It’s a beautiful house. Is there no way to avoid ruining the front by extending it?

Thankyou. it is an absolutely beautiful home but it needs to be modernised and bigger

I doubt you'd be allowed to extend out the front as there would be traditional set backs. What about a second  storey set back?

Heritage or planning controls? Normal add 2 storey on back half. Can u post a site and floor plan with dimensions

Obviously , there are lots of sentimental ties , and to a certain degree it won't owe you much , but you still don't want to overspend for what you gain .

To do anything 'out the front' will ruin the look ( even aside from legal requirements as above comments have noted ) or cost a fortune -- about all I could suggest would be closing in the carport and gaining 1 room there -- there are enough original elements there that it will look cohesive . That creates as many problems as it solves though -- you probably still need off-street parking so where ?

Aside from that , like everyone else , I'd consider whether you can go back or up ( or resell but due to sentimentality I'm guessing not a popular suggestion ) . Going up would be expensive -- while the loadbearing walls look strong , you'd almost certainly have to redo all the rafters and roof trusses and therefore ceilings , then how many tiles can you re-use , stairs take up space , and on it goes . It's likely you'd have to move out for several months , gut everything and redo everything -- not only floors , walls and ceilings , but most or all the plumbing , electrical , etc . And you still have to work around where windows and doors etc are , otherwise you'll lose some of the character .

If you have space at the rear , I'd investigate that first -- the more of the existing house you can retain , the better value it will be IMO . I guess it comes down to budget versus sentimental reasons .

Has the property land been subdivided? With council set backs and build ratios, you may be restricted on how much land you have to build on. And that home is a classic California bungalow built in the 1930’s. It would be a dam shame if you demolished.
As Kate as requested. Post a floor plan with measurements, also showing what land area there is around the home that can be used for extension. Or if you are in need of more space, build a second storey. With companies that have the prefabricated extension, the inconvenience is minimal. To me your home looks like a typical Perth home, so assuming you are in Perth, here is a company that specialises in extension that will keep the integrity of the home.

Another example.

options of extending will depend on available space, existing floorplan and local council regulataions...do any other houses in your street have any part of the house or garage/carport close to the front fence...please post a site plan (and/or a Google Earth image) showing the whole block with existing house and any other buildings, distance from all four boundaries to the house and a floor plan with dimensions

The block is already subdivided. The rear house is two storey. The front house is set back approx 9 metres from front of verandah to front property line. Several other houses are set back approx only 4 metres. The intention is to keep the front house single storey. There is very little space at the rear of the house ( a very small courtyard only). I will need to eventually employ an architect but just getting a feel of what to do. Thankyou so much for the ideas and photos. Will require a secure carport also.
( Have Google satellite views and house floor plan just having difficulty posting 🙁)

I think if you're building in front then a knock down rebuild is probably going to be a better option.

I hate to say it too. But I agree with no room at the back a KDRB is probably the way to go. Extending at the front will ruin the house anyway so you may as well knock it down and have what the design you want. However I think for a KDRB you will need to to comply with the current regulations for set backs which may be 6m for the front. If you use an architect make sure you get one familiar with your LGA.

I would hate to see that house demolished,  I think a second storey is the best option. (Probably not the cheapest)

Thankyou all for your comments. The reason for moving from rear property to frontbproperty is to transition from double storey to single storey 👍

with 9 m to the front boundary there should be some option to expand at the front (and maybe into the side) without a second storey but we need a copy of the floor plans to make any suggestions

Okay so finally worked out how to add more photos! House plans showing present floor layout with small rooms and satellite view 👍

I still say KDRB. It's a very sweet but not amazing facade and looking at the satellite image I can see why you can't do the other suggestions. A replica is always going to look twee so I think you're best off doing what the neighbours on right hand side have done and get a design which really delivers all your  needs.

You are in a wonderful part of Perth. My first phone call would be to the council to see what restrictions you have in knocking down your property. City of Fremantle council are getting stricter on keeping the street scapes original. The house on the right is a double storey home, looks like it was built in the 1990-2000’s. Councils are a lot stricter now.

If you are going to build a new single storey home, then what are the build ratios, and set backs for your block. This is what is needed to know from the city of Fremantle. If you can only put the same size home on the block, then I would look at renovating your perfectly good home. It would be a solid build, and by the real estate.com photos, ready for a renovation. In that part of Perth, you will never over capitalise, what ever you decide to do. Knock down walls and open it up. Summit Homes, as mentioned previously and other companies can do that as well. Doesn’t need to be a second storey addition, if you are having this as a downsize/retirement lifestyle home.

So.....what do you require for your home. How many bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas?

I know its been a family home for years , but rather than try and turn it into something it isn't , logic would say sell it and buy what you actually want . That sounds rude and to the point , but you'd easily spend $250k rearranging the interior walls , new kitchen , bathrooms , etc , and you'll still have the same area ; at least double that if you go up but keep it in the same style , and it will still be a bit of a compromise .

I have no idea what its worth , but no matter what $$$ figure , take that plus $500k , and have a look at what you can find in the area close to you , for that .

You can take your Grandads boyhood car , spend $50k on it , and end up with a stunning tribute to him . But if you need a people mover , you go and buy one -- you don't try and turn a 1950's Austin into something that will carry 7 kids to sport then pick up 2 trikes and 3 bikes .

a quick search on the City of Fremantle planning site. It appears in this homes address the set back would be 5 metres.

https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Local%20Planning%20Policy%202.9%20-%20Residential%20Streetscape%20-%20LPP2.9%20-%20CURRENT%201%20May%202020_0.pdf

The house seems a good size. I wouldn’t lose the front open space but reconfigure internally a little. Get an architect in to inspect and determine your options considering structure and your wishes

If council approves, A big privacy fence all around front, so front becomes your backyard. Re -configure internals with a architect.

I would renovate rather KDRB as looks like a solid build and I like the bungalow style but depends on budget, exactly what you want to achieve (modern single storey - downsizing?) and what space you need for who will be in the house.
You have said the rooms are small - from the plan, I think they are a reasonable size. What is too small? Do you need an extra bedroom, home office?

This is just an observation, not a comment on the original question. I have been watching the journey of a deceased estate, from walking my dog past the house on a regular basis. The property is in a prime location. Uninterrupted views across a lake, walking distance to Botanical gardens, large corner block & surrounded by well built homes, tree lined streets..... When this property sold, my initial reaction was it will be knocked down. As there have been delays on the site due to the pandemic, when the first signs of activity started, they were pulling down the back walls, sheds etc. What they ended up doing was retaining the frontage & the wall on one side of the house to retain the two chimneys. The development of this humble house has turned from an Ugly Duckling into the structure of a potential Swan. I commend whoever has had the imagination to do this & do something different......