New HOUSE - floorplan change / Full Reno

Been a while since I've been on the forum - have been extremely busy IRL / wedding, newborn, covid, hot property market, working in finance...

But new project, which has of course lead me back to PC!

Current floorplan.



Here's roughly what I'm looking at...

- Ensuite double the size into the WIR
- Study changed to WIR
- Remove wall from Kitchen to Dining (already have engineering done)
- Pantry switch to study
* Not sure what to do with main bathroom, thinking just double basin moved or maybe whole new large wet area given 3rd bathroom downstairs?
* not sure on end of the kitchen area, no butlers? there is the space next to the porch also?

 

Looks disjointed with the lounge room it on its own near the bedroom/bathroom area.

Are the dimensions accurate? - the lounge room looks much bigger than 4m x 3m when compared to adjacent bedrooms.

If the lounge room is big enough, I would be inclined to turn it into a master/ensuite area, including the deck area if necessary. Then knock out the whole main bedroom, ensuite, bed 4 (which you plan to lose anyway) and make it a big open living area adjacent to the kitchen and dining.

If you want a butler’s pantry, convert the laundry area to a combined laundry/butlers.

 

Thanks for the feedback @Marg4000
Haha definitely not correct, taken from the listing, reckon that should be 5x3 not 4x3 - good spot
Originally I had similar thoughts about moving master to the other end but...
- lounge room will work really well, will be more of a kids area.
- prefer to keep the master away from that end of the house
- also structurally might be more involved (added some pictures below - hopefully they help)

Like the idea of the laundry/butlers, need to look into how that would work

 

Ok, so it is more a downstairs adults area?
Makes much more sense now.

 

There are a number of porches, balconies, decks and the like, and one less may be okay. Could the porch next to the dining room be enclosed and the existing wall be safely removed, or partially removed? The porch could be a dining room or a lounge room. Or is that the front door? Is there scope for removing the small steps at the top of the steps from the lower level? The existing laundry could be moved to the back and the kitchen moved to that space, creating a long open plan kitchen-living-living area. The carport could be made into a garage.

 

@Marg4000 yes that far living room will be 'kids zone'.
Down stairs will have the pool table, bar/cellar.

@Burramys porch at the front isn't UMR, there is an external wall for privacy to the front door - which might go... (shown in red below)

Have considered moving the kitchen > dining area that way could be in the kitchen looking down over the void/living below and pool outside. But not sure about entering directly into kitchen?

Carport could definitely be enclosed. Ideally would later would combine balcony and undercover area and extend out inline with pergolas.

 

A main entry in the kitchen does not look right. The aerial view over the lawn helps; for this sort of situation it's best to see the place on site, not in a picture. People accessing the house can be grouped into those coming from cars in the carport, and on foot from the street. Put a door in the top right corner of the carport giving access to the porch. There's a big tree - possibly a ghost gum - and pavers leading to the lawn beside the carport. Have stairs built here with a roof and walls, leading to the entertainment area and the laundry door, which is now the front door. This would get people from cars and on foot inside out of the weather. The laundry is not too good at the new entry, but with the door shut nobody will notice.

It looks like there are two fridges on the laundry wall. The Fs are upside down, so the freezers are at the bottom. If possible, keep the door here wide, more welcoming. If the entry is moved to the laundry region then the red kitchen porch extension can be used for an expanded kitchen-dining-living area. Or the red porch could be a kitchen, still open plan.

The lounge at the far end is good for storing kids. Given all the porches, decks and verandahs (not pergolas, which are open to the sky) I'm a little reluctant to take lawn for the green verandah.

 

@Burramys definitely easier with photos, usually just put up links. But given it's going to be my PPOR...

There is a roller door on the carport, so moving entry there wouldn't really work.
Could be moved to kitchen, kitchen moved down left, but then that would be entry onto dining.
Could be moved to laundry, but then laundry has to go elsewhere.
Red section isn't under the main roof, it's just a privacy wall. Would be large structural costs to build out to here and would create an odd street front.

Block size is just under 2800sqm, there is a full size tennis court on the other side of the pool and that grass area is ~300sqm
But definitely not rushing the plan for the veranda extension - will live in the house first and think about what will work best.
Everything internally will be done before moving in.

