House layout - which would you choose?

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

Option 1 - kitchen (which is quite small so can't have dishwasher or separate tumble dryer - only room for a washing machine) + play room + under the stairs cupboard (housing things like the hoover, ironing board etc)

Option 2 - kitchen + utility + downstairs toilet

Option 3 - kitchen + play room + downstairs toilet

Option 1 is what we have.
Option 3 is the easiest change but means no utility so no dishwasher or tumble dryer and where would store the hoover, ironing board etc.?
Option 2 I think would be my preference but we lose a play room (for a utility room) and would be the most work / cost.
Is it worth it???

For info. we only have one bathroom in the house at the mo - is that an issue?
2 adults + 2 DC (5 + 7).

Can't decide what to do so what would you do???
Thanks!

Really depends on what other rooms you have in the house.

My immediate response would be no 2

Ok so current layout is:

Downstairs:
Kitchen
Dining room
Lounge
Hallway
Play room
(Under stairs cupboard)

Upstairs :
Bathroom
4 bedrooms ( ours, 1 each for DC, 1 spare - full of stuff!)

Yes I'd want option 2.

I'd do option 2 for a few years, assuming no further DC? Then when they're old enough to not want a play room, change it into a utility. A downstairs loo was a must have for me.

That's also assuming you use the living room and dining room regularly!

Sorry, option 3 for a few years!

Go for option 2. Turn the spare room upstairs into the playroom. At 5 & 7 the children should be old enough to play unattended upstairs. It also keeps all their toys/clutter out of eye sight. (Can you tell I did this?)

Downstairs toilet is a godsend when children are outside playing in the garden and you don't want them trekking mud/grass through the rest of the house. Also handy if you have visitors.

Utility and downstairs loo. Do something creative with the dining room for toy storage.

Another idea might be to build a utility cupboard in the dining room or playroom - just washing machine and tumbly hidden in a cupboard - and put the DW in the kitchen.

Definitely option three, much as I would love a utility I wouldn’t give up my playroom for anything.

2, your house is large, why have a separate playroom

Thank you for the responses so far...!
I'm still thinking!!!

.

Option 2... sounds wonderful...
You will be grateful for 2 WCs when you have teens!

Is there any way you could go with an upstairs utility for washing? Maybe steal a bit off the spare room? It's so much more efficient than washing downstairs and would allow you to have a dishwasher and downstairs loo while keeping the playroom.

I’d want option 2, no question. What if you turned the 4th upstairs bedroom into a playroom with clever storage for all the bits that are currently in it??

Thanks all!

I think I'm leaning towards option 2 (the most expensive, time consuming, effort intensive one!!!). Now just need to convince DH that that's the best option...

1. Who needs a playroom seriously?

option 2 for me. you already have 2 reception spaces, the children have their own rooms and a spare room which doesn't have to store stuff - it could be used as a play space.

Who needs a playroom seriously?
Couldn’t live without mine as it’s where my children play!

(the most expensive, time consuming, effort intensive one!!!)

It's always the way! But a second loo will be totally worth it and if you're going to the trouble of doing that, the utility isn't too much more on top.

Toilet in main living floor a must.
Can you have the utility upstairs? That’s far more practical. Can you divide the bathroom or take some space from the spare room to make a utility?
I had an open plan kitchen/diner/family room (playroom I guess). Never had any success having kids play in another room or floor til about 8 or 9 and that was because I put the Wii there. As teenagers they want to hang out in their rooms more.

Option 2 and if needed turn bedroom four into the playroom

I definitely think a downstairs loo is needed.
And a utility room would be fab! Just somewhere to hang the washing for a start!
I think a playroom will get less important as DC get older, less toys etc. And at the moment they don't often actually play in it, it's just where their toys are kept.

The playroom gets less important for a while. It quickly gets vv handy again with pre-teens and teens unless you are willing to let them have TVs/ games consoles in their rooms.

Any more views?
It's coming up to decision time... maybe???!

I’m Swedish, and here people would put the washing machine and tumble drier in the bathroom (probably on top of one another to save space). So they might convert playroom or part of playroom into one large downstairs bathroom with shower and “laundry tower”. We don’t have dining rooms either so that would not be safe from anything either :)

I like utility rooms myself (love a separate place to hang laundry) but a downstairs toilet (and pref a shower) would be more important. Sounds like you can fit both in.

If you want to do option 3 because it’s easier and cheaper I’d look at putting laundry machines in there on top of one another. Two birds one stone.