Squeezing a windowless bathroom between front and back bedroom and regain third bedroom � good decision or not really?

[littlecrystal]

My house is a Victorian terrace with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom (original 3rd bedroom) on the first floor. While it would be ideal to extend to the loft, this will cost approx. 40k which I struggle to raise (dormer is needed).

I can get 3 bedrooms if I rearrange the first floor by squeezing a small bathroom (size about 1.3m x 2.5m) between the front and back bedrooms. The new bedrooms would be: front bedroom size 5.0m x 2.6m, back bedrooms size 3.0m x 2.4m and 2.5m x 2.5m. This should cost not more than 15-20k (including replastering and redecorating the bedrooms).
In addition, I think it would work for us better than a loft room, as both DC would have a small bedroom each (and loft potential is still there). And I seriously dont mind a windowless bathroom.

But are these too small or too weird to be proper bedrooms? The front bedroom will lose its alcove width to the bathroom. The back bedrooms probably should be called single? But this is in London so even a shoe box is called a bedroom?

I am hoping that this is not our forever house and hopefully in 5-10 years time will be in a position to sell and move, although actually we may never have money to buy our perfect house. So we need to add most value to improve our chances of ever moving.

Any opinions appreciated. Thank you!!

[Quangle]

Is this something you need to do to accommodate current family or is this about adding value?

[littlecrystal]

Sorry for � not sure why they are there.

[littlecrystal]

Quangle Actually both. The current first floor is not the best. The master bedroom is almost too big (5m x 3.5m), the back bedroom is too small for two DC (3.4m x 2.4m) and I do not mind a smaller bathroom (currently 2.5m x 2.5m) if we get an extra bedroom. Actually the window in the bathroom is big and old and makes bathroom pretty cold and draughty.

[agnesgrey]

If you are looking to add value London houses are normally valued on how many square footage , so although what you suggest sounds like it is a good rearrangement for your DCs , it won't add square footage. Personally if you think by waiting you could raise teh extra £20k , i would do that .

[agnesgrey]

(IE to get the loft extension)

[littlecrystal]

Hmm I thought that no one looks at square footage. Especially in London!
As you may see I am not very keen on the loft conversion (that is what normally people do), just being on three different levels somehow does not appeal.

[tobiasfunke]

I would be a bit worried that the proportions of your new master bedroom would look really odd at 5 x 2.6 - a bit like a corridor. A windowless bathroom isn't a problem in itself as long as you have decent ventilation.
I think waiting and adding the loft conversion might be better in the long run. 20k is a lot of money to spend on something that might look odd.

[Mitzi50]

I have an internal bathroom. It is not ideal but came about when I did a double extension and the 2 new bedrooms sort of wrap round the original bathroom - I didn't have enough money to re-configure the whole top floor. If you go ahead make sure you have a really good extractor fan otherwise you'll get mould, also think about lighting. I've just had an estate agent round to value the house and he didn't seem to think it was a problem.

[tobiasfunke]

Sorry I cross posted. What about taking a bit out of the bathroom and making the second bedroom a bit bigger- is that doable or cheaper?

I sympathise. I spent years trying to come up with ideas that would make the upstairs in our old house more liveable. I could never manage it so we lived with it for 10 years and then gave up and moved in the end.

[Quangle]

I think the smaller bedrooms would be fine for children and a smaller bathroom is also fine (it always seems such a waste to have a big bathroom when you are pinched for space). But like others I'd be a bit concerned about the dimensions of your main bedroom. Would it look odd?

[Artandco]

I wouldn't want x2 tiny bedrooms tbh. X2 bigger rooms and bathroom with window better as I would want both rooms able to fit a double easily.

I would spend less but on decent storage and furniture in current layout

Kids room - decent bunks beds with storage drawers built in underneath and little shelf at bottom of Each mattress fitted to wall for books/ nick nacks. Built a wardrobe/ cupboard in remaining space on one wall to ceiling to make most of space. Top can be for storing things not used every day but all hidden tidy behind doors.

Your room - is there a fireplace with alcoves either side? If so build fitted cupboards there also, and on wall opposite if space. Can use to store all yor clothes, and also some of children out of season stuff ie summer shoes in winter/ winter coats in summer etc to save space elsewhere.

Bathroom - what's Currently in there? I would replace window for new if old, and add built in storage also so all towels/ kids bath toys/ even bedding can be stored in there. Floor to ceiling again if possible

A good builder could prob build all those fitted cupboards etc for say £4-5k average. Window £1k at guess.

