the front door now has line of sight to the living area / backyard. But, the kitchen seems to be awkwardly positioned, especially the location of the fridge. If you had a built-in study nook beside the fridge, it may work, but then you'd have to move the BIR in Bed 2 and it could end up quite a small bedroom.

I'd be tempted to separate the kitchen and the pantry. I would put a galley style kitchen, with island bench, behind the theatre room wall, then leave a gap for the hallway to continue in a straight line and put the pantry in the "corner" created by the walls for Bed 3 and the garage.

But, I'd still really encourage you to give further consideration to the plan from a liveability and, if it's an issue for you, saleability perspective. The plan you posted on Sunday seems like a better starting point to me. The three non-main bedrooms are grouped around the main bathroom. The theatre room leads off the living area, making it easier to use that space as a playroom for future children. And there seems to be ample room to navigate around the dining table.

Updated plan and the Master Bedroom door picture.

I think the butlers pantry is too ostentatious for a house with only 3 real bedrooms and no separate toilet for the main bathroom (which has line of sight to the kitchen so perhaps think more on placement of doors). Of course specific design features which seem excessive in the overall plan are sometimes chosen to suit the specific requirements of the owner but I don't think you ever responded to my question of what sort of kitchen suits you?

I don't think all the old input has been taken onboard because I don't see enough 'this works for us because _' and 'this needs to be _ but we are happy with that'. I think every house has some 'could ofs' and it's worth the time spent looking for them before they are set in brick.

I'm hard pressed to see any changes with the exception of the door to the main bedroom. And even that change is a bit confusing because the double door comes at the expense of wall space for your bedhead, bedside tables, chest of drawers, etc.

The only other comment I would make is that the scale of the "furniture" in the living / dining area seems to be a little off. Also, I don't think anyone would cluster all of their sofas, coffee table and TV stand that closely if they didn't have to. You might find yourself a bit more squeezed for space if the furniture was laid out more realistically.

Ultimately, if you like the plan, then go with it.