master bed with walkin wardrobe and ensuite vs an extra double bed room

[mum2015]

I am working on plan for extension. I have a choice between these two options

• master bed with walk in wardrobe and ensuite
• an extra double bed room

We already have two double bedrooms for kids, family bathroom on same floor and additional shower room downstairs. I first added an extra double bed room but to be honest I have always lived in small houses/apartments and don't really know advantages of walk in wardrobe and ensuite so cant really compare. They do look good on houzz/pinterest etc.

We have a V small ensuite that's the width of the room but only 1100cm deep.

We have a cloakroom toilet, a cloakroom basin, an extra narrow door (for a smaller swing when you open it). But on the flip side we have an 1100cm shower the entire depth of it and it feels HUGE. The builder advised against a corner shower as in a small room it would leave you with say 30cm of wasted space in the corner which was too small to do anything with. So glad we opted for the full shower instead.

Downside = storage. We have to have above door storage, and V narrow short units beside the cistern. Towel rail is on the back of the door. But it's quite comfortable to use as a room.

I would go for the 4 beds plus small ensuite option. Yes they're useful even if small, you can get a decent shower, small basin and WC in a pretty small space without it looking cramped. They're popular too, so you've ticked the ensuite box if you ever decide to sell.

Yep, 4 beds with small ensuite, that's what we've just done. Wouldn't thank you for a dressing room.

Here is ground floor proposed plan. The bedroom 8x9 feet will be boot room. The bedroom 10x10 will be study which I thought can ne used as guest bedroom if needed.

I know even without that extra bedroom, houses like this can be listed for sale as 4-5 bedroom house by estate agents. But when it comes to buyers, who haven't lived in bungalows don't feel groundfloor rooms as bedrooms. They will call it study, playroom etc etc but not bedroom howmuch ever downstairs space is already given to livingroom and reception.

This is another reason I am thinking of having four bedrooms upstairs. We are going to live in this house for altleast 10 years but then a time will come to downsize and I worry people will view it as three bed house when we sell.

I would strongly suggest that before you make any firm decisions have a look on right move for a converted roof space on a bungalow similar to your own then go and view it to see what the actual rooms upstairs look like in both size and shape , I've just sold one like this and the paper plan of floor Space is really quite different to how it looks once finished , the floor area can be quite small once you take into account sloping walls and furniture arrangements

Thanks for downstairs plan

Have you got an enclosed porch of living area or do you come in straight into living area

IMHO you need to have something between outside and living room (especially if you have the choice)

Also, if shower room has toilet in move door along towards front rooms and put a door between there and living room so that visitors or children don't use toilet while others are eating lunch with no door between (obviously there is a door to toilet but IMHO an extra door is good idea

just realized i havent shown the entrance door in groundfloor plan. it is between 8x9 room and stairs, so not at all opening into living room. there is a hallway from entrance till living room.
good point about shower room door. will adjust it.

Oke doke can see where you mean

Could shower room door open from bottom of stairs area?

kingjofferyworksintescos,

we would be raising wall around 170cm and put new roof up to give more headspace. yes it wont be as big headroom as normal room but all sq ft in plan will be usable.

If I was never worried about selling my house again and was planning to stay for a long time I would get the master with dressing room as it's something I would love personally but if planning on selling one day in the future then would get 4th bed.

Agree on small ensuite, no dressing room and 4 upstairs beds if possible.

The three front rooms downstairs will need careful 'purposing' to avoid them being wastes of space. Is it possible to use the middle 'bedroom' as utility and not cut it out of the rear room?

Another one saying to go for four bedrooms with a small en suite. Ours is small but we chose light shiny porcelain tiles and carefully chosen loo, basin and shower to maximise space and it looks amazing.
Downstairs I would knock the front bedroom and living room into one to make a larger living room.

Do you have a wrap around garden?

If not, what is outside the doors on the side?

We have a wrap around garden at the moment but after extending living room to the side it will no longer be wrap around.

The space between garage and living room on the left side of 10x10 bedroom(study) will be just paved area (around 8x10 feet). We have window in that 10x10 room opening to it and neighbours have a window on their side too (around 1m away from fence) which would get very little light if we build up to fence there. We can add velux if we build upto fence but cant help with reduced light to neighbours window. I am thinking of using that area to keep hosta plants safe from slugs/snails hopefully.

If I had enough space in hallway, or we were a bit more tidy family, I would have knocked the front bedroom and living room into one to make a larger living room. Anyway it is internal configuration and can be done later.

For now keeping that small front bedroom to use as a room for keeping coats, scarves, shoes, socks, PE and sports kit, school bag etc. which DH and DS just dump somewhere as soon as they come home! (I do it sometimes too )
We have a big sliding PAX wardrobe there with full mirror doors and can be used for that purpose.