If it was me I'd think about moving kitchen and laundryto the right and relocate the frontentrance (if possible) to where laundry is now.
I'd extend deck along the whole back living area even if it needs to be across 2 levels.

you will need to measure every room to make sure of all the options but some ideas for you to consider and if the floor inside doesn't have steps there should be no reason why the deck can't be level

if you only plan for another seven years at this house i would only invest in improvements to increase the comfort and buyer appeal without major changes...and as i suggested in your earlier post a verandah/porch roof across the front and now, remove the confusing laundry door and clad over the opening and around the kitchen, bathroom, toilet and new pantry window with vertical dark stained cladding and upgrade the landscaping for a fresh new look, add a generous deck with open pergola, install solar skylights to improve brightness where necessary is much more cost effective than extra windows, add an electric or gas fireplace (and upgrade all insulation, floor and window coverings) use free standing cabinets and wardrobes (eg IKEA Billy) to create the look of built ins that can move with you to the next home

Looking at your plans , I can't work out a couple of things -- mainly the new Master Bedroom . It appears to be smaller than the other bedrooms , and the ensuite looks pokey -- the way its drawn , it looks like you'd trip over the toilet every time you open the door ?

The other thing I can't undrstand is why was the master built there ? It almost looks like someone drew it there on the original plans , then extended the dining and living ? Maybe someone thought it would look 'interesting' having a whole pile of angles along what is essentially the 'front' now , but if it had been built 'flush' with the ( presumably new at the same time ) dining and living room walls and essentially moved the Master 'right' , you could have had a bigger Master and way better entrance and better look from the street ?

So that would be where I would investigate first -- yes , I did read it is on a slab , and yes the roof joists would probably need replacing , so it won't be cheap , and it may not be worth it for 7 years , and you mightn't get your extra $$$ back come sale time ( thats always a lottery ) but that would be my step one .

I’ve expanded master moving en-suite to kitchen.

Thanks @Pottsy that’s a really new idea that we hadn’t thought of. Exactly why I posted here. The master is okay, it’s bigger than it looks on the agent’s sketch-up and the wardrobe has four sliding doors. The other bedrooms are pretty huge. Yep we do run into the ensuite toilet. My tiny en-suite, thread on Design Dilemma (complete with pics) may amuse you.

@CP hadn’t thought of that either and it is a fairly underused wall/space on that side. Great idea!

@OKL thanks - these were the plans we were thinking about but we hadn’t adequately resolved the laundry question.

@Scott I’ll be checking back for some after photos! Big project.

@Kate that’s right out there too, sadly I don’t think our budget will stretch to a master extension as well. But I love to dream :)

After having a RE agent through for valuation we decided a full reno would overcapitalise and push our mortgage payments into the uncomfortable space.
Going for a (still eye watering my expensive) reno of 2 bathrooms and 1 toilet. I can live in the house a few more years, I think, with those done.

Have u settled on a plan?

Just finalizing the en-suite. The main bathroom layout will be as OKL posted above, with a walk-in wet room shower. I know now why I avoided renos previously, it’s nerve-wracking. I don’t think I could have coped with doing the kitchen at the same time!

Yes it is. There is not perfect layout. So many details.

If I were you, I would buy more property instead of doing expensive renovations. You can easily create favourable living conditions, buy and furnish another house and rent it out. That way, you will earn money for the rest of your life and be able to make a dream renovation in your current house. You should think ahead to ensure a good old age. It is not that difficult to start investing.

Old post. @metlt in act how is it going?

@Kate great just finished our bathrooms and now doing small things like curtains etc until we can afford the flooring next… I have a thread about my tiny ensuite with the before and after pics.

Updating this old post; as mentioned above, it was clear a major reno was going to result in overcapitalising. While it's a solid 4-bedroom homes on 800+sqm block, our suburb is one of the few in Canberra that remains affordable to lower-end first home buyers. Those who can afford a bit more than entry-level generally don't buy in our area.

We did renovate the ensuite, toilet and master bath. A good thing we did, as the ensuite needed an almost complete rebuild due to structural problems arising from short cuts in the earlier extension.

We have been progressively working on items to help us stay comfortable in the next few years, and to make sure running the house stays affordable ($1000 gas bills in the winter quarter were killing us). Cellular blinds in the living areas, replacement external canvas blinds, all lighting changed to LED. Our gas ducted heating/cooling, oven and hot water service all failed in quick succession last year. We installed energy efficient electric replacements and then had the gas disconnected. The ACT Govt $15k interest-free loan was very handy.

After all that work then posted us out of Canberra for a couple of years :) So we also had to upgrade the ceiling insulation to meet the ACT's new rental standards.

I do miss our house, it's pretty comfy now. We only have underfloor and wall insulation on the list, as well as new flooring when we move back in.

Thanks for the advice here, it was really helpful!