Please critique my extension plans

[QueenofWhatever]

I recently bought a three bedroom one bathroom that needs some fairly major modernisation. I bought it with a view to extending it to a four bedroom two bathroom house that I’m looking to sell on in 3-5 years time.

My target market is young family with working parents ish and it’s in a popular village close to a regional city with good primary schools, range of shops, public transport etc.

What would you change or want to see that isn’t included? The builders are coming to cost it upon Tuesday before I go for planning permission. I want to get the right balance between keeping costs down, but not skipping things that will make it saleable. Thanks!

I also agree with the comments on the corner en-suite. I have been in rooms like this and it always looks awkward. A long thin en-suite would work better.

It will be a large home and I am sure it will be fantastic, but at the minute it looks like you are trying to cram too much in and the layout seems quite awkward downstairs.

@Starseeking the rule of thumb with extensions is that they should be no more than 50% of the original footprint. Going over that would make planning harder to get. My Council is already known for being a bit NIMBY.

@Africa2go the front garden is about 25ft and pretty level. They’ll need to move a load of earth from where the extension will be and I’ll get them to level out the garden with that. I’ll also have a fence round the perimeter. That way there’ll be room for a trampoline or climbing frame, and the garden will be secure for children and animals. It should also stop next door’s rabbits getting in!

@StatisticallyChallenged the back kitchen and utility door go onto the steps up to the back garden which is a weird triangular space and north facing. Personally I’m not bothered with having a utility as I’m happy with a washer/dryer in the kitchen, but had the impression lots of people want them. Taking it out would make it less cluttered downstairs and flow better.

Just to recap, there will be far more kitchen units than currently shown, most likely the length of the side wall. That’s just the architect’s starting point. Agree about the ensuite in the master bedroom being wrong. I’m thinking long and thin or maybe the whole back length with a walk in wardrobe. The room is 3.9m x 4.9m so really quite big.

Keep the comments coming please! It’s so helpful getting dispassionate views and you’ve given me some really good ideas about moving the front door round to make a bigger entrance.

@StatisticallyChallenged the back kitchen and utility door go onto the steps up to the back garden which is a weird triangular space and north facing. Personally I’m not bothered with having a utility as I’m happy with a washer/dryer in the kitchen, but had the impression lots of people want them. Taking it out would make it less cluttered downstairs and flow better.

I think a utility space is a good idea when you have an open plan room, and I've had a lootility before (mine was actually in our main upstairs bathroom which worked very well, it was all hidden away) so I don't mind those in general. The reason I was asking what was in that gap was to see if you could bring the utililty further down to get you direct access from utility to kitchen. So effectively if the back wall of the utility could be brought down so that the door from kitchen to back garden actually went in to the utility instead

If you don't need to go from kitchen to back garden (I think from what you've said it's not a much used space?) then I'd consider rotating the door of your under stair cupboard so it's in the hallway. With the door to the back garden gone you could then use that right hand wall to house a bank of tall larder units/fridge/ovens etc which would help with storage and keep the taller stuff tucked away

I agree 3.9m x 4.9m is a good size for a master bedroom. 3.9m x 4.9m compromised by an ensuite (unless you're clever with design) isn't.

I think you need a utility with an open plan space.

That's my thinking - there's a bath shown so assuming bath is standard sized then by the time walls are factored in that is a roughly 2m x 2m cut out of the corner of the room.

I'm wandering if you need the second window/balcony in there too? The one on the top. You're really limiting the layout options and I wonder if a more rectangular en suite with that window taken out would allow you to put the headboard there instead? Bed opposite the door as you walk in would be quite a natural layout too (I'm assuming current plan is headboard to left of door?)

Looks like a layout with a lot wasted space downstairs. Kitchen not at all impressive, needs to be opened up a lot. Basically there are far too many walls downstairs. Is this a detached house. If someone is buying a 4 bed detached they would expect at least two of the bathrooms to be en-suite. And a house bathroom. I think you are in danger of spending a lot of money to end up with something without the wow factor.

I would go - WC/utility into WC

Kitchen into utility

Family room into kitchen minus one set of folding doors

It’s a semi detached house and my neighbour has the same original layout flipped 180 degrees. She’s knocked through the kitchen and front room in the same way as mine is proposed but also linked in the external utility. I don’t fully understand how so may ask to have a look round.

Your feedback is useful and is making me think differently. I’m wondering whether to move the front door to where the downstairs toilet is, make the proposed utility just a downstairs toilet and then keep the original kitchen as a utility/boot room. I think the two front rooms in the original part of the house will be big enough as a kitchen diner as it will be a rectangle at least 7m x 3m. Plus then they’ll only be two doors to the house.

Yes, upstairs the ensuite will be different because at the moment it carves up the space. To get the views when you’re lying in bed, you want the bed head against the back wall, so I’m thinking long, thin ensuite shower/toilet behind that. The layout of the family bathroom will be different too, probably a P shaped bath/shower.

I think a long en suite would work better- possibly with some wardrobes built in along the wall too. I'd trade a slightly skinny en suite for a better bedroom any day.

Would an alternative for downstairs be a loo in what is currently the home office, a more open entry and storage, home office in the utility (quieter, away from main living space), utility in kitchen then rectangular room as you say across the back.