The hot water on all the taps in our Bungalow takes quite a long time, up to 20-30 seconds before any hot water comes out. The only thing to be changed in the house is a new furnace and AC. I have checked the water heater and it is only the efficient setting and even turning it up only makes the hot water hotter when it finally comes out.
Answer:
About the best you're going to do here is insulate the pipes to save a very little bit on heat loss. What you describe is a lot like the situation in my own house and the only remedy I've found is to move the hot water tank closer to where the water is needed. I think of the project for a while and all of a sudden 20 or 30 seconds dosn't seem like a very long time to wait.
