To want all 3 bedrooms on the same floor?

[McFrostyNuts]

Ok, so my partner and I and wanting to buy a 2 bed bungalow, do it up and sell on. It needs complete re-decoration, new kitchen, bathroom, carpets (you get the idea). It does have a partial loft conversion, but its not 'official' so can't be called a bedroom, and quite frankly, its been done crudely and will need ripping our and starting again anyway. We would put an extension on the back to make a bigger kitchen/day space.

Heres the problem. My partner wants to keep the bedroom upstairs and the 2 downstairs, but I think its really important to keep the bedrooms together in order to maximise our market when selling.

With the extension, it would be easy to turn the lounge into the third bedroom, the dinning room would turn into the lounge and lead onto the extension where the kitchen and new dinning space would be.

Is it unreasonable to think that families, especially with young children, wouldn't want a child on there own upstairs, or both children on their own downstairs? Or am I just being precious?

I'm now looking for a new property and instantly dismiss places with bedrooms over 2 floors. It's becoming more popular sadly.

I would think a bedroom on its own floor was a sell to be honest? Like a master suite with its own bathroom and that? I know sweet fa about the housing market however so I wouldn't take my word for it.

I don't think parents with young children will be your demographic to be honest.

I'd rather keep 2 living rooms and have the 3rd bedroom upstairs.

For a family, I would prefer all the bedrooms on the same floor but bungalows are not always popular. Personally, I've seen some fabulous (and huge) bungalows that have been family homes but also I think you'd get some people who wouldn't consider it simply because it's a bungalow.

We have a 3 storey house. We are on the top. Ds's middle and dd's bottom!! Being 2 floors away from teens has massive advantages!!

If you are looking at this as a commercial venture then perhaps a key question is who is your target market?

Unless the location is near an exclusive school with a tiny catchment then perhaps 'families, especially with young children' might not be the key market for your bungalow?

I don't know enough to be sure but if your target market is the stereotypical bungalow buyer (older/mobility impaired or worried about becoming so hence finding the lack of stairs attractive for the main occupants), an upstairs bedroom for visitors or carer or adult children might not be a negative?

We live in a converted bungalow with 2 bedrooms upstairs and 3 downstairs. We use the 3 downstairs while the kids are young and when they are older I would consider using the upstairs rooms. From a fire safety perspective I wouldnt want a young child separate from us on another floor. Nor a dodgy conversion to be honest. Our neighbours had a conversion that wasnt done properly and had to sell as a 3 bed. I would consider your target market and base your decision on that really.

its in a great location, with lots of other young families close by and a primary school up the road. It also has an enormous garden, not sure if thats relevant, but might appeal to families more than older people.

Upstairs bedroom isn't big enough to be classed as a master with en-suit. it would simply just be an ok sized bedroom.

I want all the bedrooms on the same floor. I have 2 young children and want them within hearing distance

As always it's an 'it depends'

Will the upstairs bedroom have an en suite?

Generally a bungalow doesn't attract families with young children.

For an older couple having the guest bedroom upstairs is ok

If you put a bedroom upstairs can you then make it a 4 bedroom?

Sorry - no answers just other things to think about

Could you not do both?

You could use the upstairs room as a study but it could obviously be used as a bedroom by someone (and ideal for a teen or guests).

If it's either/or I'd go with the downstairs bedroom simply because (in general) people in the market for a bungalow are specifically looking for one story living arrangements.

Keep the upstairs bedroom as a guest or master
Make a lounge plus an open plan kitchen diner out of the extended below space

(Speaking as a property developer and landlord)

I have a townhouse over 3 floors. One bedroom is on the middle floor and two are on the top floor.

It's never been a problem for us.

There are lots of similar layouts in houses near us and they always sell quickly.

Wouldn't even look if the bedrooms were on different floors

We are in a dormer bungalow. Two huge bedrooms upstairs which the kids have. We are downstairs. It's worked well from when they were pretty young. Nice to let them get on with it up there.

I want to be on the same floor as babies and small children, less bothered when they are older! So one bed upstairs sounds totally fine.

We have been looking at bungalows and a bedroom in a dormer is much more appealing because it makes the house seen much more roomy somehow. Then you have two reception rooms downstairs that people could use flexibly.
I also know several young families with bedrooms over 2 floors and it's never been a problem.

I would want all bedrooms on the same floor.

It wouldn't bother me but then I have always lived in houses that had bedrooms across 2 floors. It has never been a problem as a child or an adult. Our house is a bungalow with proper loft conversion. We are upstairs and the 2 kids are downstairs. We have been in this house since the kids were babies and it has never been an issue with hearing them etc.
We also only have one bathroom which is downstairs, again it has never been an issue. I guess it is just what you are used to.
Just to add at I know loads of people with kids and the same arrangement.

We slept on a different floor to the dcs. We had a monitor and they’re not young for long - it was fine.

So it wouldn’t put me off.

We moved when ds was 14. We were upstairs with younger DC. Ds downstairs. So the other way round , him upstairs would have been fine for us.
I would hate to buy a house and start changing living room to bedroom etc.
You cant allow for every eventually. Just do it how it suits ye now.

What will you use the loft room for if not bedroom?

We have the kids on one floor and our master suite on another. I wasn’t keen at first as our youngest is just 3 and it seemed a bit young for her to come upstairs in the night, but now I love it. The privacy is wonderful. For anyone other than families with very young children, I think it’s fine and the privacy of a room on its own floor may actually be a selling point for some.

thank you everyone. you've certainly given me food for thought!