Hi Jase - Its always difficult to make that kind of decision - renovate or rebuild. By the way could you please state where north is on the page its difficult to comment if one is not aware of the position of north.? I do not see that as a small renovation, percentage wise you seem to be spending a considerable amount, some of the things I consider would be: 1. Obtaining a price from a builder as your drawings do show a high degree of completion at least as far as an initial price. 2. Consider getting someone to do a few alternative sketch plans for you, even if you do not come up with anything new you would be satisfied that you have the best solution. "Its cheaper to change lines on paper that walls on the buildings." 3. When you have done the above - get the opinion from a real estate agent to see that you are not overcapitalizing. In terms of you design there are a few things you might like to consider if I was doing a sketch design: 1. Bedroom 2 is a bit of a disaster size wise - make it bigger as much as bed 1 and this will become the main bedroom. 2. Retain the toilet in general existing position and turn the existing laundry into a bathroom serving new bedroom 2 with en-suite. 3 Re orientate the kitchen design capitalizing on the width of the back wall and provide a new laundry area with a toilet - hoping that you can access the sewer to connect a new toilet as in units this can sometimes be an issue.I'm sure that there may be a lot of other possibilities which I cannot see from an initial view. I would be willing to work with you online, I hope this is of some help. Michael Manias mm407p@gmail.com

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totally concur with retro - I def wouldn't plaster over the timber, there's so much character, personality and identity - but i don't have to tell you that because you're a woodworker! .......Plaster's boring and generic when too much of it is used.... as always, it's about balancing elements. And you start with the big stuff, and work into the detail. Consistency is also important. Personally, I'd start with getting the flooring resolved and work from there. Sure, possibly clean up some trim detail that could be positive and let the character of the major elements shine. The other big thing (and often forgotten) is on these places is focus/budget given to suitable furniture and configuration of it. It's also often the cheapest way to upgrade & get a space really sorted. The big 3 on your place judging by the photos are 1. floors 2. kitchen and 3. furniture......don't spend your money on plaster for the sake of it and lose character - I'd advise distributing it into lighter/more streamlined furniture/furnishings upgrade(such as a quality central rug) to offset against the existing natural character, better balance the materials and let the whole thing come together. Cheers PD :)

Having a beautiful landscape and garden can reduce stress especially if you see colorful flowers. I started to renovate my garden and pathway, it's my DIY projects. I got some of the materials at https://rocknsoil.com.au/. Got pebbles, soil, timber and other accessories. You should check that site too.