Norseman 447

My Rival 41C, the centre cockpit version of this marque, is somewhat similar to the Norseman 447. More pinched at the stern, she has the aft cabin and heads compartment. The engine access is similar, a panel to the side, in the passageway to the aft cabin, and also from the cockpit locker.
I agree with your points regarding storage on deck with this age / style of older boat. As a centre cockpit my, cockpit locker is shallow, but wide. It may be possible, to deepen down to the side of the engine at some future point. The lazaret is similarly restricted across the stern, but does take 6 fenders and mooring lines; I moved the gas bottles outside to increase room. My companionway steps are not as steep but still require you to go down backwards. One modification I made was to the chart table and turned it 90 degrees from forward facing to side facing. It was a complete new build chart table but this opened up the galley / chart table area and created a much more useful work top, than the old chart table design (I still use charts) but the utility has been improved for non navigation activities. The turn of the hull and narrower beam made sitting at the chart table awkward, and as such I never did sit there, and navigated from the side anyway.
Currently I have the navigators berth down the side of the passage to the aft cabin, and other models have this converted to add much better storage. We use this space to store items, rather than sleep, but that is not an efficient use of the space.
My wife and I sail her and she is a great size, for two up or 4 up. A very seaworthy design, can hold sail area if needed, but can be sailed just as fast with less heal, when reefed. The cockpit on mine looks larger and I do sail with friends, up to 6, but have had 8 and we all fit in, but folks normally end up sitting on the aft cabin coach roof for the extra space.
My keel is an encapsulated fin, a skeg for the rudder and this winter the rudder will be removed for inspection which will involve splitting.
Compared to the Norseman 447, the Rival 41C has much finer lines, single spreader rig. Mine has the inner forestay with staysail. Engine is the larger of the two models offered, the Perkins 4236, which I think will survive Armagedden as it has been faultless under my 15 years of ownership.
Regarding spend, indeed, the cost of the boat, plus the refit costs (part professional, part DIY), minus the resale costs, equals a more modern boat. There is no doubt about that, and any other analysis is delusional. However, I had the cash, the time.
I chose the boat because I used to sail on one extensively, in a sail training environment, and she handled many strong wind events easily had a kind motion and was easy to maintain, plus my wife like the fact that the boat did not rock when she stepped on board, compared to other boats we looked at. Currently my Rival is a forever boat, but there will come a time when I will sell her on and down size for a more modern boat, but that is not yet.