Can I split this loft room to make 2 bedrooms...help

[Delilahx]

Hi, I'm after some advice. I'm fingers crossed finally moving out of rented after leaving a horrible marriage. I've finally got enough together for a deposit and have offered on a property. The loft is done out as per the pictures. I was wondering if there is anyway I could split this room into two and it work out ok. It's for my 2 oldest boys, late teens. Oldest has ASD. I think it would mean one going through the other ones room to get to the stairs because of lack of space. The whole house needs redecorating. I was hoping someone would have an ingenious idea that is staring me in the face but cant see! But it could just be impossible too. Thank you in advance.

[BewareTheBeardedDragon]

How high are the ceilings in either side? Can you work out at what point they are 2m because I think that is the minimum legal head height you'd need for a corridor from which to access two separate rooms.

[DespairingHomeowner]

The logical place is to run a wall between the 2 windows

Good news: it will be cheap (it’s basically a DIY job, or a few hundred) bad news is that yes the entry would be through 1 room, as they are already single bed size anyway...

How old are your boys? Could they share if part of the room (with the long thin extending bit) was a study/chill out space?

If not don’t worry and just divide it as it’s the kind of thing that can be easily undone if you wanted to sell/for a new buyer to do a more trypivw, master bedroom & en-suite

[DespairingHomeowner]

If it’s 8 ft wide, you need 6ft for length of a single bed, leaving 2 feet for corridor. I think it’s too tight, and the place for it (wall opposite windows) is too low in headroom from these pics

[titchy]

Where are the stairs up to it? If they're where the cupboard is then run a hallway along the wall opposite the veluxes.

Headroom might be technically too low on the hallway bit but I'm sure they could live with that.

[Enko]

Could the soor be moved to the left with a window added and a small corridor and a partition wall?

[Enko]

Door

[Delilahx]

beware I think the two metres is just at the very middle bit, it looks bigger on the photo than it actually is. I didn't know that about a corridor, thank you, that idea is out.
despairing, they are 17 and 19. So old to be sharing really. I cant say how temporary this would be either, neither are going away to uni and my oldest will probably be with me for some time to come if not forever.

Bit its good to know it wont cost me a fortune to do. They are in their rooms most of the time and tend to come out for food and the bathroom! Thank you

[Delilahx]

titchy the stairs cant be moved, it's a nice solid staircase but it comes up from the back wall of the dining room downstairs. I think they would prefer that if it would work over walking through the others room. Thank you

[Delilahx]

enko the stairs need to stay where they are unfortunately. The extra cost of moving them would be too much for me even if they could. Thank you

[titchy]

@Delilahx

titchy the stairs cant be moved, it's a nice solid staircase but it comes up from the back wall of the dining room downstairs. I think they would prefer that if it would work over walking through the others room. Thank you

Yeah but where do they come into the attic - there's no stairs on the floor plan!

[Delilahx]

Ah sorry! They come in at the bottom where there is a doorway. That storage cupboard has a water tank in it titchy

[InTheLongGrass]

Rather than physically dividing it, can you put a "wall" of furniture between the windows to create a barrier? Ive seen it done with Kalax stuff. Maybe a wardrobe?
Would a bed fit in the alcove next to the stairs? I think not, but might be worth measuring.

[KihoBebiluPute]

I don't think it's legal for a loft bedroom to have its only access to the stairs be going through a different room. Fire escape regulations are important. You may need to make an external fire escape (e.g. a velux window big enough to climb through, fitted with a roll-up chain escape ladder long enough to reach the ground) from the bedroom that doesn't have independent access to the stairs. I don't know the details of the laws so check this.

[Ratched]

I know you will aleady have thought about this.........
Could that be your bedroom and any bedrooms downstairs be more easily reconfigured?

[Delilahx]

inthe thank you, i think i may have to do that initially even as a temporary measure till we are a bit more sorted. No the alcove is too small for a bed, it a bit bigger than the width of a standard door. They are both into IT and all of their socialising now is over live and head phones. It drives me mad but they spend loads of time in their rooms so I was hoping to make it work, we've had a tough few years but i need to he realistic as to what i can afford etc. At least it will be ours.

[Delilahx]

kiho I will look into that thank you. Obviously if it's not safe it's a no go. I will do what a pp suggested and split it with furniture.

[Delilahx]

ratched I dont think so. I will look again at the measurements. The downstairs bedroom is smaller. This is the biggest one. Thank you

[SpringFan]

You mention a dining room. Is there any chance of using that as a bedroom? It reduces your living space but if they only emerge for food, it may be worth considering.
Otherwise the Kallax or similar divider might work

[DespairingHomeowner]

@InTheLongGrass

Rather than physically dividing it, can you put a "wall" of furniture between the windows to create a barrier? Ive seen it done with Kalax stuff. Maybe a wardrobe?
Would a bed fit in the alcove next to the stairs? I think not, but might be worth measuring.

I think this is a very good solution OP: stick a bed in the ‘long alcove’ (you can get skinnier than normal single beds if needed btw), & ‘fence off’ that bed with a unit or bookcase so that anyone walking past isn’t intruding too much

Then put other bed as far away as possible (next to water tank), again ‘fenced off’ for privacy

Have your boys live with that for a month or two... see what they would prefer then re corridor/walking through a room but having more space

I think walking through 1st room only real option but it will seem more tolerable that way!

It adds expense but a sliding door (or normal door usually left open) could give bed area of the walk through room some privacy for bed area if you go down that route

[DespairingHomeowner]

Good site for reasonable non-standard size beds: just4ftbeds

[Delilahx]

springfan yes there is a dining room. But the stairs are in it up to that room, so maybe move the stairs instead of putting walls up upstairs? I will look and check out how much and if its possible. Thank you

[Maisieme]

We used our dining room as a bedroom for one child. Worked well.

[zaffa]

Can you post the floor plan of the rest of the house @Delilahx? x

[titchy]

You could add a hallway like this. Both rooms would be very small, top one 8 x 8, and bottom one 8 x 6 plus the alcove. But a space each and cheap to do, and easy to reinstate.

[Delilahx]

despairing I'm going to do that initially and see how they get on. Physically divide it as much as possible. Once we're in I suppose we can see how it goes. Thank you. They are both 6ft so will need standard size single beds I think.