Sorry to hear about your Dad. What a shock for your family. The first thing you need to do is a budget. The second is finalising a functional floor plan that will work for the next 10 years for your family - even if you stage the works. And you can’t finalise the second without the first but the plan gurus here will give you some ideas.. Is the block level?

Oh that’s sad about your dad. Sounds like you need the roof looked at. I assume the ceiling collapse is from water damage. The satellite dish sounds too heavy for its support. What was the cause?

Block pictured is fairly level, would love ideas on how we can stage it. Bigger kitchen is priority number one, everything else we can hold off on, but we've held off on fixing the ceiling in our lounge till we know what we're doing.

It looks like a bad solar panel install caused cracks in the tiles, then when we had our roof pressure washed clean, the insulation got soaked, fell in, and then took the ceiling down with it! Our AHM Insurance has refused to pay as they claim it was a combination of sudden event (cleaner) and the building being old, so as we're fixing it we thought if there needed to be a second story void, it could be there, or if we build a second story the floor install and new ceiling could be part of it.

Thanks both of you for taking the time to comment! My Dad had all the tradie brains, and I'm not even sure where to start.

What are the set backs around your property? How far is it from kitchen window to fence?

Ok. You said the property is old and a fixer upper. Have you considered knocking it down and starting again. It can be cheaper than extending and putting in new bathrooms and kitchen in existing house. Are the kitchens and bathrooms north keeping. You said the kitchen is too small.

What a lot of bad luck you have had, firstly losing your dad and his talent for fixing things, and then the ceiling and then the lack of Insurance cover, hope you are changing company. You need to get that fixed asap plus the satellite dish, do you need it, if so you might be able to get the supplier to fix that. I say get the roof and ceiling fixed as any going up could be to the rear of the building to take in the view and sounds like it would be bedrooms etc keeping the kitchen family downstairs. Do you have any photos to add of the house plus a google earth shot is always great. KDR would mean you would lose the mural and always creates extra costs having to find accommodation while this happens which at this time can also be difficult

my suggestions include increases in the kitchen, extra toilet and improved laundry plus some potential future extensions for future dining room, carport, garage, playroom, master suite and bed 4 and shows that, based on confirmation of available space, there should be no need to add an expensive second story so the current roof/ceiling problems should be fixed asap to avoid any additional internal damage and then you can commence modest improvements to the kitchen, bathroom and laundry and then bigger improvements can be staged as funds allow and more appreciation of the rear views could be added with an expanded alfresco but i think that the first thing your dad would want you to learn is to better understand what you already have with a carefully checked house and siteplan showing accurate dimensions and distances from house to boundaries of every direction as this will allow you to estimate how you can use all that garden space now and into the future...maybe something like this

Gee , it has been challenging , but it is great to see you are planning forward .

I'm going to guess the house is 1960's or 70's , either weatherboard or brick , on piles/stumps ( I'm in NZ , we call them piles ) ? I really like oklouises plan , but if it is a brick house , the extension would be harder to do , which means costlier , although it would probably be more solid . Likewise , with the ceilings falling in , it implies some issues that may not yet be fully fixed .

So I'm with Kate -- I'd price a new build as well as price the additions .

A new kitchen might seem like a good idea , and it is , but if you are doing a knock-down rebuild that new kitchen is pretty much a waste .

But one thing I'd look into , especially if you are getting a builder to do the kitchen and/or ceilings -- that wall between the entrance and the lounge is probably not load bearing , I'm not so sure about the one between the kitchen and the lounge , but if I was doing ceilings ( I'm gethering they haven't been done ? ) it might be a good time to open the area some more , with the new ceilng ( it will need plastering etc , so now is as good a time as any ) , make basically unused space into something a bit better ?

I am very sorry about your Dad. I no nothing much about building, but maybe I know stuff about leaky old houses & starting a family..

At the risk of being all 'Life Coachy', Safety is #1 right? An injured child, an inured parent, time off work, no income. All that is disaster. Protect what you have already. Ensure your home & family are safe. Physically & financially. Have adequate insurance. Consider home, contents, building & also life insurance via super too.

I placed 2nd bub over better home & never regreted that choice. My kids shared a room until 5. One smallish kitchen, one living room & one bathroom. Even now, as kids grown with partners staying over too.

It sounds like a lovely block & if that alone makes it your 'forever home' then great!

Take time over your priorities. Take time to settle on your housing plan. To find a qualified builder.

Good luck with whatever the plans shape up to be!

PS As the mural is sentimental, consider taking numerous photos of it now. Have it replicated if need be in a reno/rebuild.

Hello Briannah, I am so sorry to hear of your Dad's fast passing especially before you were about to use his "Tradie's Brains": I love that: may I use it for others too please!! GOLD!! He must have been a great fellow with Tradie's Brains!!

As to the plans: I too would like to know the distances from the boundaries, especially at the front of the house: Wondering how a garage could be included too: the whole plan needs to be looked at before you do much else but fix the roof. To that end I would suggest ColorBond roofing as provided in long lengths it is better than the 1,000 little bits that are tiles. Between any one can be a problem but the ColorBond has pin holes to hold it in place.

To the plans: I have a "super power" with plans: I could create renovation suggestions for you, canvassing ideas until we get it right for you AND rebuild plans all very suitable to take to builders for quotes. I invite you to look over my website, have a good read, look at my past works and contact me for a chat. Then I can start drawing plans that you can, with prices from builders, get a far clearer idea of which way you wish to go and what you are able to build. Love to assist you to create your dream home for many years of very happy memories! Cheers Margot

Sorry, just to confirm, is the road side/front of home on the left of your overhead photo? With the entrance door for visitors on the driveway side? You have said, “the back of the house overlooks a nature reserve”. Can you please explain where “the back” is? If the views are on the east boundary, then to see those views from inside of the home, the entire house needs reconfiguration. If the views are to the north, then again, the kitchen and utilities are stopping the northern sun and views. You have plenty of land to extend the home, but some good thinking will need to be done to have a entrance door at the front, and internal rooms taking in the views. As usual for most homes built in the era of yours. The orientation and best position of the building were never taken into consideration.

Hello Briannah, Thank you for all the information here in. I have come back to re read this and still my offer holds: I would love to assist you get this right for you and your family! Having scales sketch designs of renovations/extension and/OR new home on the site would make your decisions easier: straightforward for you in my book. Offer still stands and I have a clean slate to be able to work on this NOW. Cheers Margot Let us start with a phone call and I can explain further how I can help you. :)

Hi Briannah, please see my rough sketch of what I think may be possible for your home. Create a second bathroom in the existing kitchen, and bedrooms with the existing living and dining area. Create a brand new kitchen, living and dining and extend a gable alfresco to the east. I’ve also attached a photo of inspiration for the new living and alfresco.

The special memory wall in bed 2, can be photographed, framed and positioned in a different room.

Another inspiration photo.

- our mural

Such a calming and nurturing vibe mural.

That is so fabulous... I can fully understand why you need to preserve it... it is splendid.... It is on the back garden wall of bed 2: is that correct? Cheers Margot

This mural was picked out by your Dad, not painted by him, is that correct? Therefore I would not compromise the flow of the home, if removing that wall makes the home work better. As said previously I would photograph, frame and put somewhere in your renovated home, where it can be seen by everyone.