How can we turn this into a 3 bed? Pic included

[Newhouse76]

For various reasons we are unable to move from our flat burn need to convert it to 3 bedrooms to suit our family. We are pretty minimalist!

Would it make most sense to turn the living area into a kitchen/living area and use the kitchen as a bedroom? Another option would be to take a metre from the kitchen to create an alcove within the living room where the kitchen could go, using the rest of the kitchen as a bedroom. Finally I'm not sure about the logistics of turning the upstairs bedroom into a Kitchen or living area as it has 2 cupboards which go into the eves but I have attended a picture of the room. Eventually we want to be able to rent the flat out so it needs to be suitable for these purposes also.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Really great ideas thank you. I'm just having trouble visualising it all 🙈

I've tried again with floor plan

We're a family of 6 and tbh spend all our time in the kitchen/family room which is L shaped I think 15' x 22'

With a square table in your current kitchen there would be more room for a sofa, TV etc if you pushed the wall into the current lounge.

Do you definitely need a lounge? Could Do have lounge as her bedroom and get her suitable furniture for entertaining friends, make the most of the kitchen as social space as suggested and get yourself a really good wall bed and storage which makes your bedroom reworkable for occasional social use.

I've just seen flouncing's idea - could it be possible to turn the bathroom, bedroom and hallway into an open plan living/ sitting/ kitchen area? It would mean coming up
Stairs and having the open plan area at the top of the landing

I suspect you'd have problems with fire regs, especially for sharers in an hmo situation.

Your fire escape from the top bedroom would be through your kitchen, which wouldn't fly I don't think.

Knock down wall between kitchen and living room, to create kitchen living space, and put up new wall in line with existing kitchen/hall wall to create small bedroom in the right hand side of current living room. That way you don't even need to move the kitchen/gas/plumbing etc, just one wall down and one wall up! It depends on where the window is though really. Your 9 year old only needs a small room for now, and when you rent you can remove that wall easily to create the large living space again.

Is there a reason why you can't divide the upstairs bedroom in two? That was my first thought and I see someone else suggested it too but I can't see a response to that.

Buy a sofabed for you and dh. Dd up in the attic with your stuff in wardrobes up there too. AP in the back bedroom.

Ok, shame!

I suspect what most developers would do is 1) put a kitchen into the reception (you could build it semi enclosed with sliding/folding doors to close it off altogether if you want, like if you do your alcove idea) 2) make existing kitchen a bedroom and 3) get an extra bathroom in somewhere - either as an ensuite to the master bedroom (use a skylight for light) or by having 2 tiny bathrooms where you currently have 1 larger one (probably have to steal a bit of the first floor bedroom to do that)

That's probably what I'd do as I think it will appeal most to any future buyers/renters as well as meeting your current needs.

MyOther there's only one window and the flat's in a conservation area so not going to be able to add another.

What Join says. That would be my first thought. Small room for DD with good cabin bed type furniture and back bedroom for au pair. Or give au pair top room as extra living space to keep them out of the way? Can you get ensuite into top master bedroom?

Cheapest option is NapQueen's though - if the au pair is a temporary thing I might do that... Or a partition in the master bedroom to create a tiny bedroom for DD, though suspect there may not be enough space even for a tiny bedroom (I suppose you could fit a very low bed under the eaves....so maybe)

Kitchen and sitting room go upstairs and kitchen becomes a bedroom

It will be a lot more rentable if the bedrooms are on the same floor as the bedrooms

Or kitchen goes into the sitting room, and kitchen becomes a bedroom but you put in a tiny en-suite shower room upstair to rent it out

Probably not ideal, but can't you have your DD in with you and keep as much living space as possible. Within reason, I'd rather sacrifice bedroom space than living space and if you are thinking of moving out in a bit, that would definitely be a cheap option especially if you decide (as we did....!) that an au pair isn't the way to go.

I know you said you can't move but all this changing will cost a fortune..... it looks like a nice flat which would sell I'm sure. So either sell or rent it out and buy something bigger.

I'd get a Murphy bed in the living room and like other says share the loft bedroom storage.

Or if you have the money I'd make the loft the living space and put third bedroom in the kitchen

Thanks Spindelina. I'm not sure if mind about the window though. Op and dd could have the divided rooms upstairs and AP downstairs. My dd had a bedroom with no window when shr was little. Can't say it bothered her.

Moving kitchen or bathroom would cost a fortune and be incredibly disruptive!

Why not stick a partition in the loft room?

Is finance a concern? The cheapest thing to do is steal some space from the living room to incorporate a living space into the existing kitchen as a PP mentioned.

I've added a plan, the red area could be built in shelving / storage in the new kitchen/living room.

I'd give the au pair the loft bedroom, so she has space to hang out there in the evenings.

If fire regs, building control and freehold owner will agree (you will need permission from all three) make master bedroom into the living area, split existing lounge into two rooms for DD and au pair not sure if you would be allowed to put in a door to second bedroom (of split former lounge) from kitchen. That may be in breach of fire regs. Best thing to do would be to pop down to your local building control dept and ask their advice. They can tell you what they won't accept so you will know without running up costs.

I love all of you for responding!! Thank you

I'm just on my way to work but will be reading the responses on the tube 😁

Will revert

Your biggest waste of space is the large corridor around the staircases. Knock down the wall between the kitchen and hallway. Can't sketch on this phone but will post a pic later.

Your layout looks like our old rented flat, except we didn't have a loft bedroom. This is the layout - kitchen and bathroom were small but functional, and we had two decent sized bedrooms.

Doddle, but need to know about overlooking to the left. Is there another house with windows facing? Or does it look onto a garden? The obvious choice would to put a velux in the roof. If I get time later I will drawing it for you.