Hi Rochelle,

As you can appreciate, this isn't something I can summarise in a Houzz response. And I also hope you can appreciate my honesty in my response - it is not intended to offend. I'm just super passionate about homeowners getting it right in their homes.

I know Kingaroy's climate, and that whilst you have hot summers, you also have cold winters. And designing for orientation is as much about keeping a home cool in Summer, as it is keeping a home warm in Winter.

Currently, your children's bedrooms will get very warm in Summer - because they are small rooms that cannot be effectively cooled with natural cross-ventilation like a living area can. So, if they're staying on the northern side, I'd ensure they've got good eaves and insulation to manage that northern sun.

And currently, your kitchen will get super hot in the Summer, being located on the south-western corner of the home. Challenging for cooking dinner on those evenings. The media will also be a warm room.

I would suggest seeing what opportunities you have to locate living spaces running north-south (and on the eastern side of the home), so you can use the home seasonally (as mentioned in the podcast). I'd also look for how you can change the roof shape to bring northern light in from above. You will spend the bulk of your time in the living spaces so it makes sense to invest your budget to make them great, and keep things simple elsewhere.

I would also rearrange the laundry / pantry / kitchen arrangement. I feel the pantry is too remote and closed away from the kitchen - especially with such little kids in your home where you need to keep an eye on them fairly constantly. It's huge as well, especially compared to the kitchen itself. I question the attribution of space across these two rooms. U-shaped kitchens are challenging traps in family homes as well, and I'd recommend changing the configuration so the island or bench facing the dining area doesn't have any services in it - so people can sit at it (especially kids doing homework etc).

You also have very small linen storage (broken up into a few small cupboards) given you have a family of 6.

The area of the home could be better distributed as well. Those kids' bedrooms are large, and your budget could be better spent in the kitchen, for example. I would also not put a fridge (regardless of how secondary it is) in the pantry. I'd question whether you'll even physically be able to move it in there once the home is finished. And given how warm it does get in Kingaroy, do you need that much pantry shelving for storing dry goods?

It can be challenging and nerve-wracking to get it right, especially when it's a family home you plan to live in for many years to come. You just want it to be finished already! Whilst it's lines on a page, you have a precious window of opportunity to take the time, and make the effort, to be sure it's a home you love living in, and that suits you for many years to come. Please take the time.

Regards

Amelia, UA x