For $40,000 you're better off just doing a high quality renovation. Fixing the maintenance issues, repainting, insulation, etc.

It's not too bad really and that money is better spent elsewhere rather than dramatic changes. The only major change would probably be adding a better sliding door off rear living, a timber stacker door perhaps.

$40,000 you can't get much done.

your rear living doorway can be bigger as suggested by MB

and that wall between kitchen and dining can be knocked down to give you flow from kitchen to dining without affecting your kitchen

since you don't want your kitchen touched there's not much else that can be done..

the kitchen (west wall) can't come down as it blocks sight from entrance and also it would mean redoing the whole kitchen.

personally if I have the money I'd knock down both of the walls leaving enough to shield from entrance ..redo the kitchen as a galley kitchen to improve flow ..

do you drive down the driveway to come in the back door or do you and visitors all come in the front door with the groceries etc? do you have long term intention to extend at the back like on your plans...?

subject to correct measurements my suggestion includes, re-arranging the entry to create a drop zone in the kitchen, renovate the old laundry/wc to create a porch with laundry in a cupboard and rotate the old toilet to retain an outdoor wc and kitchen under a partially covered pergola with paving or deck

Hi Holly,

In terms of the flow I would open up the kitchen to the dining room as that is the northerly aspect. A bigger opening will give you the feeling of a better flow without changing much. It will make your kitchen feel more connected to the dining and living areas. It will also give you a public side and private side to the house.

$40k is not a lot of money to achieve an extension. I would focus on the best parts of what you have and capitalising on those.

When you have more money I would look at relocating the laundry so that it wasn't in the best corner of the house.

Remember in that $40k you will need to pay for architecture, structural as well as approvals so the build spend is closer to $30k.

Hope that helps!

The best light the north which is blocked by buildings so I would invest in a skylight, small fixed tube tubular kind to add light to an enclosed kitchen ( best investment i made in my house) or use a solar light with a small solar panel on roof which were not available earlier. I also would open the wall between kitchen and dining room. Someone suggested a door into kitchen from the front which is also great. Carrying in groceries is not on all architects minds.