Page 3 | Are these room sizes decent?

EllisRoses · 2020-10-15T08:45:55+00:00

Purchasing a 4 bed detached property off plan and I can't get my bearings of room sizes. The lounge seems plenty long enough, maybe slightly concerned about width. I was chatting to my mum about how happy I am to finally have a utility room and she replied it was a tiny one. I've been going off the floor plans and thought it was a pretty generous sized house? For a family of 4 plus a dog I'd hate to feel cramped?

Fannybawz · 15/10/2020 12:50

@EllisRoses

We need to use help to buy to get more space so restricted to a new build. We're paying £245k for the house. I'm not expecting a mansion! Just enough space to live comfortably. Is it really that tiny?

Worried we've made an error now, we were really excited and thought we'd found a goodun.

Sorry OP didn’t read your post properly, Assumed you were just starting off.

I know nothing about your market but that’s a damn good price. Those rooms sizes look alright, as others say, just compare to what you have now as everybody has different needs x

justmeagain91 · 15/10/2020 12:56

My lounge has similar dimensions, is just 15cm wider, it's definitely wide enough, so much so I'm on the look out for new furniture as our large corner sofa, arm chair and tv unit just don't feel sufficient in the space.

justmeagain91 · 15/10/2020 12:56

The master is smaller than I'd like though.

Bluntness100 · 15/10/2020 12:57

No it’s not tiny but it is on the small size, depending on where you are in the country the price could be reflecting that.

Lazypuppy · 15/10/2020 13:02

@EllisRoses This is the biggest house we can afford! How is it still too small?!

Because you are buying a new build!its like cars, they are overpriced to begin with because their new, and lose value very quickly before going back up. If you're there long term it doesn't matter so much about dip.

It does look compact upstairs!

InTheLongGrass · 15/10/2020 13:05

No, it's really not that tiny. As I said, we have similar, with 4 of us. Drum kits, guitars, DH working from home, parents to stay for weekends. The family before us was 5, plus an extra child at the weekends. It's not indoor cricket territory, but it is perfectly comfortable for 4.

Original poster

EllisRoses · 15/10/2020 13:39

[quote Lazypuppy]**@EllisRoses* This is the biggest house we can afford! How is it still too small?!*

Because you are buying a new build!its like cars, they are overpriced to begin with because their new, and lose value very quickly before going back up. If you're there long term it doesn't matter so much about dip.

It does look compact upstairs![/quote]
I get that but we can only get one this size because it's a new build and available on help to buy! We are settled in jobs and with kids and don't really want to move about so we were hoping this'll do us 15/20 years.

Thinking instead of a bed in the spare room have a day bed, and my wardrobe and dressing table in there and then just one wardrobe in master bedroom for DH. It may work better actually as I get up stupidly early on the days I work and I could get ready without bothering him.

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Original poster

EllisRoses · 15/10/2020 13:43

@InTheLongGrass

No, it's really not that tiny. As I said, we have similar, with 4 of us. Drum kits, guitars, DH working from home, parents to stay for weekends. The family before us was 5, plus an extra child at the weekends. It's not indoor cricket territory, but it is perfectly comfortable for 4.

That's good to hear thanks!

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Bluntness100 · 15/10/2020 14:21

This is the biggest house we can afford! How is it still too small?!

It isn’t necessarily too small, but I’m sure you know that the more you spend the bigger house you can usually get. (Variances accepted) It is not a case of this is all we can afford so we should be guaranteed a house big enough for us. That’s not how it works. The house is not tiny, but it is not a big house for a four bed, and many of the rooms are indeed small. However that doesn’t mean it can’t fit your needs.

I’m sure it will be great and you can make it work. Did they not have a show house to look at?

seriouslynotserious · 15/10/2020 14:29

I think it's decent size apart from the living room being a bit narrow. However, at least you have the dining room separate which is in the kitchen. You just need to think of ways to make use of the living space as you're going to have a long room and not have a dining table?

CamdenLurker · 15/10/2020 15:06

Late to the party I know, but here's a photo of my utility room which is 3m x 4m (pic was taken just after tiling had been done which is why the floor is looking dusty)

Once all units are in it's not a huge space tbh.

gubbbbbddaaaa · 15/10/2020 15:14

Isn't there a show home? It's a fairly standard looking house for a new build .. bedrooms aren't big but not small. Utility only really needs room for a washing machine , dryer and airer .

MikeEhrmantraut · 15/10/2020 16:17

Are there any developments with the same house designs already completed that you could look up either for sale now or previously, so you can compare the floor plan then see photos of the same style house " lived in"?

We did that with ours, found out the style of house and looked up houses for sale in a previously completed development 30 miles away. Was quite helpful for visualising and stealing ideas.

