Hi Charles 1 – thanks for your input and I can very well appreciate that council would be concerned with overlooking neighbouring properties but I just wonder how everyone else in suburbia manages to either build a second story or build a townhouse etc when they have neighbours to deal with? I mean, a large portion of houses in my area are double story. How do they avoid over-looking their neighbours?

Hi Hrub – thanks also for your input. I didn’t know that it would be ‘rule’ that we would have to put a garage in between the two properties. Thought that perhaps the garage/car space could go at the end of the existing driveway. But as I have said, we haven’t looked into anything so we really don’t know much to begin with. Placing a garage inbetween the two buildings – a) not sure there would be room inbetween and b) it might then interfere with the northern light we get through our glass doors if there was a tall building close to our house.

Hmmm, starting to realise that our land space might not be conducive to a subdivision. Would be ideal to knock down and redevelop two properties but our house is too newly renovated so not worth it (yet). Really appreciate your input though – all food for thought. Thanks.

Thanks again both.
Monty1