Hi Louise, don't know where to start? Recommend you firstly define your particular requirements in conjunction with a nominated budget. All projects of any scale or nature come back to the balance of these two fundamentals. What are your specific project goals? Are you combining/changing everything or just creating an additional occupancy on the upper level? Only you can define your project here so this is where you start the conversation. In regards to the specific design solution/layout, no, it's not your job to "work it out" (unless of course you've had previous experience and are confident tackling that task)... however if you're stuck here I'd say this is way too large and complex to DIY and you shouldn't be thinking or expecting yourself to be able to design what you are seeking (spacious/family friendly etc) . This is a renovation and potentially involves multiple occupancies on single allotment, so it's by no means straight forward. However such a great & exciting opportunity but don't underestimate what's involved and recommend you work with a professional, and as early as possible....too many people go about their projects the wrong way in that they think they need to try and sort out a floor plan/layout first thinking that's what's required before they go to a professional. Why is this wrong? Because design (in the real world ;) ) is way more than just an isolated floor plan and involves understanding of cost and practical implications over many different levels. It's about achieving a spacial experience that is aligned to cost and negotiates various contextual and regulatory constraints....potentially on smaller projects people can get away with DIY (bathrooms etc) or possibly take over say fit out scope on larger jobs, but when your dealing with full scope complex renovations/transformations arguably the best investment is in the front end design to get the project direction and balance resolved professionally, ultimately for the best value outcome for your investment..... So you've already got a certain visual that appeals to you (ie Hamptons/beachside etc) and that's great, so you're already off the mark, next step, put together a project brief, (whether detailed or point form) that when you read it defines your specific ideal project dream/vision and of course nominate a budget (the most important variable). When you've done that, bundle it all up and seek consultation from an appropriate professional (designer/architect etc) and understand/trust they will have the capacity to resolve the spatial solution for your project. Hope this helps and good luck :) PD

ideally you have an alternative bathroom to use during construction which can take from a few days spread over weeks or months depending on what you need to do ...managing a bathroom reno is a juggling act to have all the trades arrive in sequence as well as making all the decisions about choosing and ordering all the tiles, taps and fixtures etc and, despite having built and renovated numerous bathrooms, we've found that it can be a relief to use a professional bathroom company or builder to organise the sequence of work because you need all the trades to come and go several times for different stages and renovations often uncover surprises that may cause extra delays (asbestos removal or damaged framing or rearranging walls or problems with supplies or trades held up on other jobs) so you could need a carpenter, asbestos remover, demolition and removal teams with suitable transport and equipment, plumber, electrician, waterproofer, tiler, plasterer, renderer, gyprocker, painter and bricklayer and all these tradespeople depend on their next job and are more likely to be ready to work with a familiar professional than a one off home owner....luckily we now have our group of dependable tradespeople (who will also identify and recommend others) and we usually start with having the plumber, electrician and tiler inspect the scope of the work and discuss options, calculate quantities, brands and styles and agree on who will organise supplies and a rough timetable and prices and we make sure that we have all the supplies on site before we have the plumber disconnect the water, electrician make wiring safe and then arrange the necessary demolition and removal of rubbish and then all the trades come back several times in sequence depending on each job and we always keep simple diary notes and send emails to confirm agreements, prices and especially any changes and we also confirm all the trades' white cards and double check our public liabilty and household insurance during construction...so many details to cover but very rewarding when it all comes together

I love the look of the house ! I love the glass bricks -- there is no way I would change them . I love the angled glass . I love the round garage window . I could even live with the colour . The 3 things I would change initially is -- 1 -- the front doors . I understand why they are done in charcoal , but I'd be more whimsical -- maybe a bright lipstick red to soften the pink tones , maybe 2 big stainless handles to tie in with the balustrade , maybe rich stained wooden doors with long narrow frosted windows -- the 'ship' look ? 2 -- the front 'fences' . Either they are wooden , or extremely poorly poured concrete . Do them in solid plastered concrete painted/rendered in the house 'pink' -- classy and ties in with the house . 3 -- the plants -- they literally look like those creepers that grow over rocks that haven't been looked after . In my eyes , I imagine a huge ceramic pot at least 1.5mtr round and similar height , filled with several different cactus , on the left hand side . And 3 palm trees planted on the right hand side -- maybe 5 , 8 and 12 metre tall . Miami Vice all the way haha , along witha $500k capital gain !

We have been building our house for over two years now. The supply chain downturn has made it a nightmare. We are camping on the mezzanine floor of our warehouse so it isn't costing us to wait, but if I had rented a property while building we would be in trouble now. I purchased most of our plumbing supplies early in the build so at least those items have not gone up in price, but many others have. We ordered and paid for a cantilever pool awning in February this year, and it was sent in three lots. The last delivery was two weeks ago. I suspect the company was having a hard time getting it out of China, so not their fault. We had quotes for fly screens/security screens that totalled over $25,000. We had to forgo the security screens in favour of fly screens for most of the house. We had a quote for a large aluminium mesh panel to place on the front left corner of the house which was over $25,000 also. The fencing company got an order wrong and we ended up with the wrong colour louvre panels on the front driveway sliding gates, plus the wrong colour for a fence. We have managed to turn it into a positive by keeping the wrong coloured louvre blades, and they will now be put up vertically on the front corner of the house, instead of the aluminium mesh. They are six metres long, but the house is two stories, so all good. We had to keep the gate panels the same, so the wrong colour will have to be exchanged for the right colour. People are still building houses here, and some of them are going up very fast, so I don't understand why ours has taken so long. We have purchased most of the goods locally, but I suppose the suppliers are having trouble getting them from overseas. I am at the point where I am losing interest in this house, which is a shame because it will be a beautiful house when finished.