Make sure the garage is not part of planning permission. Look at floor height and ceiling height and check it doesn’t get water flowing in, is drainage right?

Thank you Kate
That's all useful information to know.

Thank you Oklouise
That is very helpful , I wouldn't have thought of a lot of those things.
We are a couple in our late sixties , and currently live in Perth. Due to a serious illness of my husband we have decided to move closer to our adult children. I don't think my husband could cope with a big renovation but a small one might be possible.

what a big change for you but Melbourne is lovely and hopefully any new house will have enough space for your needs but, having made a similar life change, i appreciate the challenges but it's so hard to compare a new house with what you're used to and a rough plan of your old home (with dimensions) would also make it easier to compare new with old but we've found that living closer to family meant less sleep overs so the extra bedrooms were not as necessary

I know with the much higher cost of homes in Melbourne compared to Perth we are going to have to downsize considerably. Not a bad thing really as half of our current home is not used most of the time. My hope is that we have enough room to accommodate our other son ,wife and 2 grandchildren who live in Sydney but will visit us in Melbourne regularly.
My husband is a also a sports fan and with irregular sleep patterns often watches international soccer games until early morning. So hoping to get either a second living space or third bedroom/ mpr.
Thank you for taking the time help me, I now feel more confident looking and will be able to hopefully ask the right questions.

HOUZZERS are always happy to share experiences and we look forward to learning about your progress