Do you have saw palmetto, it is a native groundcover plant in Florida, that has a tropical look and covers the ground through underground shoots, and would give you a bold look, in which you could weave an entrance walk from the street to your entrance terrace at the foot of your front steps. A less tropical choice would be spreading juniper. No lawn, just beds of shrubs. Be simple and bold. When you build your front steps, please use dimensions for outdoor steps. That is, the tread should be at least 12'(30 cm) and the ratio of risers to tread should be approximate: two risers plus one tread equals 26"(66 cm).

my program is a vintage 3D Home Architect version 4 that i've been using for many years and i believe is no longer available but Siriusky has recently acquired a similar program ...i didn't mean "level the house" i meant add a raised timber floor to match the living room floor with the rest of the house...and, when costing your project make sure you do comparisons of all the options to consider best value for money spent...is the property for renovation and immediate resale, for your own use or for immediate rental? each option should have a different plan and a different budget and you need to cost each option to make the best decision and the suggested kitchen is a simple one line DIY flatpac with a simple island table and should be considered against the extra value of the third bedroom

i too prefer symmetry but with limited space this option has worked well for me to store all the things you mentioned including a vacuum cleaner and carpet shampooer but another option for you could be to have the original arrangement and use the broom space as an alcove without a door or walls keeping in mind that the counter needs to be at least 2150 wide for the laundry basket, washer, dryer and skinny tub and should be at least 650mm deep to allow for the water hoses and cords and power points behind, leaving an alcove about 450mm by 1m with no door and a very narrow side opening to squeeze everything in

K_jossie, there's some really helpful suggestions here. I can't add much in terms of design ideas, but in a small kitchen that serves a family it's vital to maximise storage, Have a look at some of the more novel ideas for extra storage. You can put drawers in kickboards for things like baking trays, serving trays, shallow casserole dishes, serving platters you don't use often, etc. Loads of space there that usually goes to waste! Another idea I saw that I thought brilliant was making walls into shallow storage. Where you have a blank wall that it isn't practical to place cabinets against, and you don't plan to put furniture against (such as along corridors or walkways), the lining can be removed between the studs and shelving inserted and sliding or hinged doors fitted. It provides shallow storage that is brilliant for things like canned and packet food, cups, glasses, and some of the utensils that we typically like to hang in the kitchen. I also saw this method used above a child's desk area, using the in-wall space for storage of art and craft supplies. I agree a slideout pantry is a fantastic idea. I had one in our last house and loved it. It provided loads of storage in a very small space. The other way to maximise storage is to use drawers extensively instead of cupboards. When designing my kitchen, I made a list of things I needed to store and designated their future home on my plan, working out both where they were most accessible when needed and also the optimum way to structure storage space to hold everything. It's amazing how much difference just varying drawer depths according to the height of items to be stored in them can make. Best of luck with your extension. I hope the result is pleasing.