New build room sizes

[BoudiccasHare]

Husband and I are looking at new build properties due to their affordability with the governments help to buy scheme. We've found a two bed property that will suit us but we are worried as we are effectively buying off plan that the end product will see us living in a shoe box!

Can anyone help us by looking at these plans / measurements and giving us a comparison? I am not sure if a sofa / dining table would sit in the living room / diner!

I know it's about as easy as estimating a piece of string, but any help would be gratefully received.

It is the lack of storage that would bother me. There is a fitted wardrobe in the main bedroom, but nothing else I can see. Have you already got furniture? It depends on what size it is as to whether it will all fit in (obviously!). I think it would be fine for a single person, and cosy with two - impossible with a child.

Sorry, I looked again and can see two further cupboards. It is really a very personal thing, deciding if there is enough room. It would be too small for me.

We have a baby 🙁

There's under stair storage, and another cupboard at the top of the stairs too that can be used as an airing cupboard. These can be seen on the actual plans which I can't post as they are copyrighted, I think?

It's not 'big' but I quite like the design compared to lots of new builds - not having a ensuite gives extra bedroom space, and they really do seem unnecessary in 2 bed houses, especially with a downstairs loo.

What about marking out the spaces, with string etc, in your current loving space and seeing how your furniture fits?

Ooh, chasing squirrels, I'd love a loving space in my house!

Oops!!! Lol
(LIVING, obviously I hope)

Downstairs looks like exact same layout we had in our first house. We just had a sofa and a feature armchair. We put storage bookcase behind sofas ( in the slight nook of the room) and had small dining table against the wall next to kitchen. Unless we had guests we tucked it against the wall permanently. Attractive multi purpose storage and light colours r your friend.

My master bedroom is about 13 X 8 ish from a vague recollection! And quick measurement. It doesn't fit storage much so you would probably be OK as yours has walk in wardrobe. I have a super King size bed, one bedside table, TV and dressing table

Google "house design we are interested in" and your area. See if there is a similar show home nearish by. We went to look at our house on an estate about 10 miles away, as it was actually built!!

I'd say it's small. Struggling to see sofas and table in the living / dining room. And while the mater sounds ok, it's not actually square.

I think you need to get a ruler, squared paper and some scissors out, and get some to scale blocks of each.g double bed, sofa, table and see how they fit into each room.

The measurements of the living room, is that the maximum size? (i.e. all the way into the L shape) because that can be quite deceptive. Also the doors will restrict the amount of usable space. Our living room is 14" by 11" (dining kitchen so no table to fit in) and it's pretty small.

Also, bear in mind that the "extras" like carpets mean the advertised price won't be what you pay (be prepared to negotiate hard).

Master not mater

I'd say the upstairs is a good layout and the bedrooms seem a good size. The living/dining room is a b it on the small side though. Ours is 18' by 12' and allows us to have a dining table out permanently, but if you're happy to pull it in and out it would be fine. And it's great to have a downstairs loo.

Just checked my living room which is a totally bizarre shape as it has a jutting out bit to patio doors but is roughly 9.5 X 15
I have a sofa and footstool, coffee table, TV unit, lounger chair and a small bar stool type table that sits two so I would say you would get a small dining table in as you have the extra width

I think with the current layout you'd squeeze a table for 2 in front of the 'dining area' door.
If it's off plan, ask them to swap the door and window in that room though, then you could have a bench against the right hand wall and easily seat 4 (so important if you have kids). Plenty of roof for a corner sofa then in the main living space.
I think the house is small but perfectly formed, and if nothing else is in your budget then go for it!

Definitely a shoebox!

Sadly, probably not atypical as most of the listings for 2 bed help to buy or shared ownership type houses here are suspiciously coy about room dimensions. I did find one very similar, but another with more or less the same upstairs space, but a kitchen/ diner twice the size of that one.

Thinking long term, that house might suit you just fine as a couple, but if you plan on having kids, it would soon become cramped.

Our older 2 bed terrace has a 11 by 13 lounge, 8 by 11dining area, 8 by 12 kitchen, 11 by 14 master bedroom and 8 by 15 second bedroom and we feel like we're constantly on top of each other, as a family of 4.

Are there any artist impressions of the inside?

My new lounge is almost exactly the same size but without the hall cut out of it.
I think you could fit a small sofa and dining table at the opposite ends of the "L" and possibly an armchair if you mount the TV on the wall.
It would be cosy but liveable if it is what you can afford and are creative with furniture and storage.

Napqueen - no artist impressions but I've googled the measurements of the living room / diner and found something of the same size.

Pickachew - we are a family of three (we've just had a baby) and may well want to increase our family in future.

We are tempted to look into a conservatory for extra space eventually, where we can put a dining table and chairs. Would this be enough to give us extra liveable space?

Heffalump - Thank you for that advice - I suppose the bench would then be against the wall, with maybe two smaller seats on the other side of the table?

We are hoping to find an example of this house elsewhere so we can go and look. It's so hard to get any idea of space without physically seeing it.

Mendeleyev - I don't mind a foldaway dining table and chairs! I'm not precious about having to make adjustments.

We've lived in rented for so long that we are struggling to get out of it. We've saved up a good chunk of money but it simply isn't enough to buy without the help to buy scheme, and our salaries don't quite reach the next house level.

We've been turfed out of the last three rentals because our landlords were selling and with our LO we are desperate for some security, even if it means living in a small house. Just need to work out how to make the best of it.

If we removed the door into the kitchen might a table fit in there? Or if we asked them to adjust the kitchen so there aren't cabinets on every wall, maybe leave the top wall bare so we'd have the space there?

Thanks for your help all, I really appreciate it!

I live in a house with a front door that opens into the living room. I had a baby here so all shoes/ coats but more importantly the pram and car seat had to sit in the living room in a corner. I won't by a house without a hallway now. But it depends if there is another choice in your budget that offers that kind of (essential IMO) space

*buy

Do they not have a show house to give you an idea or room layout and size?
We bought a new build it was three bed but the rooms were small and lack of storage was a problem.
There were just two of us but didn't find we were growing out of it once we had a child and moved when our daughter was three. Would have been cramped with another child.
On the upside it was low maintance, cheap to heat and warm finding our Victorian house cold and drafty in compare

There was one a lot further afield. We've managed a comparison between our current rental and the new house. Our living room isn't too dissimilar in size but we don't have to squeeze a dining table in here, and we haven't lost space for a staircase and even this feels a bit small.
We've decided to leave this one for now. For the price we wouldn't be getting much.