Thank you, Neryl. The new stairs solved three issues. We were governed by the distance from the entry to the side fence/retaining wall, hence the new stairs do not impede on either. This traditional design suits Queenslander's and we also improved access by having direct access from the driveway. Our client was more than happy to take on our design expertise in this field. Overall the project exceeded our client's expectations.

You've got a good space and good ideas. My suggestion would be to decide on all the structural changes first. It is tempting to go for small wins first. But you'll never regret doing a master plan. Set out everything you want to do. It's OK to have lots of stages and even a few dream things.

Hey Nik. Our current garage is 6.5mx6.5m and its great I can fit on each side some peg board and cabiners and at the back of garage, can store some bikes. But its tight - and we also dont have the space for a shed at the back. I currently store power tools, whipper/snipper/mower in the garage. Having approx 8x8m would be a huge upgrade for current things I store, and allow me to put battery storage in future and have a good workbench and workspace area. I did think about a shed at the back - will be much cheaper. But I would have to provision for a concrete slab, adequate power and would have to insulate it if it was to be my man-cave! I wonder how much adding 1.5m to the garage would cost compared to putting a quality shed in with utilities etc!?

always good to please your husband and you'll have a better chance of achieving a good result together....cost will depend too much on the reality of the site to guestimate...we always begin by consulting a builder to check the existing building to see what's possible structurally, check with Council to see what's legal and then you'll need formal plans drawn up so you can collect quotes but i'd be inclined to ask about the whole project as you may have a better chance of attracting an experienced custom builder for a bigger job than just the small extension (even if you negotiate to have the work done in stages ...best of luck