Thx oklouise. It’s actually on a kind of slope so only half floor underneath the right side.

Put a cover or shade cloth over car space. Move staircase forward into living room. Can you move laundry downstairs? R

Thanks Kate. That’s a budget way for car space.
There is a laundry corner downstairs though but what are you proposing for the existing laundry space?

Maybe this if u want upstairs master

Emmm thanks Kate that give me some thoughts to ponder :)

There was a guy on radio the other day speaking from Brisbane home show. He said that carports are the sensible/economic way to go for cars. Otherwise, you are using expensive real estate for a car. (though he was saying this with respect to houses that have been raised and a garage put underneath).

That’s a brissy thing isn’t it. For a Queenslander you have the lower floor normally less than 2.4 m height and can be used for occupancy.
But yes carport is a viable option. Cheers

I was thinking you could turn the downstairs into a wonderful master suite. The upstairs main bedroom could become a family room or guest room. If you change the orientation of your kitchen,I think you’ll find you’ll be able to get better floor space. I also suggest some support beams where the old kitchen was. The laundry entry would change under these circumstances too. I’ve included a plan with the changes. I also included some pictures to show you what it could look like.

This is the plan…

Of course this would mean you would need the double carport.

Thanks for your comments rna1962.
I like how you reposition the kitchen that’d open a lot of spaces plus it’s a cute idea to utilise the little corner to place the fridge/freezer.

I like @rna1962's idea of moving the master downstairs , although of course that depends on views , and also possible mobility issues now or in future .

As far as the upstairs dining space and changing the kitchen , how about thinking a bit bigger , and ( depending on the house style and construction ) maybe change the entrance door for a larger glass sliding door -- its less formal but also it makes the whole lounge area and foyer ( probably with those little wall tabs removed ) into a wider , bigger , lighter space . Probably too big in comparison to everything else haha . You see where I'm going here ?

So then you can move the kitchen wall 'forward' ( as the plan sits ) to be in line with the 'front' of the hallway , then shorten the bench over under the existing kitchen window , and basically make the kitchen narrower and longer , so that effectively makes the dining larger too .

I’m glad you like it Irove. We have done similar changes to our house.
-I’m not sure what your council will require in regard to your changes. Ours was only for the fitting out the supporting beam. Ours was supporting an upstairs area, whereas yours may only be supporting a roof truss or not. So I’d check that out first. Worst case scenario, you may need a supporting post. All of the work for this can be done by a registered carpenter. Get quotes!
-There are kitchen companies that do flat pack kitchen but also offer the added service of an installer at a very reasonable rate. My daughter had her whole kitchen installed, including electrics and plumbing for $3500. They could also do your WIR and vanity downstairs and coffee bar.😜
-Downstairs, all the plumbing is already existing, you can work with this. Check with your local council about any certificates you may need. I am wondering if downstairs maybe on a concrete slab? If so, there is amazing work being done now with polished concrete. Check it out. Back to the bathroom. We bought all our plumbing fixtures and fittings on line for a fraction of the price that any bathroom company charged. We bought our tiles from a bargain tile place, (larger tiles are cheaper and quicker to lay and less fiddly) they suggested a tiler. We called in a plumber to fit out the bathroom. You will also need you carpenter to be involved in this. Get all trades together before you even start. Work out your plan, if you keep most of your amenities in place, it will make it cheaper. That doesn’t mean you can’t update them.
Good luck, if you do go with this!

WOW really appreciate you guys taking time to comment. We’ll keep the imagination ruining wild :)

I get where the sliding door idea come from ITS BOLD lol

Thanks rna1962 for sharing the detailed steps of a real example. Yes I think downstairs is on a slope and don’t think kitchens retaining wall so might just need some support from carpenter. But I’ll definitely check with my council.

Also keep it open for other thoughts or suggestions.

Thanks All!