I had another idea over lunch. See what you think of this. I was thinking it might be nice to be able to invite people into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. This one opens up the back hallway and gives you a new swanky kitchen with an island bench. The old entrance is opened up and becomes a porch, you can reuse the windows elsewhere, try and save the framing as well, for example near the dining area. Now, I gracefully retire and look forward to seeing what you decide to do in the end. :)

Hello @charlie_com Wow, what a great lot of advice and help. The Houzz community always amaze me with their generosity and info in helping homeowners with their project plans. And how exciting that you're looking at renovating! Your home has a lot of potential! I have a few comments to share which may be of use to you ... 1. Getting the design right - so it suits your family now, and into the future, (as well as creating a home that will sell well and quickly when the time comes) is a great way to start any project 2. Whilst your home is lines on a page, change is cheap - so whilst you may want to hurry up and get it built, it's worth taking the time to maximise every opportunity for your design, and to save time and money during construction, in the design phase. 3. Use professionals based on their specialty skills. Choose professionals you feel a good fit with, but that also have demonstrated experience in offering what you need. So builders are great at building ... some have an interest in design, but it's not their role or specialty. I have a blog on my site about the differences I see between building designers, architects and draftspeople - you can read it here as it may help you choose who is the best fit for you and your project. http://undercoverarchitect.com/architect-vs-draftsperson-vs-building-designer-whats-the-difference/ 4. Speaking to local agents is a great start to understanding what will add value and what won't. The Gap is a little bit of a tricky area of Brisbane value-wise (I have owned and renovated two homes there!) as it can have a bit of a ceiling on value. We really noticed that with our places, and our third reno was a home in Ashgrove, which is such a different market, even though it's one suburb over. Buyers in The Gap usually come from The Gap - it seems to be one of those areas that, once people move in, they don't leave ... because they love the bush setting, the amenities, and it is a lot closer to the CBD than most people realise! However, what people pay for in homes varies - so the local Harcourts is a great agency, and Ray White Ashgrove is also good, and Ryan Smith at Remax is awesome ... but yes, getting 3 or 4 agents in to talk about improvements, and value (even if you have no immediate intention of selling) is worthwhile 5. With kids your age, creating flexible, functional spaces that offer the ability to come together (but still feel some sense of privacy from each other) as well as spaces to be apart (but not locked away) is helpful as they get further into their teenage years. I would always seek to get living areas connecting physically to outdoors - it is especially one of the things that sets homes in The Gap apart from the Queenslander homes in neighbouring suburbs. It facilitates easier living in your home, and is great for young families especially. It will always help your home to feel larger too - as you capitalise on all of the block for that feeling of space. 6. Whether you change your entry or not is one thing ... you can change your address, but I would always check if one street has more real estate value over another. Being a corner block, the challenge is ensuring you create privacy on street frontages, so you don't feel exposed (but still get the natural light you need) 7. In Qld, yes, there is lots of sunshine. However, managing the heat load is essential for homes to feel great. So orienting spaces to the north and east, and reducing the access into the home from western sun. Creating overhangs that protect and shade from high northern summer sun, and also creating shady areas outside your home that cool breezes before they enter the house. 8. Working out your budget at the get go is a great start, and factoring in all those fees as well. I recommend that you think about what will add value to your home, and make your experience easier too. As with any industry, there are great architects, and not so great architects. However, choosing the right professional with great expertise - well, the money they save, and the value they build into your design and home - should more than cover their fees. I am very clear (even as an architect) about not pushing people to use architects ... however I struggle with the advice that says "an architect will cost too much - use a good draftsperson". We spend a lot of time in our homes, and a lot of money on them (often a 30 year mortgage!). If you were about to invest $100,000 or $200,000 in the stock market, what level of expert would you speak to about that? Perhaps thinking about it that frame of mind will help. Because you could be spending this renovation money on anything - so it needs to be an investment that adds value to your home, and your lifestyle in it. I have lots of free help and advice on my website, and send out more in my free weekly UA News (which you can get by popping your email address in on my website). Best wishes as you progress with your planning for your home. Warm Regards Your Secret Ally, Amelia, UA x www.undercoverarchitect.com amelia@undercoverarchitect.com ps - here are some before and after shots of a home we renovated in The Gap. You can see more piccies here ... http://undercoverarchitect.com/portfolio/denning-st/

sorry I don't know how that post duplicated. cheers Janet

Seems like advice has been well covered here, but to add my 2 cents.........it ultimately depends on what you are seeking and expecting from a professional. Off the bat engaging a professional is not something you should "accept" to have to do, rather it should be something that you are actively seeking........I work with people in a range of contexts but to be clear there is a difference between people who are expecting to "buy" a particular end result with some knowledge of what that will be, and others who engage in a professional design process and embark on/trust in the "journey" so to speak that works towards an customised/crafted end result. It's horses for courses and one way or the other is not necessarily suited for everyone. For example, my particular way of operating is probably similar to Dr Retro in that I approach projects with flexibility and respect for the client's needs and specific context. The creativity comes in to play in negotiating these unique aspects and therefore results vary widely from project to project. Alternatively you can find designers/architects who essentially are a "brand" delivering similar end "products" in that you'll be able to get a clear idea beforehand as to likely what end result you will get with them at the helm. Similarly to Dr Retro, I provide a particular stage of frontend/contained service that I call a "Feasibility" exercise in that various options and scenarios are considered specific to client's particular needs/goals within the properly analysed context and some proper/hard costings are applied. This provides the client with legitimate and viable options in broad format and critical information to ascertain what the best balance/option will be for them. For example, we can consider scenarios of alterations/additions in various configurations as well as comparison to new rebuild scenarios - there is never a single right or wrong "way" as to how to achieve certain requirements, however I do find ultimately that the Cost is the ultimate controller and without proper and professional understanding on what particular design moves/options one way or the other will cost you really are literally walking around in the dark in regards to making critical decisions moving forward for your project. You are (not surprisingly) stuck here, I deal with this situation all the time I know exactly where you are at.....all I can say is that there are professionals available who can help you achieve the best outcome, and you need to consider/understand and be comfortable that this is part of the process and is a necessary and critical investment front end to ensure the eventual physical build has been properly considered........ultimately my advice is to research and seek a suitable professional you can trust and work with :) PD