Should We Invest in a Major Renovation for Our New-Build Home?

[Peckhaminn2]

We’re planning to renovate our three-bedroom semi-detached home, which we’ve lived in for five years since buying it new. Most of the house has already been renovated, but now we’re looking at whether it’s worth making bigger changes to our kitchen, en-suite, and study/third bedroom.

The kitchen is our main focus, with plans to spend around £20k to make it larger and more functional. At the moment, it feels too small, so we’re considering knocking down some hallway walls to create an open-plan space, allowing room for a kitchen island and maximizing space overall. This would involve relocating the downstairs WC under the stairs to free up space. However, these changes would mean losing our entrance hallway, creating a smaller hallway instead, and boarding up the currently open staircase.

The rest of the house includes a large living room, and two years ago, we added an extension for a dining room and bar area. We’re also planning with the future in mind, as we hope to start a family soon and want a layout that works long term. Since we’re unlikely to move for at least 10 years due to the current cost of living, we’re wondering if this investment in a new-build property will be worthwhile in the long run. Opinions?

Bump

I wouldn't, it sounds like you actually want a different house when you plan so much work for a house this size.

It also sounds like it won't add too much value because some of the changes you plan may limit your market.

If you want children, do not go for a smaller hallway. So many shoes & waterproofs.
also agree with pp, there comes a point when actually you’re better off buying a different house

Could you do a picture?

You'd be better off selling and buying the house you actually want.

It will always be a semi detached house plus a newer house so that’s a little different to renovate. I honestly wouldn’t bother. I don’t think you will make your money back.



This is what we are thinking of doing. We've looked at moving and it'll cost us around 250k just to move to a house with an additional 500sqft, it simply isn't worth it in our eyes.

Unless I’m mistaken you can’t have a toilet directly off from a kitchen under building regulations, there has to be an area/doorway in between.

It’s hard to suggest alternatives as the floor plan is cut off beyond the kitchen. What behind it? Could you have a long rectangular area along one side of the house instead? Keeping the hallway would be better (as PP said the shoes, hats, bags and paraphernalia need somewhere to go!)

could you look developers who offer part exchange in your area @Peckhaminn2?

I know of someone who doubled their m2 floor space, without increasing their mortgage payments.

My property is 10 years old and has a toilet directly off the kitchen - exactly like this proposed one it's tucked under the stairs. I have a feeling this was a rule at some point but so long as there's a door it's fine I think.

OP I'd personally be inclined to get rid of the hallway entirely, then you can still have the stairs 'open' as they go up and the area is more open as a whole. It's a trade off of course. Is there a porch/can you stick a porch on the outside?

@ItIsNotChristmasYet thank you for your response. I know we can definitely have a toilet under the stairs as we've seen other homes with the exact same layout as the one we want to propose.

We did consider having all of it open, but my only concern is the smell from the kitchen wafting upstairs and it feeling weird walking straight into a kitchen from the front door, not sure it would look right. We could have a porch built out the front but it would have to be quite small, as our front garden isn't particularly big. Really stuck on our decision and not sure what alternatives we have.

We have, and no developers around here do PX with is very frustrating

Sounds like your extension was ill conceived and that it might have been better to have thought about the overall layout etc when you did that .

so with that thought in mind I would suggest you speak to an actual architect, who can help you with the layout.
as your piecemeal approach suggests you aren’t confident spatial planners.

doing internal works like this are unlikely to make your house worth significantly more than other houses on your street, but maybe if there were multiple houses on the market it might make yours more attractive (presuming the plans you have are actually well conceived and do improve the layout, appearance and function of the space in the way you hope)

I would discount buying any house where I had to walk through the kitchen (with a door into a downstairs toilet) to get to the livingroom. My kitchen is often a bombsite and I wouldn’t want guests to have to witness it if they didn’t have to.

Is the kitchen big enough for it to become a livingroom/snug/playroom and you move the kitchen into the existing livingroom?

It sounds like you have already put a lot of money into this house, the risk is that you will get to the point where you won’t see a return on the money. There will be a top price that people are willing to pay for a new build 3 bed semi. I think your budget of 20k is also too low unless your in the trade and able to do the work yourselves

Hate to tell you, £20k will not go far with what you’re wanting to do. We just spent £30k in the NW for new kitchen and flooring in a standard size kitchen, no building work involved!!! No island and only a handful of underwork top cupboards, inter-grated appliances and a larder unit. Granite work top!

otherwise sounds like a nice plan. It’s been hell having 4 weeks of renovation work with 2 small children and no kitchen, never again!

im in love with my new kitchen though

Can you make the extension and living room into one big room? If so, keep the hall as it is. Convert the kitchen into a snug/ tv room and make the room at the back into a kitchen/diner/family room. Unfortunately, 20k won’t go far.

I don’t think £20k will do all that either. I also agree that hall clutter is a big thing once you have DCs, you all have multiple shoes, coats, scarves etc plus they have school bags, PE bags, bags for other active hobbies. My ILs have a similar layout with the boxed off hall, except in their house it’s the living room at the front and they use their understairs cupboard for coats, bags etc (they have a downstairs loo elsewhere). If you opened it all out you might notice it being very draughty with the stairs in a living area. I think moving the kitchen to the back would be a better idea. But won’t come cheap and I too think you might have problems re-couping the costs when you sell. I think your existing kitchen looks fine, ours is small (two young adult DC at home) and I personally think it’s too much cost just to get an island.

I'm quite a clean freak, so we never ever have clutter anywhere in the house and live pretty minimalist. The living room is already open planned with the dining room as it was added onto the back of it.

@Peckhaminn2 did you end up doing this renovation? We live in the exact same house style as you and would love to do a similar thing, so curious how it went for you!