Just got my extension plans today. Would anyone like to have a look

[TubbyMcFatfuck]

and tell me what you think?

The extension is everything in line to the right of the stairs. Have we missed anything? Any suggestions for improvement?

I’m thinking that the utility room is very small- is there any point?

Instead of having a walk-in wardrobe I’m minded to just have 2 sets of built in wardrobes facing each other in that space.

I find it a bit odd that there are no windows on the entire right hand side of the house. This side looks down over the street onto fields beyond and has the best outlook so I’d like to make the most of the view.

(The kitchen layout is just for illustration purposes. We haven’t decided on any of that yet)

Put the loo and sink facing each other in the utility, with the loo backing onto that side wall (and a window?) Then you can increase the utility space by making the loo section narrower. I think the dotted lines indicate space needed in front of each to manoeuvre. But you can double that up if they are opposite each other. It’s good to have a back door for taking washing out etc in the main utility.

Looks great, when can I move in?

I would move the Wc and utility to the other side then move the kitchen and dining room to right hand side. Put window to rear and right hand side walls. This means you can have a door into the kitchen/diner from the hallway.

I would open the right hand lounge into the new position of the kitchen and keep the left hand lounge as the more closed off quiet lounge. So the right hand lounge is the family room where you can all interact together.

The walk in wardrobe is too big. Possibly put en-suite in rear right hand corner and walk in wardrobe on the left of the en-suite if you can get it to fit. Even if you have wardrobes on one side of the space only the rest of the bedroom will be more square and less awkward.

JetBlackSteed - wow, that's all so helpful. I'd never have thought of half of all that. So many useful tips, thank you:
You're right, the new lounge is to be the "good" lounge and current lounge the family room. We have young DCs so I'd initially thought it could be a playroom then later on a "teenagers room" but DH prefers the idea of it being a more grown up room for us in the evenings and nice if we have guests. The toys and tat can stay where they are in the current lounge.
Again you're spot on about the bedroom, I'd love a posh hotel suite look ( shame I'm on a travelodge budget mind you ) I don't think I articulated very well to the architect my idea for the wardrobe - it was more a wardrobe /dressing area I was after, rather than an enclosed room. I'd also like a window up in that end too
We do have a cupboard under stairs which we use for shoes, coats and general dumping. It's a bit small and awkward and I'd love a proper big cloakroom but I don't think we'd fit one in anywhere.

It's interesting that so many of you suggest putting a door from the hall into the kitchen. There was one previously but the previous owners blocked it up when the took down the wall separating the kitchen and dining room. Fwiw I don't have to carry shopping etc through the hall and living room currently- my driveway runs along the left hand side of the house all the way to the back. I unload from my car and into the kitchen through patio doors in the dining area.

@tortoiselover100 Er next year maybe?? We've missed the boat this year I think

SueGeneris I think you're right about the dotted lines and manoeuvrability- if the spaces can overlap the that would definitely help. You'd think the architect would have configured the wc as you suggested - it certainly makes more sense (to me anyway!)

We have exactly the same layout of house and last year extended in the same way, with the same dimensions (except we've pushed the extension part further out beyond the back line of the current house). We don't have views on the right though so were stuck with not having many windows on that side.

We opted to turn the extension upstairs into two large rooms, the rear bedroom has a new door into the existing bathroom which becomes an ensuite. The box-bedroom at the front of the house becomes the new family bathroom.

Something you might not have considered is making the new upstairs ceiling vaulted? We had our structural engineer specify a different roof truss and the vaulted ceiling is amazing! Really makes the bedrooms look incredible.

Someone else mentioned a juliet balcony. We had double doors put into the master bedroom and then a juliet balcony. It's not turned out much more expensive, the balcony itself was around five hundred I think.

Ou

The neighbours did a walk-through wardrobe and en-suite, where the wardrobe leads off the bedroom (no door between, unless you want to hide it) then the en-suite door is through the wardrobe area. It's very luxury hotel esque with a lovely flow.
So I'd reconfigured the walk-through so you enter it via the wall above the bed, wardrobes to left and right as you go in, and the door to bathroom on the far wall of the wardrobe. Then the bathroom could also be bigger and you can lose the wardrobe and en-suite doors that are clashing with the entrance to the bedroom.

Or, you could do away with thebottom left corner of the wardrobe, nearest the entrance to the bathroom, and walk-in to it there, but keep most of the wall between the bed and wardrobe to screen it off, so you can't see your clothes from the bed area. But still move the door to the bathroom to inside the wardrobe. That would really open-up the entrance to something more grand for your master bedroom.

Looks good.

I also wonder if loo and utility can be switched to make bigger utility?

I agree on the kitchen position, it feels rather crammed in. I would also make the whole of the downstairs extension into the kitchen diner and move the utility to the current proposed kitchen space on the far back left. Imagine if you could get lovely bifolds on the right wall opening up to that bit of garden, would you be able to see the lovely view from the ground floor?
Don’t scrimp on the utility, they are so useful. My friend who is an estate agent told me a decent utility room sells houses.

