the routine we've used is to first understand what we already have and how that can be improved eg prepare a site plan, impact of local climate, orientation and passive solar design and then start with a builder to better understand the limitations of the building eg where are the load bearing walls and what can be achieved with minimal structural changes eg a wide doorway rather than removing a whole wall and can we live in the house during renovations and how long will that take... then prepare a rough draft plan of potential improvements and discuss with Council to confirm what will be approved then employ a designer (preferably connected to your builder) to finalise plans, back to builder for a quote, modify plans to reduce costs or plan staged improvements...eg should landscaping be included or can that be done separately, do you need an extension or can you rearrange doorways and add bigger windows and a simple deck or pergola to improve living spaces ......comparing owner builder where we DIY, sourced materials and subcontracted labour to a full service builder we've discovered that the work is completed much more quickly and efficiently by a full service builder and the builders fees are offsett by builders reputation and existing contacts being able to source discounts on materials and more reliable labour while we kept working at our day jobs and only had to worry about choosing appliances, fixtures and finishes which is more than enough to do

would be interested to see plans and some photos for the existing house

Thanks oklouise for the response, designing for orientation and passivie energy is quite new to me. Any recommended resources?

Just uploaded a few pictures from the listing.

I think along with the builder you need to find a landscape architect to design the courtyard. They will then instruct builder on bringing that together with the rest of the building work. Interior designer will help work out what you do inside. Good luck

start with YourHome.gov.au and numerous other publications for advice about Passive Solar design

Mark, are you planning on living in the house whilst the work is going on? That can save on rent but can increase timelines so should be taken into account. Are you looking to do any of the work yourself?

The web site yourhome.gov.au is a definite good read.

https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design

But basically you need as many daytime living areas facing the north direction. Minimise west direction facing rooms. But your climate needs to be taken into consideration. Tasmania, would be different to Queensland.

With your home the bedrooms are on the west, so just make sure they have sufficient external coverage to stop harsh west afternoon sun.

Mark these guys might be of more help to you considering they are in the Melb Vic area and know the climate. They have also produced some designs similar to the aesthetic you are desiring.
https://www.refreshrenovations.com.au/about-us/locations/advice/article/sort/melbourne/sustainable-home-renovations/

Good luck 👍

Amber1990, if your previous comments were about the shared equity government ownership for housing, this has been available to all WA residents for a very long time. When my sister entered this shared equity scheme in the late 1980’s, it was a 20% share, it can now be up to 30%. You can buy back this share from the government in instalments when you can afford it, or pay the amount back when you sell the home. My sister was a single mum and this suited her. She now is a very successful person and owns three investment properties. In the 1980’s this was such a big help to put a roof over her head, instead of renting. Have a read, it’s a good option for people that do not have the income that others may have. https://www.housing.wa.gov.au/sharedstart/Documents/shared_home_ownership_faqs.pdf

This is still current as at oct 2021. https://www.housing.wa.gov.au/sharedstart/Pages/default.aspx

it's disappointing to read that amber 1990 focussed on my poor punctuation rather then the content of my suggestions which are based on life time experience of building and renovating numerous homes for my family and designing for others ..i am not employed by any Govt agency and imo the Yourhome.gov information about passive home design is excellent as it includes renovating advice for different areas of Australia and for improving existing homes without ideal orientation

my first suggestion was to understand what you already have and the dimension on your plan are inconsistent...if the measurements of the old sunroom and kitchen are correct then the lounge can't be 8m long and there may not be enough space for the kitchen diner shown on your proposed plan? please confirm dimensions of all rooms including study, bath and laundry (ignoring all cabinets and built ins) .... how many and what ages are those who will live in the house...and before removing the sunroom you may find that an extra living room or covered play area could be very useful for small kids but this is what the dimensions show now?

Hi oklouise, the picture is a bit blurry but the Living says 6x3.3 not 8x3.3.

Will be having a builder or designer through to measure it up independently.

In terms of who's living there, 2 adults in short term but hopefully 2 kids down the track. We plan on living there until they're around 10 ish.

Oklouise has been a valuable contributor here as long as I can remember.

The recommended website has lots of good info.

This is not the place for a political rant.

Mark, I recognised your floorplan and I'm concerned that previous advice might get overlooked or previous details might not be factored into new advice.

Hi @macyjean, yeap this thread was more about ideal starting points rather than ideas for floor plan.

Thanks for everyone's responses so far! Some helpful pointers and professionals i can start with.

Would appreciate it if we can stick to experiences of where they started in a renovation project and if they would do it differently.

And let's please keep it respectful to be helpful for any others who might stumble upon this question.

Mark, to answer your original question I’m in my third home that I’ve worked on. I haven’t used professionals except for electrical, plumbing - the licensed work. This has included bathroom and kitchen remodels and removing walls. And generally giving the houses a good make over. Not using designers etc was in part budget driven and in part not wishing to pay for things I can do myself. However when kids arrived the work slowed dramatically and it is definitely easier to outsource it to a one-stop shop if your budget allows. I’m hoping to embark on an extension this year for which I’ll use and contract directly a draftsperson to draw up the plans (honed here on Houzz), a builder to do all the contraction to fitout (plus a bit) and probably a certifier to avoid using the Council approval process. For you it comes down to budget and what level of outsourcing you want and feel comfortable with.

It is sad to read such negative unrelated comments made by an angry Amber1990, let's stick to helping Mark with his Dilemma

Hi Mark and amber1990, just a comment regarding choosing professionals to help you with your project. Personal recommendations are worth while in gathering from friends, work mates and family. They will give you precious information on the tradesman work habits and quality of work. The tradesman are in your home, so you need to be reassured that they are going to do a good job and be polite and accommodating to the household when required. This information can only be found from word of mouth recommendations it is not stated on a companies website. I personally do not “follow” any one, and are not on social media. If I require a tradesman I go back to the good companies I have previously contracted, over the last 35 years since my first renovation.

I suggest starting with an asbestos assessor, and I was thinking it might be helpful if you can find any monocrete homeowners groups, I don't know if there is such a thing but I've come across groups for other architectural styles/building methods and that can be useful for dealing with any specific peculiarities.