Astraea, when I emptied mum's unit, I just absolutely turned everything upside down and inside out. Luckily I found money in the first drawer I opened that put me on my guard. Talking about going out in the car reminded me - mum had a disabled parking sticker that had to be attached to the windscreen if the car she was in was parked in a disabled parking area. When she came to live with me I kept it in the glovebox of my car at the ready, but somewhere along the line when mum had first got the sticker someone must have given her very clear instructions to ensure she kept the sticker with her at all times as they were readily stolen. Obviously whoever had explained said that it had to be displayed on the windscreen when the car was parked, but mum, in the fog she was in by this time, didn't get that bit. One time I had to go to the RTA to have mum's address changed to mine so of course I had to take her with me for her to verify things. I parked in a disabled spot as they are wider for wheelchair access, put the sticker on the windscreen, got the wheelchair out of the boot and got mum into it, not taking any notice of anything she was doing. We got into the RTA, took a number and waited a while before we were served, then I took mum over to the counter and explained the situation, whereupon mum pulls the sticker out of her handbag to show the clerk. Of course I freaked as they are very quick to book you if you are illegally parked in these spaces and told mum she wasn't to take it off the windscreen again. Mum felt she was really going to get one up on me as she was always going crook at me putting it on the windscreen for people to see it and break into the car to steal it, and told the clerk to tell me the rules how I wasn't to leave it in the car. I think the poor woman wet herself seeing the comedy side of it, but trying to keep a straight face while she tried to get through to mum that it had to be on the windscreen. Of course mum just kept arguing with her then that she knew better because of what she had been told. In the end the clerk told me to get back to the car before I got booked but said to let her know if I was and she would try to clear things for me. Fortunately I wasn't but after that I had to be so careful to ensure I put the sticker on my side of the car (which it wasn't supposed to be) but it was the only way I could stop mum getting to it.

Option 1. I wouldn't give up a 4 bedroom house with euro laundry to have a 3 bedroom house with a big laundry. I am doing something similar. We are giving up our laundry room for a staircase up to another level. We will loose the laundry entirely so it will be incorporated into the main bathroom in well designed cabinetry, actually making our bathroom much bigger, as the area under the new stairs will become part of the bathroom floor space. I don't use my laundry enough to justify having it take up valuable floor room. As long as you have a place for your mops brooms vacuum and linen and towels as well though. You pretty much need a linen closet, sink and dryer and washing machine plus space for a few baskets. I never ever fold or iron in the laundry. On Pinterest you see these amazing big laundry rooms but they are probably in houses with masses of space. Work with what u have. What's the latest on your project - what did you decide in the end....?

I am not sure about the idea that your kitchen needs to look like it is in a display home at all times with nothing to indicate that you use it regularly. I love cooking and still manage to put used dishes straight into the dishwasher and keep the benches relatively clear. Any open plan kitchen layout will have the same issue ie you will still see dishes on the sink no matter where you place it in the kitchen. Stay focussed on the function, walking from one side of the kitchen between the sink and cooktop is not efficient nor safe. Next time you are preparing a meal imagine you are doing it in your new kitchen layout as this will test whether it functions properly for you. Definitely keep your larder/pantry you won't regret it. More than 3-4 stools at the island can be over rated, most people prefer to sit around a table as a family rather than line up at the bench looking at the sink and stove. It sounds like you have always been on the right track, just try not to over think it.

Hi I have a large bathroom with a closet for washer and dryer. I love it. Off my bedroom. But also have you thought about making study into bedroom with an en-suite and the laundry tucked in there behind doors. If your selling a bedroom downstairs for an older person its very attractive and nice to be separate from the others. Then the two bedrooms upstairs have there own bathroom. Also you are having toilet tucked under staircase for visitors. If you had heaps of space then yes have a separate laundry but it’s a waste of space when you haven’t. I have my laundry essentials in a cupboard under my bathroom vanity which is 1800 cm long and still have two 1m drawers next to cupboard.