How would you add a 2nd bedroom?

[kirinm]

So, we've been searching for a flat. Have currently got an offer in on one that we'll probably increase as it'll be going to 'full and final' on Tuesday.

But the EA has thrown us a curveball. We went to see a big one bedroom flat in Upper Leytonstone. They are expecting silly money because it does have potential to extend and it really is big. We are tempted but I'm not cry good at working out how things could look. Ultimately we need to make it into a two bed. A full extension would be a few years down the line but how would you change the space? The garden is big and it'd be nice to have the kitchen at the back.

How would you add a second bedroom?

[kirinm]

That should be 'I'm not very good' rather than cry.

[Whichplace]

I'd imagine they would be envisaging turning the back bedroom into a kitchen/living room and then converting the current living room and kitchens into two bedrooms. It works well for rental properties as you can charge significantly more rent, but I'd hate the small living space myself.

[Whichplace]

Just noticed the entrance is into the front room rather than the inner hall, so scrap the last comment!

[PennyHasNoSurname]

Realistically - convert the cellar. Thats probably about it.

[Whichplace]

It's going to tricky because of the entrance way and the fact that whoever converted it didn't give direct access into the inner hall. One way would be to move the bathroom back into the kitchen space a bit (where the current back door is) turn the kitchen window into a door and then divide the back bedroom space into two bedrooms. However they would be quite small rooms

[yomellamoHelly]

Not sure what's happening towards the front. Are those stairs going down / up?
I'd extend to the side (and further to the back if possible). Not sure how entry would work out as you'd want to maintain a window to what is currently the kitchen / diner, but I'm sure there's a work around you can do. Think would probably move bathroom around as part of the rejig too, but would depend on what allowed / could afford to do at the back.
Think you'd need to be a bit clever to keep it light.

[PrimalLass]

Could you post the full rightmove link? Might be easier to envisage.

[kirinm]

Kings Road, Upper Leytonstone, E11
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57551315.html

[SwedishEdith]

Where is that staircase? Is it in the kitchen? Maybe knock through current kitchen and lounge, bring the wall forward towards the lounge and make part of the current kitchen a small bedroom. About 6' x 10'. Any other similar flats in the area that you can look on Rightmove and see what they've done?

[kirinm]

They are steps down into the kitchen. It feels like an awful amount of work but it's so surprising when you see such a big flat that you want to be able to make it work.


But I can't see how it can.

[SwedishEdith]

Wow, at that cellar!

[kirinm]

I cannot find a two bed to compare it to. The two beds we are looking at are purpose built Victorian maisonettes and they have a pretty standard Victorian terrace layout.

[PennyHasNoSurname]

Our flat is similar but we were lucky in that the upstairs access was parallel with ours rather than just past ours so we have a front hall. And a second bedroom. We would love to be able to fit a third room in but cannot.

Tbh Id go for the two bed. Could you link that?

[PrimalLass]

I think I can see how but need my laptop so I can fiddle with the picture.

[kirinm]

Richmond Road, London, E11
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-39239631.html

We've offered on this one. But this next one is coming on next week and I like the look of it.

Leytonstone, London, E11
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57629273.html

[Floggingmolly]

The cellar is huge! Could you convert that? It's a lovely big flat.

[SwedishEdith]

[[http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57188228.html This one has a combined kitchen and lounge and is 25' long. If you took off 6' from your kitchen, that would leave 22' 8" so not too different.

All depends how quickly you need the 2nd bedroom and is it worth spending moving walls when you might be doing it again for an extension.

[SwedishEdith]

here

[kirinm]

What would you do if you were just building an extension?

[kirinm]

The cellar is big but not very high. You couldn't convert it into anything I don't think.

[PennyHasNoSurname]

That upper flat is amazing! Go for that one instead!

[PennyHasNoSurname]

That was in response to swedish

[SwedishEdith]

I like both of the other ones as well.

[kirinm]

Penny - which one? Queens Road one has gone (for £490k)

[JeffreySadsacIsUnwell]

Converting the cellar looks expensive - measurements are unclear to me, but judging from photo, 4’9" is the height? So you'd lose an inch or so of that just putting in a ceiling, and would then need to dig out a good 18", which is almost certainly deeper than the foundations of a Victorian terrace . Underpinning would be very costly - I don't know whether having a flat above would complicate matters or not but I assume it would involve extra insurance?

I think side return extension and converting the inner hall to living space might be easiest; there's a window in that hall already and that side of the house has the possibility of natural light through windows, whereas the side return would need a glass roof. Not ideal for a bedroom especially with a flat above!! What's the other side of the boundary? At least it's end terrace.