Need a a few more square feet for tall teenagers

[statisticianintraining]

We live in an end terrace 2 bed plus small box room (8ft x 8ft so not that small compared to some we’ve seen).

Over the years we’ve considered moving but there is nothing in our price range in the same location that has been fixed up. Over the last 15 years this house has been a nightmare with endless very expensive works - damp etc. If we sell now we would just about recoup our money (no fancy finishes just structural, damp, windows, roof etc) but mainly we are scared to do it again and our house is in a great area.

Problem is we now have 2 very tall teenage boys who don’t want to share a bedroom. We have some ideas about building out over the stairs to make a cupboard or something to make floor space in 3rd bedroom. Do we just need a carpenter or should we ask an architect in case there is a better option? Would a architect be the right profession to think about how near to make use of space/ do they do small jobs? Maybe
I’ve watched too much George Clark’s Amazing Spaces

This is what we are thinking of doing - breaking through the wall from the bedroom side so the operators cupboard becomes his wardrobe. This photo is almost identical to our house.

Your only difficulty that I could see would be maintaining enough head room going up the stairs.

Architects will do small jobs but equally a decent joiner will also have good ideas.

8 by 8 isn't too bad, you could even get a small double with storage underneath so he can sleep diagonally. I'm a tall teenager veteran

If you can get wardrobe space in that new cupboard, he'd have room for a desk maybe, depending on layout. In my sons rooms there is just enough clearance between the door and the wall for a narrow depth bookcase to slot behind. But totally depends on what the layout is.

Good luck.

Thanks for the reply. We have a great carpenter but. I don’t want to spend a lot of money and then realise we missed some other option. The head height is there. With this option he could have a double bed under it but have to stand on bed to access it but he could then have a small desk but little else. I think I need a diagram

Something like this?

www.next.co.uk/g24613s9/352571#352571?i=Smalldouble

Maybe you'd be better sticking a desk under it? Yes, diagram would be excellent

Busy measuring now. Room isn’t square. Because we are of terrace the house tapers a bit. We’ve run out of ideas. Considered moving wall between br3 and main bedroom to steal space but window is a big feature in main bedroom and would always look
odd. Attic conversion too expensive.

Can you do a rough sketch with room dimensions and door position etc

And how tall are your very tall teenagers? do they fit in a standard length bed ?

We had that in our previous house. Thought it was a clever idea. (House had lots of storage tucked into weird spaces. - Was one of its selling points.) I would have thought a decent carpenter would easily sort this out.

Not very tall. They’ll both end up about 6 ft and a bit Dad is 5 feet. They just feel very tall to me. I’m small and so is house. We have good ceiling heights

Dad is 6 feet tall. Oops

We could steal some space outside his bedroom on the landing door could move by about 60cm.

6 ft is doable, it means they can fit in a normal bed.
First suggestion is rehang the door so that it hinges on left. We did that for our only similar box room bathroom and it made a big difference.
I think your over stairs storage is a good idea.
Have you looked at folding study beds?
www.studybed.co.uk/
They'e not cheap but a LOT less than building work

We did a cupboard out over stairs in old house , it sloped upwards parallel to the stairs and then we had a hanging rail and shelves to fit into the slope put into it.

Was a huge cupboard - so much space in it.

From those dimensions, a double bed would actually fit next to the door already. If you have the door rehung to open outwards you’ll have more furniture options.

Thanks everyone
Folding bed not really an option as he is in an untidy phase and would never fold it up. Would just cause arguments. We have considered rehanging the door but if we rehang to open on other side but still inwards it’s compromises his privacy (we always knock to be honest) rehanging it to open outwards it would hit us in the face every morning.
Re the bed from Next there is no way to get clearance at the end of the bed to make use of the underbed storage.

We don’t have a bulkhead (i think that’s what it’s called) our stairs goes other way but we started off thinking of something like this

I know you said attic conversion not an option, but could you get it just plastered and floored and put a fixed ladder up to it in the bedroom and it would make a sort of den space?

Yes we can get a double bed in but little else and the weird corner means there is empty wasted space and the foot of the bed. We now need a desk. Thinking we could ask a carpenter to make a frame for a standard size double bed but use that weird corners as a shelf. Fit the bed exactly to the space.

Attic is done in that sense and my husband uses it as an office. It’s a small house in a great location for schools my work etc but mainly terrified of taking the plunge and buying another soul destroying money pit.

Our current idea (hence thinking we might need an architect to talk some sense into us) is to remove his bedroom door and brick it up but the new wall would be about 30cm further into his existing room. Then create a cupboard out over stairs which from landing is on floor level but when you open door you have a few steps up to accommodate the stairs clearance. Almost like the way an attic stairs would be incorporated into landing.
So you would open his door to the left to touch new wall not getting tangled up with any other doors. Step up and then turn down into his room. We think he could have shelves/ small narrow wardrobe on the raised platform in the newly created space (floor to ceiling) and then turn left down into his bedroom. We could also move the radiator.

Like this

What’s the layout downstairs? Is there any scope for a downstairs bedroom instead?

Not really. We have a front living room and a large knocked through kitchen diner.

It's an inspired option! But I think that stepping up, then down, loses you a lot of usable space. I can't see how the steps down wouldn't intrude into the room and leave you with no flexibility at all.

I'd go for moving his door forward, chopping a bit off the landing, and having a bed (does he really need a double?) built over the bulkhead. With storage underneath so no need for a chest of drawers. Does he really need a wardrobe? Boys only tend to have a few shirts that need hanging up, and back of door will do for that. Then plenty of room for a desk and shelving unit on left hand wall.'