size matters!?

[CupcakesRule]

I'm really struggling to visualise our extension and I'm worried I'll be disappointed with the sizes!
We would end up with a lounge/snug of 3.34m by 3.5m
A playroom/day lounge/family lounge (can't think what I'd call it!) of 4m by 4.5m with one wall bi fold doors to garden.

Do you think these are decent sized rooms? We're gaining 13 square meters but I'm stressing.

Thanks

What's the cost?

Hi. Sizes are all relative, so it really depends what your expectations are.

In an ideal world (i.e. not the house I live in!) I would have thought the lounge/snug is a little small, and although the playroom/day lounge/family room is a good size it is not massive (having no idea where you live, or what your means are, I think I am taking some inspiration from "escape to the country"). I am sure you will be happy with the layout you have if that is all that is practical. However given you are questioning the size, I think you may be happier if you have the outside space/budget to add another metre to the extensions. An extension is a big expense so it is worth getting it right.

One thing I would consider, is that given the current trend is for larger rooms rather than smaller rooms, putting dividing doors between the two receptions (or reception and kitchen depending on layout) - this will give more flexibility to layout and let you have a bigger room when required.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

The cost is approx. £20 but doesn't include bifold doors if that's what we choose, also doesn't include sorting garden out afterwards.

I don't mind the snug being snug if I get a good size family room. The limitations are because we are putting a utility room in which essentially is eating a meter away but as you say I don't want any regrets and I think a family of 5 with a five bed house will benefit from this as we have no downstairs storage for Hoover, ironing board etc etc

Any other thoughts?

I think the room sizes are good.

£20 is a bargain for an extension though, nice one

Even £20k sounds like a bargain! Do you have any plans of the proposed extension to post?

Our lounge is currently 5m x 4.5m and it's a decent size. I'm not sure it would look right with bi-folds tho - especially if it's a play room. Just my view but I think of bifolds in quite a large open plan room. Maybe french doors might look nicer? The snug would be snug but isn't that the point?! how old are your children? I think I'd like a more grown up space overlooking the garden and I'd banish toys to the smaller room.

Also a family of 5, I think you're doing the right thing with a utility room. Wouldn't be without ours.

I think that's a bargain price and will no doubt improve your home. Good luck

Think about what furniture you would want in the snug, it's size (most suites have a depth of between 90- 98cm) and how it would fit with doors / Windows etc. We built ours then went 'oh bugger' - fortunately we've made it work.

Our snug is 4m X 3.5m, we have French doors to the conservatory and archway to kitchen, as well as door to utility room all coming off this room. We can only fit a small corner sofa, sideboard with tv on and a dresser in there.

Is there anyway you can get another metre from somewhere? Or are you up to your boundary line? If you can, I would!

Love our snug, we spend most of our time in there - in fact can't remember when we last sat in the lounge!

We were going to add on a 3.25 x 4 garden room to the back of our lounge but after some constructive comments, we decided the room wouldn't be easy to use due to doors/radiators. Hence we have now got plans to extend along the back of the house in one big room, 3.25 x 8, and knock through into the current (small) dining room. I'm hoping this will give us a big space for dining/kitchen/family room and desk space. The lounge stays separate.

Cost for the actual extension (26m2) is 44k (not including VAT) which is more than we budgeted for :-/

Ha yes £20 would be great but 20k is more likely!!

No plans yet just lots of £1500 per square meter type quotes.

I'd love to find another meter but I'm not sure we can afford it.

This is a floor plan of ours neighbours I stole of rightmove but ours is mirrored so lounge on the right. We have also knocked the kitchen and dining room into one. I'll try and add a pic of the side part of house we want to build into and a sketch of our plot. If we have the "adult space/snug" at the front I would happily not have a room into the new rear room but if the front was a playroom I'd want a door and that doorway will cause problems with furniture etc. I'll also try and post a pic of my thoughts/sketch.

I agree about bi folds looking odd in a small room.

My ideas!!

What size family or playrooms do people have?

My house is work in progress, so not quite sure what we will end up with as a family room. Maybe 5.5 x 4. Your layout makes more sense to me now I see you have a dinning room as well. One thing that would concern me about your plans is access to the family room. Going via the kitchen may not be practical, which will turn your snug into a corridor, especially as the doors are in diagonally opposite corners. Also from the sketch it looks like you may have dead space in the centre of the house/under the stairs. Is there any scope for making that a utility, or adding on to the kitchen,etc.?

Thanks ftm. Under the stairs is a toilet and much needed storage.
I want to avoid doors into playroom from snug as I want to avoid the corridor. We tend to use the back door more so I think only accessing it from kitchen will be fine.

I've booked an architect to come out a week on Thursday.

X

I agree with ftm. I don't think that layout works at all because of the access into the room at the back. It's not really a separate reception room if you can only access it through the kitchen.

I think you need the architect to offer some alternatives.

But it would make it a reception room if you can access it from the lounge/snug?

Surely if it works for us for the next 15-20 years it shouldn't matter too much?

X

If you are not planning to move, then it is completely about what works for you. Just throwing out thoughts, as you want to have considered every option before building. I have a bit of an obsession with small rooms which are in fact corridors after house hunting last year. One house had a "morning room" you had to walk through (diagonally across) to get to the kitchen, it was a little over 3m square - and, well it was a corridor, without layout changes it was just wasted space.

I am also planning a reconfigure of my downstairs, I might post for suggestions in a bit, but I know deep down, given the constraints of space and budget I am not going to be 100% happy with the outcome - I just need to work out which compromises will be easiest to live with.

Good luck with what ever you chose, it is worth bouncing ideas of an architect though. He/she may have some alternates you haven't considered.

But i wouldn't suggest accessing it through the snug either.

I know you said under the stairs is a loo and a cupboard, what is immediately facing you as you come in the front door (is that the cupboard on the hall side of the wall?) And what do you have on the kitchen side of that wall (facing the back door)?

I think I'd look at taking that wall out if you could and having a longer hallway? If that wall goes, could you put a door into the utility at the end of the units you've drawn (on the same wall as the units), a door into the family room as you've drawn and then a door into your kitchen near where the sink is at present? I think that makes it a much more usable space?

But I agree that its what works for you if you're planning on being there for the next 20 years.

Thanks all. Yes I too worry about this small room being a corridor which I too dislike.

As you walk through door you have stairs with wc underneath and at back of hall is a cost cupboard on the other side of that walk it's floor to ceiling cupboards in the kitchen (only three years old so I'd prefer not to rip out) but I do see what you're saying!

I'm hoping the architect will either come up with a new idea of resolves some of my smaller concerns.

I agree in that it won't be the perfect space as I can't afford it or the house/plot won't allow it.

Thanks for all your thoughts. It's really useful. X

Keep us posted, would love to know what the architect suggests.

The only other thing I thought of is if you take out the WC under the stairs and use that to access that part of the house. Maybe flip the utility room so it runs length ways along the snug wall?

Yes hubby suggested similar last night. I'll get my notebook out to scribble some pictures!!

Thanks all.