We live in a one bed flat in London with x2 children. Admittedly it's larger than average, but people are always amazed how much space and how big it seems. This is mainly due to every nook having fitted cupboards and wardrobes. Means you don't need drawer sets also so saves so much space. Also sort out what stuff you actually have and donate/ get rid.

Do the same downstairs if you can.

I wouldn't spend £20k on a place you might leave in 5 years. ESP if not gaining value.

[littlecrystal]

tobiasfunke it would be possible but I don't think it adds much value.
We cannot even give DC our master bedroom (not yet needed, but already thinking), as due to alcoves, radiators, 2 windows and back of the stairs cupboard there isn't a space for 2 single beds.
Ideally we should move to a 3 bed house without changing the layout of the current. But we cannot afford to move for the remaining primary school years. And, the worst thing, most of the 3 bedroom house in our area have the third bedroom size of a box room. So not really suitable.
The ones with 3 equally sized bedrooms are normally newer built; and those are not in our area.

Everyone says "loft" but why oh why I am so against the idea. I guess I don't want to spend 40k on the loft and then still want to move.
While "squeezing the bathroom layout" could actually work.

[LondonGirl83]

A 3 bed in the footprint of a two bed house won't sell for much more than a two bed so I share others posters concern that if you are looking to add value you might be wasting money. A loft conversion is probably a better use of your money. Having bedrooms across more than one level really isn't that difficult.

I personally don't like having living spaces across multiple floor but bedrooms is fine.

[Kitsmummy]

For the sake of an extra 20k I would have thought a loft conversion (with ensuite?) would add a lot more value to your house than the re-jigging that you are suggesting?

[Kitsmummy]

And if you spend 40k on the loft and still want to move, then at least you'll see that money reflected in the sale price...

[littlecrystal]

That's probably a big fat NO to my plan then.
(just to let you know the total of the first floor is 5m width and 7 meters deep).

[Sandthorn]

On the whole I'm on your side, OP... I wouldn't be in a burning hurry to convert your loft, especially if there's space to get sensible sized-rooms out of the first floor. However, that long, thin bedroom would drive me nuts. I wonder if your layout is the most effective one, when you can best afford to lose part of the 5m length of the master bedroom. Would it be possible to have two side-by-side squarish rooms (each ~2.5m x 2.5m) at the back of the house, separated from the front rooms by a corridor, ~1m wide, that runs the width of the house. Then split about 2m off one end of your bedroom to put bathroom at the front of the house, leaving you a bedroom ~3m x3.5 m, and bathroom 2m x 3.5m.

Correct me if I've completely misunderstood the layout of your first floor... I'm not very sure where your stairs land, or where your front window(s) fall.

[Pannacotta]

I like the suggestions made by Art as another option.

[meadowquark]

Hello OP, I wonder if you went ahead with your plan. I have a very similar 2 bed house (by the sound of it), badly need 3rd bedroom as we employ an aupair and currently sleep in our living room on a sofa bed.
I cannot afford to move and and I cannot convert the loft (shallow roof). Changing the layout of the 1st floor seems like the best option for the time being. I am mostly worried about saleability as I would like to move to a bigger house when I can afford that. Any tips, please?

[CantSleepWontSleep]

meadowquark - take a look at the company 'Moduloft' if you don't think that you can do a loft conversion. We haven't used them, but probably would have done if we'd been successful in buying a bungalow that we wanted earlier this year.

[meadowquark]

CantSleepWontSleep, thanks already did - ours is a in a long row of terrace, not suitable for Moduloft I am afraid.

[PrimalLass]

Could you upload a rough floor plan here? If there are two windows in the master could the whole floor not be rejigged?

[Londonladybird]

I know the main issue here is bedrooms but you could do a velux window for the bathroom - we did this in ours. Bathroom had no windows and put a velux through the loft and it works really well. If your putting up stud walling to get the tree bedrooms you want it wouldn't be too big a job to change these if you wanted to sell - or for any potential buyer to change. Good luck!

[meadowquark]

Here is my floorplan. To divide the front bedroom into two and have useable size room (at least 2m x 2m) above the stairs I would have to move the stairs about 1m towards back of the house; and for that I would have to remove bathroom chimney which is in the way; and also reduce bathroom by one meter or so (this is not a problem). Overall still quite expensive option, I think.
Velux in the loft for the bathroom? Sun tub - perhaps.

[PrimalLass]

No, you could just do it by moving the doors. We split a front-to-back room, by putting a dormer on the back and a wall down the middle. The doors are in a sort-of v shape. An architect would do a better job (obviously), but something like this.