m_mdimond; My constant whippet! Yes change is inevitable. Youth was great! Middle age more challenging, now the dread of what happens as the body slows, bu the mind still runs at top speed! Funny how we eventually become our parents and live with all the things they once complained about: eyesight less sharp, glasses, threading needles a challenge. Oh what we so easily dismissed or took for granted when we were young! Pain at bay to this point. Sad to hear of yours, but fantastic you are still managing to walk your Shepherd, despite it! Dogs keep us centred and motivated. They shower us in love and lack of judgement. My dad had his Jack Russell at his side into his nineties. He was his constant companion and often his sole company for days at a time, other than his twice weekly cleaner. Animals are so special. They deliver their own unique greetings and communicate in such different ways. My life would be so much the less without the animals who have been part of it. So lucky to have had two wonderful ponies and an incredible galloway. So lucky many of my friends had horses too. Horses, dogs and cats are always a point of connection into special human experience and also lead us to new human and animal connections. Nothing wrong with memories and sentiment. I think we feel it even more accutely as we age. Glad I kicked up my heels, as well as keeping those "heels down, legs close to my horses side and and elbows close to my own" for much of my fantastic and sometimes wild youth! I was a pretty good kid really, but do admit to having been a teen groupie, back in the day, wouldn't swap that either. Somewhere here, I believe is my scrapbook and definitely a few photos in the albums. Still like to kick up my heels, too! Yes. Gratitude is vital.

You are most welcome, I have always said that I haven't been put on this earth to "Hug" toilets, so I'am wondering who is going to clean all of these Bathrooms. Our two kids a boy and a girl had the upstairs "apartment" which they and all their friends loved. I have added a timber stair case for fun, there's plenty of space but you will need to decide what you want to do in the attic and place the stairs to open up into a tall space. I have also turned one of the ensuites into a powder room. Your Jacaranda's only drop once a year!, you used to be able to trim them by 25% each year, you would need to check with your council, we were on the lower North Shore, I think you should consider the patio side of the house and make better use of that, is the front deck something you plan on adding because of aspect, and plant some tall growing hedge ready for the apartments. Our kids Attic desk/study space over looked our pool in the rear garden. With respect to using the formal rooms for bedrooms, you will find that once you have your large family/alfresco and the kids have their upstairs space if you still feel you need it, it would make a great office. You spend most of the time there only using only using the front room in the evening for watching movies etc. I have had another play with my floor plan, I think if your wife sees this you may be in trouble, it's a Master Suite, the free standing bath in the window alcove with white timber shutters for sun and privacy control..... Iam' adding a couple of photos of our old Federation which wasn't protected, when we sold it the new owners removed all of the Fret work & posts replacing them with simple timber posts. The front rooms which we didn't use very much once we opened up the rear rooms into a family area. The room with the Bay window had a Baby grand sitting there, we sold the piano before we took the photo. Cheers

These are great photos Siriusky. I notice they all have a double driveway on flat land. This might be a stretch with the council, and financially, to install a double crossover, and the retaining work required. This also would still require reversing onto road, from driveway. With flat retained parking in the front of home, there would be extra parking and ability to reverse out of parking bay, to drive forwards onto road. Duncangill12, you have, as per your survey, 8429mm available to make into flat parking and retaining wall, in the front of home. As previously mentioned, take your requirements to council. They will be able to investigate where service lines are to home, water, etc. Refer to comments from Paul Di Stefano Design,(yesterday)this may be an expensive but good option. Always pending council approval.

I guess the first question is what do you want to achieve ?Do you want a more modern look , or a more useful space ? In other words , looks or practicality ? Looks wise , I thgink you need a plan for the whole house . I'm not a fan of brown , but the darker brown around the window looks good -- the gutters , the dirty white of that canopy , the wrought iron less so . Just me , I'd waterblast everything , I'd cut off the wrought iron ( an angle grinder should do fine ) , and paint the gutters , and the concrete canopy , in that darker khaki brown , or a metallic charcoal 9 that would need the window and surround done too ) . As far as a deck , basically I'd go a square , the size of the 'moon' one there , if that makes sense , so probably 2.5 x 2.5 or whatever the distance from the front door to the very front wall is . Stain it that khaki brown , or charcoal ( the same as gutters etc , not some brown , some charcoal ) . And the canopy I'd 'square' that too in an open beam -- leave the existing concrete canopy , just add and square it off , same size as the deck . Any bigger it will look out of proportion , I personally wouldn't have railings or built in seating ( who wants to sit out the front for longer periods IMO ) , just step down to lawn or footpath .