Thank-you Dreamer - these look great. LOVE the bottom one - while I had considered a flat roof over the entry, I had not considered extending it just to one side :)

Wow. Never considered this option. Awesome idea! Thanks oklouise :)

Love your idea OK, what were they thinking when they added the "skirt" verandah to the entrance. it won't be missed.

sisiuskey - agreed - thought the skirt over the entry must have been an add-on, but no, it was on the original plans submitted to council :) It looks silly and does not offer enough protection to keep you dry when standing in the rain trying to unlock the door..

Ah, louise, you've done it again!! Just one suggestion, to me keeping dry from the car to the front door is a huge bonus especially on shopping days. Would this be possible to incorporate??

if the new front porch (minimum slope for lowest angle roofing that has a fascia.barge board that looks flat from the street) was added above the little square windows to create a tall porch that wrapped around the corner to create a roof over the front door and stairs up from the new carport to the deck in front of the dining room there should be a weather proof area between car and kitchen and bipassing the front door.....careful design of the headheight and steps willbe needed to make the correct stair heights and the carport roof may need to be adjusted so that there may need to be steps between the old deck, new deck and old front porch and i would screen around the stairs to avoid confusion about which is the formal front door but you should double check the legal setbacks for a carport/garage and porch from the street before making too many plans

Hard to know levels, but that looks really versatile to me if it can be done. You could just have one lock for the storage space under to keep everything safe there and safe access to the house.

Hi, This is the view from the driveway. Looks terrible at the moment. We were building stairs (deck platforms) down the hill, but stopped when we decided we need to do something with the existing carport/deck arrangement. I think there are about another 8 steps needed to get to the driveway level.

looks like you may need a retaining wall and some earthworks but the extra carport and steps up to the deck should be possible but frst clarify legal requirements with the local council and have an engineer inspect the site...always better to plan within the scope of what's possible rather than being disappointed

Yeah, thinking a retaining wall is going to be necessary :( Starting to talk with the professionals next week. Exciting and a bit daunting at the same time! Thanks so much for your input and advice.

research is free and professionals may suggest some better ideas but we'll look forward to learning what you decide..best of luck to you

So we have had a chat to an architect, got some prices (EEK) and this is the current plan.

Extend the deck with carport under as per OKLouise's suggestion, but keep the existing carport for his storage (too expensive to excavate into the hill). Cover over entry probably going to wait for the next round ($$$$). The architect suggested a wall with a cut-out on the west side to reduce the westerly winter wind impact, with a bench under that can be an outdoor kitchen (one day). Appreciate any comments. Thanks in advance!

Looks good and I think will add some balance to the house changing the slope of the roof line. Westerly winds can be hot as well as causing damage so good idea to reduce impact of them - lots of ways of doing that you can explore.

PLEASE put a ballustrade on those stairs - they freak me out. They would not pass building code anyway.

:) stairs will be a tad different - aiming not to have a straight run, and hoping to be able to do the large platforms (will depend on the space and height once the carport/deck is finished). I am pretty sure that the architect got the finished height right as there is only 1.5m height difference between the carport floor and the front door, and we have done 4 platforms already, so I think there is only 8 to go (or hope so anyway!!)

I do like the sound of the platforms, so much easier and to me, much safer. Unfortunately in my dotage, I'm getting so unsteady on stairs which annoys me no end but such is ageing. Great you finally have a plan though and knowing you can finally start to move forward. Good luck, I hope it all runs smoothly for you. The house should look fabulous when it is finished.

photos please

sorry, thought I had attached photos. takex2

looks excellent and the steps and Moon Gate are also fabulous, well done

Thank you so much oklouise. your design was better than anything the architect or designers suggested! So grateful for your advice :) And you are the first person who has realised it is a Moon Gate :)

Great job Della and oklouise. Blends perfectly with the original design and the view from the top is to die for. Hope you will get nice cooling breezes there in summer too.

I confess, I've never head of a moon gate :):) but it is a great idea.

That looks terrific - well done.

Congratulations Della (and OKLouise), it looks gorgeous! I know you want to do something with the awning over the front door but with the new extended side deck, I don't think that the little awning is as obvious as it was..... it blends. :)

Thanks ChubbyChicky - I agree that the little skirt is not as obvious now (thankfully).

I actually think the skirt looks good now, there is something about it - I wouldn't change it at all.