Hi Leanne There are quite a number of options here. Firstly, the type of floor it is going on will dictate the method of installation. You can either 1. have solid timber glued direct to the floor then sanded and sealed 2. apply a moisture proof membrane, have a plywood layer glued and nailed to the floor to account for expansion and contraction of the floor then solid wood laid over that and sanded and sealed. 3. lay out a underlay then install an engineered floor over it so that it is not attached to the floor. This is known as a floating floor. The materials vary but essentially the flooring consists of planks that are made up a (usually) 4mm layer of the wood you see, then other layers of ply at right angles. This crossing of the grain steadies the movement (expansion/contraction) of the planks. This type comes in both a raw and prefinished style. 4. lay out an underlay and install a laminate floating floor. This has a laminex style surface with a printed timber look over an mdf backing ( this is my least recommended option) Re the heating, in all honesty I wouldn't bother. I am in Perth at the moment where it is quite cold and we are walking bare foot over our timber floors whilst it is VERY cold outside. Heating can certainly be done, but the timber itself is a partial insulation on the floor already. Re species, it depends on what state you are in. I have used a lot of blackbutt, spotted gum and occasionally ironbark. I ALWAYS choose what is usually called the 'standard grade'. The 'select grade' has less knots and veins, but to us the whole point of having timber is to see the variety and character of the grain. The standard grade is also cheaper... Here are a couple of floors we have done in some of our homes... Spotted Gum Blackbutt Good luck!

There are so many options today on flooring. Engineered timber products, bamboo, solid timber overlay, timber look tiles... What is important to know first is what you are laying over, how solid is it, how level is it, how even is it? Given that you have a number of different top finishes, it sounds like you may have different sub floor structures. Whatever you go for will be determined by how stable the substrate is and what structures you are laying over.

the original ensuite configuration is excellent but this alternative provides 50cm extra storage wall in the wiw and a view of the vanity as you walk into the ensuite...i've also swopped the study and family bathroom to create the extra width for the entry and to keep all the plumbing (including downstairs) closer together and included an idea for the family bathroom that creates a multi person facility that is more private from the hallway btw moving the laundry downstairs removed the storage area for the garage so that lost space has been added back to the garage

You can make anything happen if you have enough money to throw at it.....so it always comes back to budget and requirements relationships. You can easily pull these walls out, and put supporting structure in - that's easy ....but will the extent of expense be sensible for your property???? If you want solutions that integrate structural remedial properly then you need to be working with a professional designer and aligned structural engineer. You can do supports pushed up into the ceiling, whatever you want, just it will be more expensive the more seamless& snazzy you want because you'll be pulling apart a whole lot of stuff and putting it back together. The issue with these little jobs that involve significant structural changes without achieving additional space is that you sink a lot of money into the building without adding the equivalent value.....there are always options, but Pro's will be best positioned to assist resolving the best balance that makes sense from both a function and cost point of view Hope this helps a bit Cheers PD:)