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Original poster

Ways to make this house 4 bed? ( link included )

43 replies

Wednesbury · 29/03/2015 10:37

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51233273.html

This house is perfect for us ( and at the top of our budget ) except with 3 DC and my mum staying regularly we ultimately need 4 bedrooms. I have been staring at the floor plans trying to work out if it could be done, either by reconfiguring the internal space or adding to it.

Anyone got any ideas as to whether it could be done? Thoughts welcome!

I'm on the app and can't make the link work though.

OP posts:
ditavonteesed · 29/03/2015 10:41

what a gorgeous house, from the layout would it be possible to makke the sitting room into a bedroom and use the snug as a sitting room.

yomellamoHelly · 29/03/2015 10:44

Convert the garage? Get rid of the ensuite and split back bedroom into two small bedrooms.

CharlesRyder · 29/03/2015 10:48

I was going to say lose the ensuite and split back bedroom.

Or rearrange downstairs so the snug/ study has its own walls/ door and can be used as an occasional guest bedroom.

Or, for now, move child in smallest bedroom in with other two when your mum stays and save like crazy to make the existing extension two story.

Or, buy a yurt for your mother. Grin

aliciagardner · 29/03/2015 10:50

Garage convertion? Substantial summerhouse for the garden - look big (?) You can get some really good size, substantial summer houses for £3-4k. Would need to sort out heating and electrics but shouldn't be too tricky I would think. example log cabin

Spickle · 29/03/2015 10:57

I would have a double storey extension on the side of the house, adding two bedrooms upstairs, one facing back, one facing front changing current bed 3 to the landing/corridor (obviously only gaining one more bedroom upstairs).

Downstairs (replacing existing side extension), I would put in a hallway where the original front door is and spread the lounge across into the new (double storey) side extension. Then a large dining area beside the kitchen and the snug becomes a study with sofa bed for guests. Alternatively, open up the snug into the kitchen and that becomes kitchen diner, with the extension at the side of the house/kitchen becoming a new snug/guest room. Does that make sense?

However, cost of this could be prohibitive.

Original poster
Wednesbury · 29/03/2015 11:10

Great ideas! Thank you.

I'm going for the yurt Grin

Actually my mum would love that.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 29/03/2015 11:13

Buy a static home second hand from eBay and place behind the garage

Or buy a new prefabricated cabin

ToBeeOrNot · 29/03/2015 12:51

How often is regularly?

I think you have enough downstairs space with the snug and large kitchen diner that the lounge could function as a bedroom on occasions.

lelf79 · 29/03/2015 12:51

i agree with spickle, a lot of work but then you can make the space you want.
Maybe worth going round with a builder to see what you can physically do and what you can afford?

Pigleychez · 29/03/2015 17:04

Guess it depends on how regularly your mum stays. Could you have a sofa bed in the sitting room or Snug and just close it off hen she stays?

Or a trundle bed in the bigger front bedroom and DC share for a few nights?

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 29/03/2015 17:14

The snug would make a very tiny living room at 7'1 wide! At our last house we had a living room in a former annex that was only 10'11 wide and that felt cramped.....

I'd rather either convert the garage or else look at replacing the existing single storey extension with a two storey as spickle suggested.

Definitely depends on how often regularly is though......

SolomanDaisy · 29/03/2015 17:56

What is the roof space like? A loft conversion might be possible.

Cherryapple1 · 29/03/2015 18:09

I would use the kitchen diner as a sitting room too - put the table closer to the kitchen and then at the end make that your lounge. Then use the sitting room as bedroom.

MerryMarigold · 29/03/2015 18:14

It's a really lovely house, but I think it's just too small for all of you. We have a similar situation with 3 kids. One of those bedrooms is tiny. I thought of the garage, but think it is a separate outbuilding, not attached. Personally I'd buy one that needs a bit more (and therefore cheaper) that you can spend a little bit on in the short term to make it live-able, but grow into over time. There's nothing like having a bit more space with 3 kids!

zoemaguire · 29/03/2015 20:23

If you only needed one bathroom, you could rejig the ensuite into a small family bathroom, accessed off the hall, and then turn the current bathroom into a bedroom. I'd also knock through the snug into the living room, the snug looks a bit useless as it stands. But I agree that the all bedrooms are pretty small, and I think it would be a squeeze, unless you are a very minimalist household! Is the loft convertible?

HazleNutt · 29/03/2015 20:33

extend kitchen into snug, so you can use it as open plan kitchen/sitting room. Then you can turn sitting room into an extra bedroom.

RaisingSteam · 29/03/2015 20:39

It's hard to see how you'd get planning for more of an extension, the original cottage is already extended significantly. Easiest would be to convert the main bathroom into a bedroom, and re-jig the door into the ensuite so it's accessible from the hall. (Turn the bath a quarter so it runs along the wall that currently has the door). What a lovely house!

RaisingSteam · 29/03/2015 20:40

With 4 kids I think you need a separate sitting room for either you or them to escape into!

RaisingSteam · 29/03/2015 20:41

I mean 3 kids!

CharlesRyder · 29/03/2015 20:43

Actually, yes I agree with zoe. Make ensuite into a slightly longer bathroom accessed off hall. The main bathroom looks like it would make an serviceable bedroom.

mandy214 · 29/03/2015 20:43

Short - term - to create somewhere for your mum to stay - I think the snug is a complete waste of space and isn't really a room. Its a hallway. I would change the position of the door from the kitchen into the snug - I would move it to where the bookshelf is in the "snug" - you'd probably have to move the position of the fridge freezer in the kitchen and a couple of cupboards (I would have an island unit in the kitchen for additional cupboard space, make it a more contemporary space) and then I would put a stud wall in to enclose the snug and make it a separate room. Won't be huge but would be good for your mother.

Longer term - in terms of getting a 4th bedroom, I would also lose one of the bathrooms, unless I have the funds to go double storey over the existing side extension.

BasinHaircut · 29/03/2015 21:40

Agree with mandy, the snug can be used as an occasional bedroom if you move the door (although I like the snug as it is).

That house is lovely

MerryMarigold · 30/03/2015 09:51

I really wouldn't lose a bathroom with 5-6 people in a house. Is there a downstairs loo? Teenagers?

There's always compromises to be made, I guess and it depends where you are willing to make them. My kids are 6,6,9 and we are in the process of buying what is not my dream house, but is super practical in terms of space (but with a very, very tiny garden). There is a living space for 'them' to have their stuff in and friends over. It's not a period property, not nearly as pretty as this one, but it will make life quite pleasant, I think.

If you can convert the loft, or do the double storey extension in the future (will the mortgage leave you enough cash to save?) then fine, but if the mortgage is going to leave you stretched, I think you will outgrow this place quite soon.

00100001 · 30/03/2015 10:03

Surely there are other houses in the price range?

Box5883284322679964228 · 30/03/2015 10:11

Link needs these either side link

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