 

Your coloured boxes are very helpful.

I did not make my advice clear, sorry. Have an entrance from the carport and an external staircase near the ghost gum and steps (not pavers, should have looked at the bigger picture). Drivers can get inside the house from the carport.garage, and people on foot go up the stairs.

However, now that I can see the street view I'm not keen on the stairs outside the carport. It's too far. A raised walkway from the street to the "ki" of kitchen on the front elevation appeals. If the existing front door porch can be made sheltered without a brick wall then this could be considered. Anything that keeps the wind and rain out is good.

While you are having the internal work done, as the builder if the carport entry is viable. A late thought. Is there already access from the carport to the laundry porch door? From the carport there are steps up to the kitchen verandah. That level is kept all the way through - dining, kitchen, laundry, porch ... carport. The levels confuse me. Can you please clarify that the plans are ... I cannot resist this ... on the level?

 

@Westminster can't seem to get pic to work in PM. So will post here.

Is this what you mean, moving front door to here and laundry?

 

I was thinking to move it so it lined up with the hallway and be on the carport side instead of the porch side but I see that there is a step there at the porch so probably not as feasible.

The awkward hallway would probably make a decent mudroom, ie put some hooks along the wall for bags, coats, shoe racks

Then leave the laundry where it is but I don't think I'd make the kitchen so big and would put a scullery or WIP between the laundry and the kitchen

 

Like this?

 

@Westminster ahh yes ok that makes sense. Had similar thoughts regarding to put scullery/butlers or not.

Given the window - the scullery/butlers would be pretty decent sized...
Would it be taking too much space from the kitchen?

Moving the door makes it nice area for built in BBQ

 

Yup they have the tv/bbq/microwave in that section now and seems to work quite well. But you'd need 2 steps on the carport side. Should be doable as the carport is a bit wider than normal.

You could change the size of the window or make the scullery wall more hard up against the window and go L shape. Probably needs some onsite measuring to see how it all works as it will probably come down to the size of the island bench being pleasing as to how big the scullery can be.

 

The laundry could be on the cellar wall of the lower level, to the edge of the WC window. Somewhere near there. The current laundry could be a pantry, with the existing walls or probably a bit smaller. The undercover area is 5.7 metres deep, ample room for a BBQ on the BR1 wall with the laundry porch door in the same place. A short polycarbonate wall on the garden side would shelter the BBQ and give light.

 

Was able to get access to the property again yesterday to run some more trades through.
Vendors have been great allowing access prior to settlement.

Hopefully have some drawings/designs for bathrooms and kitchen in coming weeks.

At this stage looking something like this for the floor plan.

- Main bathroom, making it one large grand bathroom. Given 3rd toilet downstairs in the entertaining area.
- WIR centring door and closing balcony access allowing for maximum storage
- Having kitchen cabinets running along the wall for maximum cabinetry, allowing flow to mudroom/WIP/Laundry

*moving porch door was considered, but would require step in carport * will look at this again next time.

 

That looks good. Seeing the place in person is much better than plans and pictures and can get better ideas. The kitchen has a nice flow.

A mix of the old and new bathroom may appeal. Today's plan means that if the toilet, bath, basin or shower are in use nobody else can come in. For this reason I like keeping the current toilet as is, perhaps moving the wall on the bath side in the new plan down a bit. The new basins in the entry area can stay, as can the existing bathroom door. If the bathroom is too small, move the lounge wardrobe so that the doors (probably sliding) are level with the lounge window.

This means that the toilet, bathroom and basin areas can be in use at the same time.

 

I think they'll be fine as there is another powder room at the lower ground living/games room for guests other kids to use

However there might be room to put the shower where the toilet is and the toilet where the shower is with access off the hallway if the room dimensions and design go that direction.

 

I like this idea with the kitchen. Moving the cabinets off the window wall allows for a full height set.

You might be able to squeeze in some half height benchtop and drawers/show cupboards under to the left of the garage porch door swing for additional storage

 

PS I'd look at rotating the toilet in the ensuite so it's next to the vanity and gives more knee room and logical space for toilet roll holders etc