Broad Reno ideas for enhanced layout

F*ck. Just lost another post. Was just saying, in regards to the small bed 4 (in the current meals area), & bed 3 (which will also be 2.7m wide, as a new hallway to the rear extension will rob space). You could make that rear wet area much more efficient, decreasing their size. I'd consider installing a European laundry inside your bathroom. These are very spatially efficient. Stack a dryer on top of a front load washing machine. Sink beside it, with overhead cabinets, & more cabinets under the sink. Possibly with some bench space if required. All in a cabinet in the bathroom. You'd probably still need rear access for washing line, which may be a bit weird out the bathroom, but may be ok. Guess with 5 people & only 2 bathrooms you're always going to want to keep that separate toilet, which will take a bit of room. But with a re-jig I'm sure you can steal a bit of space for the bedrooms. Firstly that 3 door hallway for the wet areas is a waste of space. The other option is a European laundry in the kitchen, though I don't think you have the room there. Or keep the current walk through laundry, make it more efficient, & move the toilet into here. That will save space. Either case, wherever the toilet is, please have a basin in the room, gross otherwise.

Haha, technology can be a pain sometimes!

Only problem with having a bed where the meals currently is (and I presume, leave the kitchen/dining/ lounge as is) is that it completely blocks off the backyard from the living areas. I don't even know how you could get outside if you took our the laundry to make that meals area bedroom bigger...there may be access o the outside from the new master in the future extension, but everything else leads to the front yard instead which isn't ideal. I know the orientation doesn't suit it,but ideally I would like to maximise the backyard/indoor flow, especially with a young family, having eyes on the backyard is preferable.

The first post that I lost was about outdoor areas. Firstly, some more questions, about your location. Are you in a quiet street? Possibly a quiet cul de sac, by the shape of your block, & the fact your road is a "court"? How much privacy do you need in your living & outdoor areas? Would you be happy to have them facing the street? Some people find this to be a revelation, increasing their sense of community. The reason I ask is, if you're happy to keep your living area where it is, which is where I think it should be, I'd consider landscaping your sunny front yard, & making it your primary outdoor area. For most of the year this area will be more comfortable than the shaded backyard. So would be great for outdoor/ indoor living, if you're on a quiet street. Our neighbour, who was a builder, extended & also put his pool out front. It was a great idea, & with landscaping was very private. It was in a quiet cul de sac though, I wouldn't recommend it for any location. Then you can have a smaller shaded outdoor area out back, that could be used on hot summer days, & by the master, if you extend it out back.

Haha, yeah just lost some of another one, luckily I copied most of it, so could just paste it back in. Yeah, our posts are overlapping. That rear access is a problem. I'm guessing the fourth bedroom won't be required until you do the extension. Rear access could be maintained in the meals room until you do the rear extension, & convert the meals room. The extension would rob some area from the backyard, making it more shady, & a less attractive place to use anyway. When you do the extension, you could gain rear access from the new corridor that joins the current house to the new rear rumpus/master/whatever.