Hi everyone, so... 3 years later and after many back and forth we have decided to knock down the house and rebuild. The cost of renovating was just too prohibitive and not to mention the unexpected surprises that surely would come with it. We should start the building of the new home in a month or less. Just wanted to thank everyone who helped in this thread, your opinions were very important and helped us decide. We are not doing a custom build, instead we chose one of those pre-designed homes (Dennis Family) but we are very happy and excited. Cant wait for it to be done. Will post photos when ready.

Hi thanks for the reply. if it was just us 2 adults then an alfresco/kitchen would be a an ideal investment. The exercise is good though no doubt about that! The main issue is handling the kids. for example its a nice day and they want to play outside but i need to cook up some food for the week. then kids are stuck indoors or on the balcony….under my feet. or they are playing happily outside but its lunch time or dinner time…..back upstairs playtime os over etc. then the washing is done and needs to be hung up - but they are now watching a DVD up stairs. These are some of the day to day nuances. Its doesn't just flow as it does with adults….. My thoughts are that a small (Ikea type) kitchen would cover us for day to day living but in future also double as the outdoor entertainers kitchen to complement the BBQ area we have. plus it could also be turned back to a bedroom if we needed to. the bedroom exenstion has been on the cards anyway as we will need a guest bedroom soon now we have 2 kids. i will post a floor plan soon just have my hands full today ;)

It seems (the design/layout) of the building form is progressively getting bitsy and tight ( like in a typical volume build plan) in the main living/kitchen/dining/alfresco area rather than being elegantly resolved with the flexibility potential layout usually exemplified in a custom home .......what is going through my mind is what exactly is the function of the external space to the west which is not at all connected with the internal.....I'd be considering configuring the ground floor better to maximise/exploit the northern aspect...It would simplify the whole thing, be more efficient and less block-like with building chunks cut-out/doglegged just to suit a table or whatever..........It's like the requirements are being somewhat forced within a particular set building shape rather than designing it so it all flows more naturally/balanced and is more elegantly linked and maximises the available land/space/aspect...form (should!) follow(s) function.........may I also comment that perhaps some care/caution/discretion should be taken when uploading documents clearly associated with a particular designer on forums (for public critique/comment!) ;)

we need a site plan showing the house and garage on the block with the distance from all four boundaries and the width and length of the block ...where is the street, driveway and your front entry? .what are the walls and roof built out of?...what is the shape of the roofs including old extensions?..are the views of your own gardens or are there more panoramic views in which direction? ....are there any trees that can't be disturbed? ... inside photos with or without furniture and outside photos showing front, sides and back especially roofs and windows will help understand how to attach any extensions and, if you plan to use the old garage as living space do you want another garage or carport and describe your climate and do the measurements in the bedroom include the wardrobes or only the open floor area?