House layout

[Fern204]

We are in the process of purchasing this house. Apart from needing to be rewired, we want to adapt the layout to suit our family.
We prefer a separate living room/lounge, so are going to reinstate that wall. We then want to open up between the dining room and kitchen, and to create a utility room.
We also want to add a separate shower room or ensuite, but cant see how to do this easily.
Any thoughts, or has anyone done something similar?
Floor plans attached.

I had thought about using the cupboard next to the bathroom and changing the layout of the existing bathroom to make it into 2 rooms. Or maybe have a shower room as part of the utility, but would prefer to keep the shower upstairs.

Obviously this depends on structural walls etc, but could you rearrange the big bathroom and create an en-suite in the bedroom using some of the space currently taken by the bath? There is obviously a water supply there, so that should be easier.

Fairly similar to what you have said, but I think the cupboard and moving the bath is the best solution. You could also double up with a fitted shower over the bath too.

Is it a "one off" house or one in a street of identical houses?
If the latter, have a look at your council planning portal for any alterations that your neighbours have done. You might need to look under Building Control rather than Planning Permission as it might not have been required.
It would be great if you could look at similar finished projects but obviously that's not going to be easy at the moment!

For the ensuite I'd use a little more of the landing space and move the bathroom wall, then divide into two rooms. Shouldn't be difficult to add a door through from the main bedroom.

I think you'd need to check current Building Regulation requirements for room size etc first though.

I think that moving the cupboard and splitting the bathroom is a good idea.

However if it is your forever house and budget allows have you considered a loft conversion to give another bedroom and bathroom? If so you might want to use some of the existing bathroom/cupboard space for stairs. Might be worth considering?

Thank you, there is scope to do a lot extension, but there are only 3 of us, and our Ds will probably be away to university in a couple of years.
I am planning in hosting foreign language students hence an ensuite, I don't want to be bumping into a random teenager on my way out of a shower!

I think using more of the hallway is a good idea,, and a doorway from the bedroom shouldn't be as expensive as removing the wall.

Any idea on the ground floor, fitting in a utility room and whether to open plan everything or not?
Our current house is open plan, and I think I like the idea of a separate living room. Again, so that teenagers can hang out in kitchen or living room and we have the option to stay separate.

Good idea to look in the planning portal, thanks

If your utility is primarily for laundry, think about a utility cupboard. Possibly along the right hand wall of existing kitchen. Extend the line of the downstairs loo wall. Lose the side back door.
Utility cupboards only need to be a little deeper than a washer and dryer. Have pivot slide doors that tuck away when in use. The floor space you need for loading washing machine is part of the main kitchen when the doors are shut. Stack the washer and dryer or use the space above for more storage. Some even have a sink in them
I've rented several apartments with them and they are very space efficient
Google for images

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We are thinking it's better to do a single story rear extension as this will make a utility room easier to fit. I want it as a boot room with space for coats too. We have dogs and cycling kit, and DH works in agriculture so better to keep muddy boots separate if we can.
We could extend 3m within permitted development which would be plenty, the house is 6m across.