Depends on where you live. A lap pool down a large deck gives the best of both worlds and provides a nice water feature for a deck. I need water to truly relax. Bigreader - where in FNQ did you live?

I picked tidy & organise the home, due to the fact we rent & would love useful information & photos of how to store things with limited space & making it feel more like a home without breaking the budget, would love to win the beautiful book for a dear friend who has had a rough couple of years & I know enjoys cooking, she deserves to be on the receiving end of something nice

expect $20,000 plus appliances and tradesmen another $10,000 but is this for your home or for the rental

my suggestions are based on zoning the areas for multiple cooks and helpers and has a bar open to the living area from both ends with an optional privacy door between bar and pantry and no door between kitchen and pantry, the island should be much narrower for quick meals and the arrangement of drawers and supporting post under the island allow for cook's stool spacebtw, unless you prefer to iron in the laundry the laundry and mudroom seem a little generous at the expense of the small study that could also be a useful downstairs emergency sick room