Splitting a room

[bardos]

Not really an AIBU but WWYD.

We are moving house soon, I will attach a picture. What I would like to do is split the bigger room into two so my children can have their own rooms.

The door would have to be inside the rooms to maximise on space and as there is no where in the hall to put another door.

Has anyone done similar and can advise on cost and whether you think it would give decent sized rooms? I've measured it out on the floor but I'm struggling to visualise the space as a room and whether they are going to feel really tiny.

Thanks in advance

I feel these are your two best options for future proofing it, you’ll immediately add value as you’ve gone from a 2 to a 3 bed. Doing your original plan won’t do that as people won’t like the odd layout.

If you’re planning to be there for quite a
long haul, do allow for bookshelves, desks for computers, sports and music paraphernalia etc. also enough power points! In particular, don’t go for one of solutions that make the third room really small! Some of the suggestions would give what looks like about 8’x6’ which would give very little space once you had a single bed in.
Re bunk beds, isn’t 5 usually considered a bit young for a top bunk?
Could you consider letting the share for now and saving for a loft conversion?

Course this is Mumsnet. Two 'boxrooms". They would be roughly 10 x9, hardly a box.. That's a double room in a lot of new builds. I did see a brilliant divider on casters shown online. Think it was B & Q. we were looking because we only have one spare room for the grandkids to stay,our room is a lot smaller than that
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I think I would just use a room divider while they are little and then see what they want as they get older.

Possibly a shelving unit back to back with another but securely bolted to the floor, wall and ceiling.

Can you extend into loft?

If you use sliding doors that go into the wall you aren’t losing the space in a small room for the door to swing open. Last week’s George Clark programme had a whole section on them and worth taking a look.

I did similar op by removing the tank and wardrobe from the main bedroom to create a larger hall and walkway to the further bedroom, it works really well and has made it a proper 3 bed. Removing the tank was not a massive job but I dont think it's a DIY job, I used a gas engineer who does building work too. It cost me about £7k 5 years ago but that included the new combi boiler and a separate radiator and light in one of the new rooms as well. It was well.worth it as is a proper 3 bed now. I'd definitely save and do it properly if you have to, we did a very simple split to begin with but it made one of the rooms really small and there was no radiator in there either.

Your children are very young. Why not use a screen / bunk / furniture division for a few years while you save up and decide how best to do the division? You don't need to do it now. Living with the house for a few years will help you know how to do it best for how you use the space.

You would also have to tell your mortgage provider,and insurance company if you make structural changes. We wanted to remove a little inner lobby, between the porch and living room. Had the property survey,it's not a load bearing wall, bungalow,he said although we own the property,no mortgage now,we would still have to have building regulations sign it off.

If you're going to be there for the long-term, this is what I would do. I'd have one bigger and one smaller room, but have really good built-in storage in the smaller room to maximise space in there (desk near the window with cupboards above and built-in wardrobes). I'd also move the cupboard in the current Bedroom 2. I don't understand why it's not already in the alcove so you have a nice, big, square Bedroom 2. I'd also leave a little bit of space for a built-in bookcase in the new corridor so that it's not just wasted space - you only need 25-30cm for built-in bookshelves and, that way, you could store the kids' books there and free up space in their rooms.

I think this is very doable, yes they’ll be small single rooms but that’s fine as they’ll have their own space. They’ll have a window each as well so ideal. Personally I’d do something like I’ve attached, so a door each from the landing. I think as long as you’re clever with furniture etc in the rooms it will be fine. I’d also ignore the previous poster’s suggestion of making bedroom two smaller! This will be your space to escape so important it’s a nice space for you.

I think stud wall and adding a door is a relatively cheap thing to do. So hopefully you find someone who can do it :)

Something like in the top picture might save space

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If costs an issue or even just to get a chance to try it out, you could initially have a more informal partition like dividing screens or wardrobes where the partition would be.

I’d do the lobby but also separate the bunk beds as previously pictured, so that the smaller room has exactly the same floor space as the large one, with the bed in the air space. You still create walls and doors so it’s private spaces as per your plan, but with one bed on the air you maximise space.
I’d take out the current door into bedroom one so the lobby area just has the two doors. Making them sliding into the walls is also a great space saving idea. Can’t remember the name of them but definitely googleable.

The lobby is by far the best solution IMHO. I had a flat share where the landlord had done this, it was fine.

As for the lighting, you can get a motion sensor light for the room which doesn’t have the switch, and then use table and standard lamps for main lighting. You can also run led strips from a plug.

If they're only 2 and 5 do you need a permanent solution right now? I'd go for one of the massive Kallax units from Ikea down the middle to divide it a bit then (as you said moving the hot water tank isn't really feasible financially atm) go for a permanent solution later on.

Fwiw my dc shared a room that was slightly smaller than 10ft by 9ft for 7 years so I think those room sizes will be fine!

I'm not clever enough to do the pictures, but I agree with everyone you need to have a separate entrance and not have one room leading off another.

We did very similar when we moved in here. It was 20 years ago so even if I could remember the cost, it would clearly be out of date, but it certainly didn't cost very much - it is just a stud wall and some door frames.

I'd get the water tank moving costed, as that is clearly the best option, but whichever way you do it, it is definitely a better solution than the bunk beds.

Get quotes from builders I would put the older child in the back room because it's further to the loo

Whatever you do, use pocket sliding doors if possible to maximize floor space in each/one room.

I'd do this too, but try to keep the sizes even and make the door in the stud wall a pocket door that slides inside?

It does seem best use of the space in the other bedroom too, moving the cupboard, but you would be best judge of that with the furnishings you have.

I don't know why posters are suggesting leaving it a few years and "they're only little", if the five year old is already irritated by the two year old! That's not going to get better any time soon...

Agree with previous posters re the bunk bed wall, sliding doors and both rooms having entrance from hall. I think it’s worth planning where you will put furniture including a desk at some point if this is your forever home. Also agree that wardrobe divider could work for now if you need to save for longer term solution.

Good idea. I've seen amazing ideas on Houzz.

Friends put in glass doors to maximise light too

Back to back wardrobes in a friend house also created a wall