Restoring a downstairs bathroom to get a third bedroom upstairs?

[Boonlark]

I can't afford a three bed house so am buying a post war 2 bed terrace. It used to be a three bed, but they moved the bathroom upstairs and knocked through to make the kitchen bigger

Opinions please on whether it's worth restoring the old bathroom back downstairs so we get a third bedroom? And anyone got any ideas on how much it might cost?

I've hopefully attached a picture of the floor plan

Umm, did it attach this time?

No floorplan yet but I know the layout you mean. I think you will lose money. How long do you plan to stay in the house? How old are your children? Could one bedroom be downstairs?

No picture did not attach.

No don't do it. You will wipe a lot of value off the house.

Make a box room bedroom downstairs if you must have a third bedroom and are willing to lose some downstairs space.

Loft conversion is the usual way to cram in another room.

If it's the kind of terraced house that we live in, o would do it. Almost all the houses on our street still have a downstairs bathroom, unless they've done a full list conversion. The two bed houses don't sell for as much because they're only a two bed, and this is a family street, so people want that third bedroom. But it really depends on the neighborhood - round here, if you want to live on these few streets (desirable location and still vaguely affordable) you accept that you're having a downstairs bathroom.

Though I assume a loft conversion isn't possible?

Ok....so the current floorplan is like this one, except the bathroom is in the smallest upstairs room:
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/55748281

I'm also mulling on putting a loo in upstairs somehow (one where the loo has its own sink so can be in a tiny space)

Sadly there's not enough height for a loft conversion in these type of houses.

I hadn't thought about just making a box room downstairs....

Often if you lower the ceilings on first floor in these sort of houses you can get a loft conversion? More complicated but could be a solution. Downstairs bathrooms put a lot of people off, especially those with young kids.

Could you make some of the existing bathroom into a small bedroom, and then take some of the rear bedroom to make what's left of the bathroom a little larger?

Also why do you want to do it?

My dc have SEN and it really helps if they have another room to be in (watch TV, play on their console) when they're getting overwhelmed, plus I'd like to have a guest bedroom.

Actually this one is exactly what it's like, but without the lean to at the back. https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/55845495

Those are lovely big rooms.

That bathroom is huge! But I know it's the smallest room in yours.

My suggestion would be because of size of downstairs to see it you can make that kitchen into open plan with living space and then make a 3rd bedroom downstairs in corner away from kitchen (bottom right of picture)

It would depend on how big your need a third room.

Or if it's necessary for space could you make playroom section in lounge and spilt one of the bedrooms with stud wall?

I mean split bed room so sleeping above is separate because they are fine to share

Do you need to be in catchment? We got a bigger property by looking 2/3 streets outside of the "nicer" area.

If the additional room is needed for a TV/play room which can double as a spare room, then it makes much more sense for you to make it downstairs.

Can you reduce the size of the kitchen, put a table in part of the living room to eat at, and use the space you've taken from the kitchen to make a box room downstairs?

We moved into a 3 bed with a downstairs bathroom before we had children. We considered moving it upstairs, but I’m glad we didn’t. It’s a pain when I need a wee in the night, but it’s marvellous bathing the kids while I cook dinner! Plus the kids have a bedroom each, which makes for a peaceful bedtime!

Hmm, I'm more thinking that maybe a conservatory would work?

How big is the larger bedroom upstairs? Perhaps it could be divided into 2 singles? You’d have a double + 2 singles + a bathroom upstairs.

I wouldn’t move the bathroom downstairs. It’s likely to cost quite a lot considering the value of the property.

A full-width extension would be more valuable than a conservatory, if you could afford it.

I agree with PP don't move the bathroom downstairs.

The thing is, both of the roads you link to will have a 'ceiling price'. If you spend a lot of money converting either of them, you'll never get the money back, as people with that amount of money wouldn't choose to live there.
Now, if you are going to be living there for 20 years, and are thinking about what would work for you, and your family, then that is different, but be careful about spending a lot and hoping to recover it if you move on in 5 or 10 years time. It certainly wouldn't be worth lowering floors and doing loft conversions.

Good point about ceiling prices

I'm going to stay here for years and years, so yes, it's about getting what works for us, rather than the money side of things.

How much more does an extension cost compared to a conservatory? And how much extra work is it?

Don't get a conservatory. They are cheaper to build but are unusable for lots of time.

@OliviaBenson

Don't get a conservatory. They are cheaper to build but are unusable for lots of time.

Ditto this, they're either hotter than the sun or freezing. If you can fit a conservatory then you can fit an extension for downstairs bedroom. Could you fit a prefab garden room in to use as a temporary bedroom?

I would not want a bathroom away from the bedrooms although I am not a fan of ensuites I want to be able to go to the toilet in the middle of the night without going down stairs

I want to get from the shower/bath to my bedroom easily but even if I wanted to go to the bathroom to get changed I would have to take all my clothes to downstairs

I would also worry about reselling down the track

Hi OP. I have the same type of house as you. All houses on the street the same, three beds with bathroom off kitchen. Mine already had the bathroom upstairs when we bought with a 3rd bedroom created in the loft. Regardless I wouldn't have moved the bathroom downstairs as it makes the kitchen not big enough to eat in.

There was also a conservatory which I've just torn down and am partways through building a proper extension. The extension will actually be smaller than the conservatory (planning permission issues) but it's going to be 1000 times more usable. Conservatories are too hot in summer, too cold in winter and get mould. A very high spec one avoids these issues but then you've spent so much you might as well just build a proper extension!!

My extension is costing 80k BUT it's 2 story and includes brand new kitchen, and conservatory demolition of course. And I live in expensive area. A basic single story would cost more like 20-30k. If you can possibly afford it, I'd definitely do that!

Grobags, that's really helpful. Was the loft extension there when you bought it? I was under the impression that these types couldn't have one, but I'd be interested if they can.

I'm not sure if I can quite afford an extension. I have almost £20k but I also need to put double glazing in (there's only single glazing) and carpets into the house.

You will get the grant for 2/3 of the cost of putting double glazing in if you only have single glazing in now.