I'm amazed that this discussion has carried forward for nearly two years! In that time I have moved to another coastal area (cooler climate and better proximity to children) and this time found most of the discussion still rings true. Finding another home here was an incredibly frustrating journey made all the worse by a mad investor rush in the area just when we arrived to start our home search. That search took the best part of six months and in the end there would only be three or four houses to choose from in any week. Result? A rushed purchase, a desperately inadequate building inspection and failure on my part to notice poor bathroom tiling, shortage of closet and storage pace, just how small the lounge room really was, and etc. I disappointed myself because I had let the pressures beat me and now we are trying to resolve all of these issues in a home designed and built by one of this states most respected project home builders 25 years ago. Having now studied the floor plan with more care I realise it was put together (designed) in modular fashion - most bedrooms have similar dimensions and the living areas are all approximately the same size as if the designer simply juggled three boxes of one size and four of another size and then worked out traffic flow. Then he must have thrown them all in the air to see how they would land and that was design number two! And etc and so on. This house aside, we looked at a great many during the six months because we had to broaden our search above and below budget trying to find something. There were massive termite problems, leaky roofs, asbestos galore, gazzumping at every turn, almost all but the most expensive properties suffered at least one substantial fail for the most basic of needs and to top it off the best home in our price range just happened to be built on flood prone land - approved by council who put the flood signs up less than five years earlier. We live and learn. Then there were the real estate agents, but that would take another two years and I doubt the internet has enough free page space available!!! OK, I hear you, they're not ALL bad...

@Tribbletrouble44152k7 Trek no we haven't, as we have easements and our land isn't flat, we are restricted to where to build. An extension seems the most cost effective way, as we utilise what we have existing and building the extension south means we use fairly flat land, so not too much excavation required. @girlguides bedrooms will have robes - BR 1 and 2 have them (those funny W shapes supposed to be robes, haha) and master has WIR before ensuite. Reason i boxed bath was I have seen a bath like that, it looked amazing, relaxing, and a large window the length of the bath. We have a bit of a view and want to utilise it, make that bathroom really 'spesh'. Storage on either side is because i would love to have a red gum vanity top and minimal drawers underneath, so would like to hide storage of towels and toiletries behind some kind of flush cabinetry. @jmm1837 I saw a bathroom like this once and really liked it... have a bit of a window at the shower, again, view (and my partner is a horticulturist, i'm a graphic designer, lots of light and bringing the outside in is important for us in terms of living). Toilet.... well i guess its just the same layout as what i've seen previously. It has a door... whether its a sliding door or standard door... And i thought plumbing wise it would work better having back to back with the shower?

Sorry, but from a professional angle It could be so much better, considering the outcome for what it will cost to build. Possibly you're trying to achieve too much contained in a small space in a single level format, or if you want to do that the design needs to arguably push/work harder to achieve it properly without ridiculously squeezed spatial proportions. You don't want to extend a house and feel like you've downsized your living spaces - advise you robustly thrash out the project requirements and priorities. This is a dated design approach, and there's opportunity to be far more creative/clever and push to the south boundary to maximise the potential of the block better, release some under-utilised space/land and more effectively achieve the amenity/residence you desire. Of course hard to comment without understanding the budget or brief, but as a specialist with tight space design I look at this and shake/scratch my head and the logic behind some of the design decisions - the proposed design has aspects of a 50's/60's house that people typically approach us to rip into and get working properly. For a start the kitchen and living should obviously be flipped. This also won't be a cheap project and worse, it actually isn't a very inspiring outcome. Back to the drawing board IMO. Suggest that some alternative design options/layout configurations are considered and weighed up. Either way you spin it the costs will be very similar ballpark, but the outcomes one way or the other could be dramatically different As a comparison attached a plan of a similar project/brief for a Victorian cottage - absolute chalk & cheese And then below our award winning small house that maximises space, light and the feeling of it Best of luck PD :) www.pauldistefanodesign.com

I don’t think that you achieving your goals of a smart use of spaces. If designing for wheelchair access, the bathrooms are not big enough. There is a very good standard on space requirement for wheelchairs. it is gold level of https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Documents/accessibility-design-guide.pdf Are you working with an architect? Wheelchair access is tricking as one has to think in navigating in a full circle spin. Doorways need to be 900-1000. Bathrooms need to be wet rooms rather than the conventional. There are some great architects in the Wide Bay Area, who will design function over form and at a manageable cost. It may be worthwhile investigating.