Help with layout please following a garage conversion...

[FollowingAmirage]

I'm after ideas/thoughts on layout please. I have attached an image of the current layout (hope this works) and will try to explain what we have in mind:

Basically we are planning to convert the rear of a double garage, so we will need a door opening from the second reception (dinning room). Unfortunately, we can't have a door from the hallway. But, we are also thinking of knocking the wall between kitchen/second reception to make for a bigger kitchen/dinner and then have the converted garage off this space as a playroom/office.

Now my question is: do you think we should also block one of the doors leading to the kitchen/dinner once merged (as it otherwise would make sense to have to doors leading to the same room). Any thoughts/ideas will be much appreciated or perhaps if you can think of a better way of utilising the space? :)

I would block up the existing kitchen door, this will optimise space both in the hallway and the kitchen, especially as you will lose the wall between the existing kitchen and reception room.

I like the idea of an office in the garage.

Is the door for the utility off the kitchen? - from the diagram it looks like it can only be used by ghosts.

Haha, yes there is a door to the utility from the kitchen (estate agent drawings!). Many thanks for the input, I was thinking to block up kitchen door too but wasn’t entirely sure. I am also thinking of potentially widening dining door as that wall is not load baring but perhaps that’s not essential?

Unless you really need to widen the door, I wouldn't, a wider door means a wider swing into the room.

Also a wider door, just opposite the front door, will be much colder in winter.

I would have a door into the garage (however it is used in the end) from the kitchen/diner, rather than from outside.

Very good point GreatWave about the swing into the room.

Jux, yes the plan is to have a door from the dinning room leasing to the play room (rear garage conversion). I was thinking of also retaining the outside door to the garden so the kids can use that when the weather is nice...or do you think that should be blocked/replaced by a window? I should addd that the garage already has a large window overlooking the garden so we are keeping that too...

Can you add a glass veranda to that outside area too? Have an indoor out room there ?

I was advised to have a more direct route to our Laundry from /to the staircase and I wouldn't swap that now. Especially when I'm carrying baskets of washing.

Oh a glass veranda will be amazing! On the wish list but will need to sort out the inside space first! 😊

Would you also block the backdoor from the kitchen ti the garden? We han an L shaped garden going around that side too, but I guess it would make sense to have 2 doors to the garden from both rooms?

So we are taking the plunge and doing the work in a couple of weeks. We had a quote to do the kitchen/diner knock through for 8K. Does that sound reasonable? This includes the knock through/make good, taking kitchen units out, installing amtico flooring and then fitting the kitchen. This also includes blocking up the smaller door to garden/kitchen door and opening up a new internal door to the garage (ready for conversion at a later stage). The electrics are an extra 1.7K so all in all 10K . Any idea if this is reasonable?

Sounds like a really good price

I would definitely block up the kitchen door.

If I had the budget I would probably put in bifold doors on both the dining bit and the garage conversion/ playroom and then in the summer you could have both open and have a sort of living area outside too.

Ah, sadly bifolds are out of the budget and we figured with our lovely British weather we will probably have them shut most of the year! just keeping French doors we currently have atm. But yes, kitchen door will be blocked up which will mean we can also get descent hallway furniture etc. Taking the plunge but at the same time worried about doing the work in the current climate...

So this is the space after demolition! I need a bigger table now

Didn't see this thread months ago but back then I'd have said make reception room one the kitchen and open up the back fully into the garage

Thanks Heart, we did think about opening up to the garage but it was complicated by planning permission and to be honest don’t think we will get the money back given the price of other houses in our street so we just opted for the easiest option. I am sure it will be an improvement to what we currently have in any case... :)