FurierTransform · 15/10/2020 16:44

Utility room is fine IMO. Just measured mine - 2m x1.6m. It has a sink, worktop, washer & dryer, and some cupboards...not sure what else you need!

chukwe · 15/10/2020 16:44

No, room are so small. You need a couple of 4m, three 3m. I wouldn't touch that

Original poster

EllisRoses · 15/10/2020 16:48

No show home yet, honestly if they had a same size house but 3 bed on the development we'd probably look into switching for bigger bedrooms but there isn't. To get a 3 bed we'd lose space downstairs and we don't want that really. I'm thinking as long as I either turn bedroom 4 into a dressing room or turn bedroom 2 or 3 into a spare room/dressing room hybrid with a day bed and wardrobes/dressing table it'll hopefully be ok.

We've just now received our mortgage offer, literally 5 mins ago, and I think I'm getting anxious as it's such a lot of money but it'll be a darn sight better than where we are now, it'll be ours, with front and back gardens, 5 mins walk to the beach, close to our family for the first time ever. Need to remember that we chose it for a reason! I just keep panicking!

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WombatChocolate · 15/10/2020 16:56

What can you afford without help to buy? What would be your max budget?

Often when people look into it more thoroughly, they can get more than they though for the money. You might not get 3 loos or a utility room, but you might find a decent sized house.

You see Help to Buy and new build results in inflated prices. Your house won’t be worth the price you pay for it for several years. We are going into a big recession and prices will drop. You’ll need to remortgage when Help to Buy is up and are probably relying on increased prices to get a normal mortgage then....but 5 years from now, prices might have barely risen or not reached the price you pay.

I’d be very careful at the moment with this, never mind the size. Sorry it’s not what you’ll want to hear.

Original poster

EllisRoses · 15/10/2020 17:06

@WombatChocolate

What can you afford without help to buy? What would be your max budget?

Often when people look into it more thoroughly, they can get more than they though for the money. You might not get 3 loos or a utility room, but you might find a decent sized house.

You see Help to Buy and new build results in inflated prices. Your house won’t be worth the price you pay for it for several years. We are going into a big recession and prices will drop. You’ll need to remortgage when Help to Buy is up and are probably relying on increased prices to get a normal mortgage then....but 5 years from now, prices might have barely risen or not reached the price you pay.

I’d be very careful at the moment with this, never mind the size. Sorry it’s not what you’ll want to hear.

Help to buy is really to just help us buy sooner. We could get this house without help to buy on DHs salary but we'd need more time to save up a deposit and our mortgage payments would obviously be higher, it would be a lot more tight. I'm currently working 2 days a week due to childcare, but after 5 years I'll be back full time so even if the house has risen or fallen if we add me on the mortgage (all in DHs name and affordibility at the moment) we'll have enough to remortgage and pay off H2B.

I guess if worst comes to worst and it's too small then we just move in 5 years instead of remortgage.

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midgebabe · 15/10/2020 17:11

Standard size bed and sliding door wardrobes and it should be fine

WombatChocolate · 15/10/2020 17:12

Okay, so you will be able to afford to remortgage. That’s good.

But, it a house is overpriced, it’s overpriced. You are paying a significant premium for new build and for access to help to buy. Even if you can later afford it, you’ll still have paid more (quite a lot more) than you needed to and that’s not good.

Have you considered waiting until you can afford something without Help to Buy? Prices are likely to fall over the next year or so.

If you can wait and buy in a couple of years, you’d probably be much better off....you might get an older house without the en-suite and utilities but get good sized rooms in an established area. Hard to wait when you’d like it now...I can see that.

NotMeNoNo · 15/10/2020 17:40

I would get them to send you the detailed, dimensioned architects plans rather than that little sketch. The master bedroom needs room for wardrobes and the kitchen needs room for a fridge if not built in. Otherwise you can get creative with shelves and hooks and careful choice of furniture.

Bluntness100 · 15/10/2020 18:00

Someone said on another thread, imagine a door laid on its side, that’s six foot.

So the bathroom is one door long, by just under one door wide.
The bedrooms are just over one and a half doors long by just over one and a half doors wine, apart from the fourth room, which is just over a door long by a door wide.

The living room is a door and three quarters wide. By three doors long, the kitchen diner is about the same.

The utility is a door long, by over two doors long,

Bluntness100 · 15/10/2020 18:10

We are going into a big recession and prices will drop. You’ll need to remortgage when Help to Buy is up and are probably relying on increased prices to get a normal mortgage then....but 5 years from now, prices might have barely risen or not reached the price you pay

Ouch! This is unnecessarily pessimistic. Yes that could happen but five years is a long time and the odds are it will increased in value

GU24Mum · 15/10/2020 18:35

I'm not a huge fan of new-builds so probably not the best person to comment.......... but have you thought about the boring things like where you'd put a hoover and ironing board etc?

I think your room sizes are broadly similar to these ones which might be useful (or not!) - not quite sure whether the bedrooms include the fitted wardrobe measurements though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72231696.html

JoJoSM2 · 15/10/2020 18:46

I think that’s a pokey for a 4-bed detached. The bedrooms are all small. If you were going to use the 4th for a dressing area, you might as well get a decent 3-bed where the bedrooms are big enough for stuff.