Try White Knight products "Laminate paint" and "Tub and Tile" paint to freshen up your cabinets and splashback (it's a bit fiddly but not hard) and a company called Granite Transformations to update your bench - you could possibly paint the benchtops if they're laminate but you might have issues with scratching the surface. Change out your stove exhaust for a pull out type (about $400 plus electrician) and think about new tapware. Good luck.

this is'nt a wooden rangehood....it's a simple framework with added trims built to resemble a fireplace with a very high opening and a built in exhaust system ...a more elaborate than usual wall cabinet that can be built by a carpenter or cabinet maker...talk to the plumber and electrician for advice about a suitable rangehood or exhaust system that will function at the higher level than the standard height above the cooktop...you may have some luck with a commercial product designed for commercial kitchen then, once you have a suitable rangehood the cabinet can be built around it

Hi we are a Samsung and Daikin Dealer in Sydney. The screen looks great by the way. The reason you need space in front of your air conditioner is that when the air can't get away in front of your condenser (outdoor unit) it will come back onto the coil and the system will go out in high head pressure. It will not damage your system as this prevents that, its a safety mechanism. It will just mean on the hot days your system will just shut down. I would just test it out on a hot day to see if does shut down. It is hit and miss with the amount free space in front of your system. If it does shut down, you can get louvres for the outdoor fan to push the air up or just open up the screens in front of the fan.

my suggestions would be to avoid removing any outside walls and money saved invest in a small extension to create a generous pantry with servery to the new deck ...this could make new plumbing much easier and perhaps include a barbq sink .... space under the stairs is not accessed from this level and lower head height would also make the space uncomfortable to use even for a very short person... changing the old family room window to a wide doorway between kitchen and new pantry, using more modest sized sliding glass doors and keeping the original kitchen window and either keeping or converting the side door to a same sized window also allows for best use of wall space for suitable furniture and avoids very expensive structural changes that don't improve the overall space ...although smaller the 1500x 1000 island allows for more comfortable walking space all around and is more in proportion to the size of the rooms and there's more counter and wall space for storage in the new pantry