Which floorpan for a 3-bed new build?

[Catycity]

Helping a friend choose between floorplans. The two without utility room are both 933 sq ft and same price. The one with utility is 1034 sq ft but is also £17k more expensive than the other two.

1. One French doors.

1. Two French doors.

1. With Utility but more expensive.

Friend is querying if the £17k extra for the one with utility is worth it? It would stretch their budget as they need to factor in extras etc.

Between the 3 floorplans, which is better in order of preference?

I’d go for the one with the utility room. Looking at the kitchen plans for those without, there’s not a huge run of units in either and you’d lose valuable cupboard space to fit in a washing machine and a dryer.

For me I love a utility so 3 would be my first choice. I remember moving from our little two bed terrace to a four bed with a utility many years ago. The utility was tiny but it was my favourite room. It held so much clutter.

I'd choose 2 second, I like the two French doors. It'll make the garden like an extra room in the summer.

I'm not keen on the layout of 1.

I’d probably ask for the ground floor plan of option 1 (with the L shaped kitchen) but the upstairs plan of one of the other two, since the master bedroom seems to work better on the right hand side. Can they do that?

If she has the L shaped kitchen it should be possible to put a utility cupboard/area in the bit of the kitchen that backs onto the lounge. (effectively a continuation of the under stairs storage cupboard).

I would go for the utility as it's great to have extra living space. I think it's worth the money though I don't know overall price. But my main consideration would be the outside space. Size and layout of that.

I think the bedrooms are a bit bigger with the utility layout.

I like the one with the bay window!

2,1,3

My fave is definitely the one with two French doors and bay window. I'd take that over a utility room personally!

3, then 2, only 1 if desperate.

A utility room is great. Garden at the side of the house (a la No1) would be really off putting to me.

If I had free reign I would put a porch outside the front door, even up bedrooms 2 & 3 by getting rid of the cupboard on the landing and make a much bigger kitchen diner by having it open plan right through by opening it up to the hall.

I love 2 French doors as those mean you’re likely to use the garden and the downstairs will feel much nicer. However, I’d ask the builder for a laundry cupboard in the kitchen (stacked up washing machine and dryer).

House 3.

Utility and slightly better sized bedrooms. No bay in the lounge which is a shame but the door to the garden still.

I prefer number 2. Instead of the utility I’d see if they have a garage, as if they do you could ask for plumbing to be put in the back of there for the washing machine. Our washer dryer is in the garage (door into garage in hallway) and it frees up the kitchen units and means the noise isn’t in the kitchen when washing.

How much are the houses? If they are already 500k, go for number 3. If they are 150k, I'd probably go for 1, and designate the tucked off corner of the kitchen as utility.

Just add some sofas to the livingroom of no2. Depending on how you like your livi groom set up, you may struggle to get your preferred furniture in - there are windows and doors everywhere!

The zig-zag bedroom design is great. Tuck a wardrobe in each alcove, and you still have a rectangular room. It just limits your wardrobe choices as you buy to fit the gap, not necessarily buy the one you like the most!!

My preference out of the three would be 1 2 3.

I have young DTs who spend a lot of time outside and seem to spend most of my time in the kitchen. I prefer the layout of kitchen 1, and with the doors I could get outside to see them break up a fight quicker. Ditto for two, but not for three. I’ve never had a utility room though so don’t know what I’m missing

Utility every time for me, but I'd have the downstairs toilet accessible from the utility rather than the hall so could use it more easily from the garden.

Utility every time. Ask for the kitchen diner to be flipped and get a second set of patio doors installed.

Utility every time - extra space wins out.

We have two sets of patio doors - one from kitchen diner and one from living room. The only time we use the kitchen ones is to put the recycling out, which I would use the utility door for in layout 3.

Utility every time. I'm having one put into my house and it's the room I'm most excited about

I know MN loves utility rooms but surely they are only worth it if they're a decent size? Like a boot room with space for muddy wellies, sink for washing the dog, and lots of hanging space for drying clothes. And a freezer. Many new builds just have room for a washing machine and tumble dryer - which we shouldn't be using for environmental reasons.

They're a similar style to my house and I'd pick the one with the utility every time! I don't have one and I'd love one!!

I'd pick a utility. Removes so much clutter, plus you can close off the noise from the washing machine. I disagree that they're only useful if they're big enough to shower your gun dog or whatever; ours is just big enough for a washing machine and dryer, with one cupboard and a work surface and I wouldn't be without it.

Second choice would be 1, with that extra space in the kitchen. Seems a shame that in house 2 that extra space is just wasted as hallway.

I like no. 3, but don't understand why you'd have French doors off the living room and not the kitchen. Kids running in and out or just regular gardening feet are mucky! I'd rather have that in the kitchen. As kitchen is the heart of the home to me - and where we spend the most time - is want to be overlooking the garden and have doors to get out. I suppose it depends on the plot and how the house is positioned.

@DC3Dakota yes the lack of bay let’s 3 down. But looking around the development the bays are all too close to the public walkway (not much front garden like with most new builds). It’s a funny one because my friend loves the bays too.

@JoJoSM2 yeah same. Friend likes French doors too. In 3 There are still French doors from the lounge and with the utility room there’s a back door. So still two back doors to garden in 3, just two different types of back door.

Are people more likely to use French doors as back door or a regular actual back door like in the utility one?

@Samster1815 there’s single garage separate to the whole house. Worth considering I guess. Just not as convenient as having a utility inclusive of the house when it’s in a separate building.

@InTheLongGrass there in the £350k price ranges. Does that make a difference?

@MoiraRoseisupSchittCreek yeah. But for a new build it’s alright sized and not much bigger than the utility in the 5 bed floor plans. Utility houses odd bods in one place, things like the boiler etc.

The idea of transforming the garage into a utility space was good, but that’s taking up garage space too. Shame the garages aren’t inclusive of the whole house.

I like the downstairs floor plan with the utility but I don't like the bedroom shapes.

Utility definitely.

Dining area is small, so I would change to barn style sliding door or just make a larger opening (either open or with two smaller doors).