The budget needs to take into account that this, by the google street view photos, it is a double brick concrete slab home, typical of the era in that area. So just gutting the entire upper level and starting again, would include removing load bearing structural brick walls. Which would mean the roof would need removing etc. Plumbing would need to be cut into existing concrete slab etc etc.

Suggestion:

So it would be best to work with the current layout and find some alternatives to a complete gut. You have plumbing at either end of the home already, so the existing kitchen could be a new bathroom for your children, the bathroom in the middle becomes a good powder room/pool bathroom, and the ensuite at the north end gives you your plumbing for the new kitchen. Installing a large window on the north end.

Where will you park your vehicles if the garage is converted to a master bedroom. Your plans are not showing any renovation to this area that you mentioned, can you draw that in please.

Can you take a photo of the back of the home to give us some context on how the backyard connects to the back of house and the two different levels that your husband is so unhappy about.

Excellent photos, they show that you have a great solid brick home that needs some reorganisation to make it wonderful.

Thank you so much, I really love it. I’m hoping we can make a few changes so it works for everyone. I really appreciate your thoughts.

I don’t see internal stairs to the converted garage. How is it accessed and where does it sit under the upper level? Do u want internal stair to new master

Rough mud map. Trying to make use of plumbing or at least close to.

Same concept as Kate, but I have kept half the lounge. I have added a large window into lounge wall on the south, and a large window on the north wall. Bifold doors from new kitchen/dining/living out to pool area. Rearrange the lower level bathroom entrance to be a pool powder room.

I notice on your plans you have put some red marks next to the laundry. Is this the new stair position for lower level?

Which is corresponding with the bulkhead marked on the upper floor plan? In red.

Thanks so much for your drawings. Those marks refer to our planning of the garage conversion. There’s internal stairs from the entry way down into the garage and there a bit of a box inset in the lounge room to allow for the stair construction height. Both the stairs and the box in the lounge ended up being way bigger in reality than our drawings 😂

So therefore a bedroom in that lounge space will be compromised by that bulkhead for the stairs.

Can you prove a drawing showing actual stairs to basement

Would more minor changes achieve what you're after for a lot less money and potentially sooner. Would enlarging the upstairs balcony to give you an alfresco entertaining space off the kitchen (with a view??) work?

If you just relocated the master bedroom you could turn that space into a rumpus with large doors into the poolside alfresco.

I just think 5 years is a long time to wait to be happy with your house.

i think the new living areas would be so much better at the same level as the front entry, alfresco and pool and my suggestions include the new kitchen and living area and new kids' bedrooms, bathroom, kids lounge and study with access to both balconies ...but the old plan dimensions are inconsistent so first step would be to make a new original plan with accurate dimensions including size and location of all doors and windows and have a builder inspect and advise about any major structural restrictions but if you like the area and it makes your husband happier a major renovation could be a better investment than moving

access to the new family bathroom is subject to the size of the bulkhead over the stairs so please post the plans for the new downstairs and include the actual external dimensions (measured from the living area) of the bulkhead

Good thinking OKL, we had the same idea for the kitchen, and as you said dimensions don't work, I would look to opening up the family room to the eastern morning sun plus add windows to the North, remove the alfresco and replace with Vergola pergola so you get the winter western sun back into the house, or add several skylights

Keeping pool access to the shower room and WC

Perhaps a a guest bedroom/Media/ Study might also be useful and could have wide pocket doors in place of the single hinged door

This is as far as I got with this and will follow up

hearing that you have already started making changes, ie turning the garage into living space, I think you mentioned a master suite,

My suggestion has 3 bedrooms together with a Master including an Ensuite using the existing kitchen Plumbing plus a parents retreat, all rooms could having openings to decks etc

Not knowing the family and how many children, ages etc, I suggest that they use the Powder room and bathroom below the split level which is just a few stairs ( we did this with our kids which was very successful), small children could use the ensuite WC during the night

A bath could easily be added to your new garage work

The master would have water glimpses plus morning sun

In my experience kids love to be where the action and food is, the new kitchen family etc would take care of their needs

Your new rooms in the garage could be used as guest/parent accommodation or just a rumpus room with bathroom and kitchenette

Here is the revised drawings to show the new wall and stairs in the garage. I will measure the lounge room space where the stair box is shortly.
Oklouise that plan for the revised space is amazing, we hadn’t considered putting the upstairs bathroom in that space, but it looks like a really good fit. We will need to look into the plumbing requirements through the slab and make sure it’s possible but I would be thrilled if it could work out
Siriuskey - I hadn’t considered shifting all 3 bedrooms into the kitchen/living area but your plan shows how it could easily work out. We are a family of 4, 2 children aged 5 and 7 so looking to grow into the house. I definitely want to remove the alfresco to let the winter sun in, your suggestion sounds like it will work perfectly.
Thanks so much for everyone’s input, it has given us so many ideas to work with and we are feeling very inspired

The box comes out 1.6m into the room, and the width between the box and the wall is 2.4m

that means the whole space is sized differently than expected so, as previously suggested, you need to measure all the rooms (including halls, bathrooms inside wardrobes etc) plus size and location of all doors and windows to make sure that you have an accurate starting point to make new plans and checkout Saniflow to make installation of bathrooms easier in difficult locations

Here are the plans for the house with measurements, I hope this gives enough information. Will definitely be looking into saniflow - thanks so much!

Those plans are for the original house layout of the kitchen/dining/family/lounge, layout is as per the real estate plans but the measurements should be correct