Having the lounge, dining and kitchen all in a line with direct access to the covered entertaining area as well as front balcony for the views seems ideal to me, but sounds like you are happy with the placement of master bedroom and living room. At first glance, it would be better to have kitchen & dining where the sauna and bathrooms are currently, but enlarge the overall space. Then the back bedrooms could be reconfigured with, possibly, the family bathroom, powder room and laundry between them. Would you need a sauna? How is the house fixed for storage? Do you need more? Are you happy with how the lower level is arranged? These are just a few ideas & thoughts that came immediately to mind.

Yes, but would need to know which walls are load bearing. Because there's plumbing already located in that side of house, maybe relocating kitchen wouldn't require too much cost for new additional plumbing. That still leaves a lot of space where kitchen/dining currently are, so it seems possible you could open up that whole space to make kitchen/dining a much larger space. Just need to know which walls are load bearing.

Hopefully, oklouise and siriuskey will comment also, as they are really clever with floor plans!

working on the floor plan and found some discrepancies and suggest you confirm all dimensions with a tape measure ... is there any direct access from the ground to the patio or covered entertaining area or is the only access by the internal stairs and is the view off the balcony or entertaining area?

subject to correct measurements my suggestions aim to improve connection with outdoors

oklouise. The view is off the entertaining area and balcony. I have sent a link to the real estate website for you to take a look at the views and get a better idea of the windows etc..

Very exciting, congratulations on your new home, those Real Estate floor Plans are never spot on and are really only meant to give you the buyer a better over all view.

Oklouise what windows do you have my 3DHA only operates on XP or 7, the manual is excellent can't wait to try it.

In the meantime I will try to add my ideas with my very basic drawing skills, later today

hello siriusky, i use Windows 10 with my 3d Home Architect version 4 and there are lots of options not explained in the manual..message direct if you think i can help

Thank you, haven't worked out how to do direct message? My 3DHA is OLD
version 3, I have windows 8, but have pulled out an old Laptop with XP
to try it in just waiting to get my C-DOM player so I can install it. It
loads onto better half's windows 7 but that's not an option available
to me!. So for $25 plus spare laptop with XP ,CD-Rom $16 I'am keen to
give it a go, sounds a lot easier than Sketchup which is mainly 3D
platform, a couple of younger friends who have their own design
businesses operate with 2 systems 1 for 2D and another for 3D,
unfortunately neither live close by, Sydney and California.

Hi Bron1, Your new house has been very much loved by the previous owners and has beautiful views over the lake. Can I ask how many will be living in the house and childrens ages . x

Hi Slruskey, thank you for your interest and help so far. There will be 2 adults and a 5 year old living in the house, we like to keep a guest room for overseas visitors that stay for 3-4 weeks at a time..

The front part of the house is an extension from 1991 and the back part was an old cottage. We do need to have a builder or structural engineer confirm the internal load bearing walls, but I'm guessing it could be the walls running parallel to the kitchen cupboards and bedrooms/kitchen walls.. x

Oklouise. I like your 2nd option also. I think the wall directly from the hallway to the kitchen/dining area could be load bearing. But we could open it into a large square archway with a structural support above from the dining to the 2nd living area. :)

You guys rock!! :)

I like oklouise's 2nd option best. bron1, did you want to make any changes to the lower level?

I like the 2nd option best too. No we will keep the lower part the same, it's got some good storage and the sewing room will be a home office :)

Perfect!

Hi bron1, I have had trouble reading the plan measurements so have used Oklouise plan to help me try to show what I think could make it very open and up to date, with all the family/kitchen opening to the Alfresco as this will make for a much bigger over all space for family and friends to enjoy the view and garden.

I have joined the kitchen laundry with or without outdoor access depending where the clothes line will be and if a need for more space in the laundry no door.

I have always found that having the use of the that extra laundry sink to be very useful.

The Laundry could also be moved down stairs to the utility/sewing room/office/

I understand loading bearing walls will need to be carefully considered there's nothing that a good engineer and builder can't overcome, x

I should also add that by a installing a glass sliding door to the smaller rear bedroom/ study is much better than a window, this will make it feel bigger and also give direct access to the rear garden which could have a small table and chairs

Hi siriuskey Thank you. I love the open kitchen too. And the extra living space would be helpful. Lot's of new options to consider. I will organise a builder to take a look soon. Thanks again for all your help x

Hello again bron1, an after thought, you mentioned visitors for u to a month at a time, why don't you turn the downstairs sewing room into a guest suite by adding a bathroom, this could also have a lovely view. Keeping the smaller up stairs bedroom for a study/bedroom x

siriuskey .That also sounds like a great idea :)

Hi bron1, just adding a slightly clearer layout for you to look at,

My cook top and sink aren't to scale,

The Pantry can be deleted or become a laundry if you don't move it down stairs, this would certainly give you a bigger family room.

The island can be positioned and sized to what would suite you best.

You still get two good sized bedrooms/bathroom and Powder room. cheers

correct measurements including size and positions of doors and windows would allow a more precise plan to ensure everything fits and it would also be useful to plan for a downstairs bathroom to include basic plumbing, even if the downstairs is not finished at the same time and i understand the house is on a sloping block with upstairs level with the back yard and suggest laundry and powder room accessible off the rear patio...are there long term plans for pool in front or back and is there a view from downstairs

Oklouise check the realestate listing it answers all of your questions

I have used Oklouise measurements as the other plan wasn't clear. Thank you

The Powder room needs access for family and visitors and for easy access from the alfresco area.

The upstairs back bedroom/study can/will have access to the rear small garden via sliding glass doors as will the laundry/kitchen

The kitchen can have a WIP or not plus a laundry or not.

The island can be shaped to what suits you and the space.

Love the open plan kitchen/family especially with a family

This space opening onto the Alfresco area on the North side of the house is perfect for extra space and lake views ( the other side of the house is tight against that boundary)

Down stairs is the perfect space for long stay guests with adding a bathroom when it can be done, this room will also have amazing views of the lake, they will never want to leave. You can imagine them sitting outside their room and wandering down to the lake, wine glass in hand.......It's a lovely position.

check out the Saniflow system that is supposed to allow a toilet in any position and/or with the exact dimensions it may be possible to add a powder room in the original entry & bar area with a small hall to the top of the stairs and leave the bathroom and laundry in place with more room for a separate shower??...btw would be ideal time to add plumbing for the downstairs guest bathroom as suggested by siriuskey

I agree the Saniflow system suggested by Oklouise can solve a lot of difficult situations.

In the meantime I have done another plan suggesting keeping the plumbing is the same position.
I have moved the door to the second bedroom into the living/Family/parents retreat, so that the door between the kitchen the and front rooms can be closed off. It's a bit further to the bathroom for your 5 yr old but I can imagine she will use the ensuite in a hurry.

The study is in a great position to enable large pocket doors between it and the kitchen/dining/ family, because if you set up the downstairs with an ensuite this will free up this room from being a bedroom all the time. It could also be used as a dining/study/(Bedroom)

I have had trouble with the measurements but can supply mine if you would like.

some ideas for you to use with the study/bedroom opening/closing with pocket doors, by doing the downstairs guest suite that would give you a 4 bedroom,3 bathroom house and two indoor living spaces and a wonderful alfresco space to enjoy

Hi there Bron, I know you prefer the other layout similar to what the house already has and sectioned off but thought this might interest you by using Banquette seating.

On another tangent have you considered adding another level to your house, ie the existing house becomes two levels and adding a large garage at the front that the flat roof is level with the ground floor (garage sewing room) and the top of it becomes an out door alfresco with water views.

You could have one of the existing levels as living and the other bedrooms x