ps, I know my stairs definitely aren't up to AS ;) :)

For my money, I would move the entrance. Entering into a long, windowless, L shaped hallway is awkward anyway, and the front entrance/hallway would make a very functional Jack and Jill ensuite between the front two bedrooms (cost and plumbing allowing). As long as one of the ensuites has a bathtub, you could probably then skip having a full guest bathroom next to the kitchen and just have powder room.

Good landscaping would make a side entrance obvious to visitors.

Hello, thanks for your feedback!

Where would you place the entry? I feel like it's so far away from the front boundary if we place it past the bedrooms? Also, we have a front porch (see photo) - what would you do with that?

what is the width and length of the whole block? and what is the distance from the outside of the original living and dining rooms to the side fence...i'm wondering if the architect's plans are set back further from the side boundary than necessary due to the potential upstairs and there may be a little extra space available at the sides for the single level extension?

Hi there, the block is 8.8m x 45m approx. Distance from original living to the boundary is 2.6m. The architect kept 1.5m from the boundary in the above plan.

We have an easement that will need to be moved, that's why we need to keep a bit of a distance on the west side (plans are oriented north)

Oh wow, thank you @oklouise for the effort you put into this! You have given us much to think about, and things I would never have considered. Our entry hall is 1.5m x 5.8m approx. This is much appreciated, many thanks

Personally i would try and keep the entrance where it is, i lived in a house for about 20 years that was on a narrow block (10m) and the entrance was half way down the house and i hated it, i also looked at floor plans to try and maximise the space but gave up in the end and moved! I have 3 children and my suggestion would be always keep the kitchen and laundry close together, you are in those rooms more than any other and i think keeping them as far away from the bedrooms as possible for noise control. Also i think it would look more spacious without a kitchen island, i would orientate the kitchen along one wall, perhaps just the L shape and take the bench all the way down the room, for storage. I know you are trying to fit lounge dining and kitchen in the back area but i would make the main focus the kitchen and dining and a small sitting area. Just some thoughts.

with a little extra width in the front entry some improvements to the ensuite and a tiny downstairs study but you haven't mentioned floor heights so i've added potential location for a few steps down to the extension on a slab with lofty ceilings? and no advantage to stealing more space of the east side path so another narrow courtyard with side access to the family room would allow for family and friends access to the rear without walking through the whole house

and, depending on your local setback..without changing the front entry either of these ens options with a wrap around verandah could be worth considering

Trying to work within the existing footprint. dimensions aren't exact as some are missing in the original plan. I find the passageway a waste of good space

Not pushing the wall out and not going up into the roof space (but You could) and instead spending that money on an expanded sun/living room at the rear which would include the study,WC and laundry, Keeping the original WC as a separate powder room (add a hand bowl), the ensuite could be slightly enlarged. Bedrooms 2 & 3 are shown with both single and QB's the QB bedroom is already slightly bigger than 2.

The family kitchen dining would keep both fireplaces and the addition of skylights could look great

I have replaced the windows either side of the fireplace with two glass doors to allow access to the alfresco space on the side of the house

If it’s within your budget, I really like oklouise’s design : )

Yes, I can't help but feel that I will regret moving the entry @afjp! My husband is keen, but I know that I'll hate it, walking halfway down the house just to enter. Thank you for your suggestions.

@oklouise, you really have gone above and beyond - giving us a lot of food for thought! Thank you for taking the time to fiddle with our floor plan. Lots of options there. We can't go toward the front boundary anymore, unfortunately, but I like your thinking!

@siriuskey, thank you too for taking the time to share your ideas - It is much appreciated. We did toy with the idea of using our existing living and dining like what you have, but I think I am leaning toward the open kitchen, living and dining at the back. You've used up every inch of space, it's great! Some more ideas for us to think about. Thanks!

Just a question for those in the know-how much would it cost to move plumbing etc? And what would your ballpark $ figure/budget to do this extension be? (how long is a piece of string, I know...)

I’m assuming your semi has timber floors built on piers (you have front steps) so a plumber should be able to plum the ensuite, even if he/she has to use something like this https://www.saniflo.com.au