time to move??

from your description it's a lot of work and with apartment prices as they are you might be over investing..

with young kids I'd move..give them some room ..back yard etc

Hi Vy, very happy where I live and if we get the front yard we will have at least another 60m2 on title. Sadly it isn't as easy as you think to just sell up and move. I am wanting some advice on the configuration of the apartment not where to live. Many thanks

111mel111..sorry not very helpful..good luck with it all..with apartments it's particularly hard as structurally you might not be able to move much that's all..it's like opening a can of worms..

Hi,

Firstly shifting the bedroom further away from the bathroom and next to the kitchen so you have to pass through the kitchen to access it is very bad design. Your house actually functions really well from a floor plan perspective with regards to every things location and zoning.

Secondly the works you are looking to do are massive and I don't think will be money well spent as you are compromising the overall layout and its appeal to future buyers when / if you sell.

If you were a client that came to see me I would recommend a move too unless budget and re sale was not an issue.

Sorry and hopefully this helps you.

Obviously it would be nuts to turn down the opportunity for 60m2 courtyard on your title. However you are achieving this, go for it. Getting direct access from your sunroom makes perfect sense then.

As for anything else.....I agree with a comment above "can of worms". Structural delap reports will set you back anything from $1500-3000 per report- and that is before works and after works.

good pick up lesleyhawkins..

If the main aim is to give the kids more space could you shift them into the bigger bedroom and make the sunroom a play/casual living space off their room. The second bedroom would be 'cosy' as a master but might do unless you have a massive bed or there is a wardrobe not shown on plan.

I think that everyone's points are accurate - what also needs to be remembered are the following: as an owner in a strata apartment - you own from the paint on your walls in - so basically you own air space; if you want to have by-laws changed that will give you exclusive use rights then you're going to be looking at some SERIOUS cash (legal costs, engineering costs and use buy-out costs and by increasing your units of entitlement on the plan, you're potentially increasing your levies and fees too); you will struggle to get approval to move plumbing if it impacts on any other apartment or common property area, you'll need to also indemnify the Owners Corporation for all the work that you do...

Having a father who is a builder and who has offered to do all the renovations for me I thought great. The money which I would be outlaying in comparison to buying a bigger home is less than I would need to move on and purchase a bigger place.

My father is aware of all the rules, checks and costs.

I thought the change in the current plan may not have been all that bad. How I was wrong!!

My children are currently in the bigger room and I am in the smaller room which really works well at the moment.

My concern was walking through a kitchen to a bedroom would not work and from every comment I have read this really is not a very good idea.

I wanted to not have to walk through a bedroom to sit out in the front yard.

Many thanks for all the comments and advice. I think I will just leave the apartment how it is and renovate the current layout.

Thanks

Fortunately the wall is not structural. This has already been approved from the body corporate.

The back room was going to be for my children and not a guest room.

I thought having two living areas would be ideal as my children and I are out and about so much. I thought if they had friends over that having two living spaces would be more suitable as I could either be in the kitchen or the living area if they wanted to be play away from me. And of course having the lounge area leading onto the front space would be ideal.

Their current room gets all of the beautiful afternoon sun and light which would be ideal for the living area.

The walkway to my front door is shared.

Many thanks

i've attached my suggestion which doesn't knock down any walls or change the entry and only includes an 1800 wide sliding door on the side of the sunroom (with or without matching windows (cheaper than doors) across the front, big stackers are more expensive to buy and install, very expensive to add security doors or flyscreens and take up more floor space with bigger tracks) and i hope the sliding door on the side would be less obvious and more acceptable to the body corporate.

Wow Louise. So very grateful for your suggestions.

The exclusive use of the front garden would only be accessible from the front of the sunroom where a deck leading to stairs will be. Exclusive Use has finally been agreed and approved. Unfortunately the position of the side windows would lead onto the side driveway which runs along this side of the building.

A special levy has been paid for replacing the side windows and replacing the front windows to doors. I guess the type of door could be changed as we have not finalised the go ahead with any quotes.

Thanking you for all your insight and appreciate your help Louise.