Extention wont add value: bit depressed

[ShortLass]

As the possibility of starting my long-dreamed-of project gets startlingly nearer, I invited a local estate agent round to value the house and ask her whether it was worth doing, financially.

She said that the extension won't add value and I got the impression that she thought it might reduce the value . Bizarrely, she seemed to think that some of the things which I don't like about the house and want to fix are actually assets and would attract a potential buyer.

She said, "oh, this is a big kitchen" (you can't get a table in it) and "it's good that it's at the front, people like that" (I hate that it's at the north-facing front looking out onto block paving and parked cars). She said, "the dining area's really nice, people will like that" (people tend not to use it and it ends up being a bit of a wasted space). "The archway separating it from the lounge is really good" (hate the arch, it looks so old-fashioned and cuts down light from the back).

I wanted to chop off the front of the kitchen to turn it into a utility room, have the kitchen more in the dining area. Then the dining table will go in the nice bit at the back and extend the lounge into the unusable bit of the garden at the side. Lots of people like this idea, but the estate agent thought the lounge is already big and this wouldn't add anything. Bringing the dining area out to the back would effectively get rid of the dining room. Adding a utility room would, she thought, make it look like the property had two kitchens.

The reason I asked her round was because the budget was getting out of control and I needed a reality check. She did that for me -- and then some. She got me to see it from the perspective of a buyer not of someone who is living there. Now, my plan is to live there. But I really need to be careful, if borrowing a lot of money to do this project, that I don't significantly increase my debt on something that is worth no more than when I started.

Bit depressed now. I was in the house today (it's empty after tenants were there, so it's looking very tired) and didn't feel I wanted to move back in anymore.
(pix are existing downstairs layout and proposed)

I could see having a kitchen diner and a lounge. But all open plan isn't great. I wouldn't want to buy a house like that. I can see that it would reduce the value as it would just be one big room.

I always think totally open plan looks like a studio.

I have the same L shaped layout (kitchen, dining room, lounge) and a separate utility room. My utility is essentially a cupboard under the stairs which houses washing machine etc and it's a pain in the arse that it's separated from the kitchen. I would rather have the smaller utility than a separate kitchen sized utility.

I love my open plan downstairs area but to be honest I think it would put me off buying a house if I never had a separate living room too.

It won't add value to your house but I agree with other posters, if you plan to stay there and are aware that it's not increasing value then go ahead with what you prefer.

I said we are planning an open-plan kitchen/diner/living space in our house but we're keeping the existing living room separate and the final layout will be similar to the OP's only with the living room in place of the utility.

Thanks for so many replies. Busy at work at the moment, will reply properly later.

I fear, as some have said, that the agent is right. This is why I'm a little down about it. It's been so long in the planning (too long, probably).

The reason the kitchen is open to the dining area is because the back is the nice part of the house and I want to have the benefit from it while in the kitchen. But I've left an access door in there in case I wanted to turn it into its own room.

I'd put the utility in that little bit to the left hand side. A small utility, if any, is all that's needed in your size if house. I would put the wall back in the area you have earmarked as a utility and have that as a separate lounge. Have the kitchen adjacent to the utility, so where you have written 'living'. Dining where you have written 'dining' so same as your plans, then a cosy seating area where you have put 'kitchen'. This will obviously be smaller than on your plans as your front, separate lounge will be larger. I think this layout is more sensible and what most people will want when you come to sell. So you can cook, eat and lounge in your lovely back space but crucially retain a separate lounge.

Sorry, that should read push the wall back. ( i.e. Make the front room bigger and the one behind smaller)

I like open plan and I would move the kitchen to the dining are like you have.

However I would use the front room as a separate sitting room - a TV snug room for cosier evenings or for whenever someone wants to escape from the big open plan room. I think you need a separate room if you're doing open plan (as others have said), plus it's a waste of the nice front room to use it as a utility.