Your extension is very similar layout to ours. To avoid the additional cost of removal of external wall we have opened up the kitchen to the dining area and kept the utility and loo separate. The utility is massive and with careful planning of the kitchen (no breakfast bar) it looks much bigger. The 2nd lounge is separate with only a door from the hall and is the room dh and I retire to in the evening for some peace and quiet. The kids have taken over the lounge/diner/kichen with their games consoles.

Upstairs we decided against a walk in wardrobe after getting the plans - seemed a waste of space. We got built in wardrobes along the whole wall in the bedroom, (on the wall your bed is positioned), went for en suite in the middle of the extension where your walk in is and used the other side for a study/single bedroom. Although we intend to grow old(er) in this house we always kept an eye on what would sell. We are thrilled with it. Whatever you decide on I'm sure you will love the extra space!

Minor point, put double doors to the two wardrobes on the the left hand side so that you can easily access the whole width otherwise you end up with clothes that are awkward to see and get to.

... and avoid sliding doors, as the item you want always seems to behind the door that isn't open or worse in the middle and so is always covered no matter which door you slide open!

Will the downstairs loo be designed for disabled access?

I do love fiddling with a floor plan 🙂

I think you should leave out the door from "posh" lounge to kitchen to avoid a corridor issue and children running circuits of the house.
I also would reinstate the door to the kitchen.
Shifting the loo round downstairs makes it smaller and increases the utility space.

Upstairs I'd shift the door to the master slightly outwards (still inset from the stairs but not as much) just to widen the access inside.
I'd shrink the walk in wardrobe to square off the ensuite and put in a big shower that's just a glass screen rather than an enclosure with a door.

I’m guessing your kitchen is staying in the area as shown as that’s where it is right now? It needs a total re-think IMO as it is a thoroughfare in this design and would be a total nightmare as people would be constantly coming and going through it. Imagine if you have kids and they will play in the left hand front lounge- they will be running through the kitchen ALL the time to use the loo and go out to the garden. Mess-making, annoying and potentially dangerous. Agree that you also need better access to kitchen for bringing in shopping etc. The access to the garden is very poor generally, would you maybe like a door/double doors along the back somewhere?

Also, you definitely need to know if you can have doors/windows on the right hand side so you can make the most of the view. If you can, you really should design around the views. I’d think it pretty likely you’d be able to have windows and even doors if you’ve got 4m of your own garden there and open beyond. Check with planning.

In the long run, a well laid out kitchen and some wow-factor views are going to add a huge amount of value to your house so it’s worth a little extra expense to make the most of it. Plus, it’ll be amazing to live in.

I haven't read all the posts so forgive me of someone has said this already.
First floor: do you need four beds? I'd be tempted to make the smallest the utility - makes far more sense to have it where the bedrooms are than squeezed in off kitchen. Think of all those journeys up and down stairs saved!
Downstairs: I don't like where the toilet is. Awkward to get to. I'd put it under the stairs. Then where the utility/toilet is on the plan I'd make it large larder and storage cupboard for thinks like vacuum etc. And utility if you can't move that upstairs.
I think your eating area looks cramped. I'd remove the peninsular altogether or shorten it (do you really need it with table right there)? I think the kutchen looks very elongated. I'd move stove to opposite sink.

Also, the en suite needs a rethink it’s far too tight. The minute someone is using the loo, the rest of the bathroom is inaccessible. You wouldn’t be able to get past anyone else in the room so only one person can use it at a time.
I personally think walk-in wardrobes are a bit of a waste of space. I went for a wall of wardrobes instead and I’m very glad. I have more storage space and more bedroom space than I would have had with a walk-In.

What do you actually want from the downstairs space - how do you see the two livingrooms being used?

At the moment the kitchen is at risk of being a bit of a corridor I think, and you're going to have to carry laundry through the livingroom and kitchen to get to the utility too.

Also if your kids are anything like mine abd always come home from school bursting for the loo, you have 4 doors to get through...

Maybe consider pocket doors? For the walk in and the downstairs wc.

Tbh I don't really enjoy the layout at all. I'd hate everyone walking through the lounge to the kitchen. I like a hallway. The utility is too small unless you tumble everything. Kitchen is a bit corridory and looks a bit nothing tbh. I'd prefer a seating area at the back of the house if I already have one at the front to take advantage of different light through the day.

Unlike everyone else I like the big walk in although would want a window to get natural light in

I agree with access from the hall into the kitchen.

The only thing I would change (and this is personal) is an office - I think its going to be key for selling in the future.

@StatisticallyChallenged

Also if your kids are anything like mine abd always come home from school bursting for the loo, you have 4 doors to get through...

Or just straight up the stairs.

True - still not convinced that having the downstairs wc so tucked away works well though.

I agree with justwonderingifyou tbh, the overall flow just doesn't quite work for me. I think if it was me I'd probably do a long kitchen/dining/family space down the right hand side (with windows to take advantage of the view), put the utility and wc in the middle and then have two living spaces on the left, one bigger and one smaller snug/office type space.

It makes it readily accessible from the garden though

Mines in a similar position and it's never been an inconvenience.

OP can you do a rough sketch of where the house is on the plot?