I'd squeeze the utility in somewhere else. Best option would be to make the extension bigger so there is a bit of extension that sits alongside your current loo - that could be the utility space, accessed from the back of the living area. Picture here. But realise that may be more costly.

The utility is huge relative to the rest of the living space. It does look like 2 kitchens.

Agree with pp, change existing kitchen to a separate sitting room.

I'm also curious as to why the utility is so big?

A big kitchen diner always adds value when done well, but I'd section off the living room.

If I was choosing between two houses with those two different layouts, I'd go for the original one. I have a a completely open plan downstairs and whilst I've got used to it, I don't love it.

It's good that you are reflecting before such a huge commitment. If you don't fancy living there could you rent it out again?

I would definitely keep the kitchen/diner separate from the living room.

1000000%

I'd do this. Keep lounge separate. Utility is off kitchen.

I'd do exactly what Ruby suggested.

Ruby's suggestion - 100%

Your house is probably too small to put in a utility of that size. You've essentially lost use of the front window which is probably why the estate agent downvalued it. I like minipie's option, or keeping the kitchen where it is but knocking in to the dining area. I've lived in 2,3,4 bedroom houses and not had a utility room in any of them.

I don't know anybody who still eats in the dining room apart frommy parents, who are 80.

Most people prefer being able to eat in the kitchen, imo (can't see the new plan as on my phone, but is that what you're planning?)

Also, it is very rare for an extension and newly decorating to not add any value at all to a home.

Not sure about the flow of your new layout though, and having no access to utility room from the kitchen?

I wouldn't want an open plan kitchen / living room. I would want the kitchen totally enclosed and separate (mainly so the smells from cooking stay there!)

I don't see why you need to keep the utility room. Is this for washing machine / tumble dryer stuff? I'd just make the kitchen larger and incorporate it. (That's what we did).

I would agree with Ruby's plan too

Sorry, but I'm another one who wouldn't buy a house with your new layout for all the reasons listed above. Has an architect been involved? It's a really poor use of space. I think you need to change architects (or appoint one) and start again.

Another vote for Ruby's plan.
A utility doesn't have to be large, just enough to separate noisy washing machine from open kitchen living.
I've stayed in a lot of holiday properties where the utility is basically a large cupboard and it works fine

I agree with Ruby's plan too. You're then still keeping the light in the kitchen and you get your utility.

The first plan doesn't make sense layout wise and I would be put off having a huge utility at the front, accessed only from the hall and then a kitchen in the middle of the house.

So Ruby's suggestion is, to me, a good option. OR flip the house, so that lounge is at the front, large kitchen diner at the back and smaller utility in the side extension.

Personally I think you should get your plane re-drawn to cover both of the other options, then get them all coated and see which is the most affordable and which will add more resale value if you do eventually decide to move as layout is a big thing for buyers. If the layout doesn't work, it won't sell so any potential equity is lost.

I agree with most of the others. The utility room is huge and it seems a pity to "waste" a front or back window on it. I'd be tempted to put the kitchen at the back if that's the best room (with the utility in some/all of the new bit) and then either have it L-shaped into the existing dining room or keep the wall there and knock through between the two other rooms so that they are bigger.

Think about why the EA was there
Will she make money if you sell your house ( via her)? Yes
Will she make money if you extend it and live there? No
She might not even have been doing it deliberately but she sells houses, she doesn't advise people on extensions so that will be her mindset.

Ruby's plan is good if you can soundproof the walls, otherwise the noisy machines are next to both rooms!

Why do I prefer the utility to be accessible from the kitchen? Well, I suppose it doesn't if you just use it as a laundry room - but I tend to put pans/baking trays in there when I've finished cooking before washing up. I use our utility (which is very small, I'd love a bigger one!) quite a bit and can't imagine leaving the kitchen to do all that stuff. It also has the back door (which actually goes out the side of the property) so I'm in and out of it with the laundry too.