What could we do with this layout?

[Stroan]

Our kitchen was always a compromise, I wanted a big kitchen/diner with some living space. I got an awkward kitchen with space for a small table and a separate dining room (marked as family room on the floor plan). We need the dining room for when we have guests, although it's been DHs office for the last year.

We are currently debating whether to move or improve. Our initial plan was to move the utility room into the back half of the garage and knock the kitchen and dining room into one big space.

But it seems likely that we will be working from home a lot more in future so we now think that keeping that room as a separate space makes more sense and gives us more flexibility in future. We'd stick a sofa bed in there so it can be an extra living room, study and guest room if needed.

The obvious option is to extend the kitchen out by around 2-3 metres, making it around 5.5 x 6.8 metres in total. But I'm not sure this is enough to give us the space I want? I'm thinking big island, big dining table and a small sofa.

Are there any more creative solutions that we are missing? We have approx 2 metres between the house and the boundary on both sides, but the side with the back door is needed for garden access.

We don't necessarily want to go too far back into the garden - the last of the sun hits the patio doors so any extension is going to impact sitting in the garden in the evening.

Budget is fairly theoretical right now, but probably not more than 70k. We are in Scotland and I know people who have done massive extensions for less so that seems reasonable.

Our initial plan was to move the utility room into the back half of the garage and knock the kitchen and dining room into one big space

This.

Plus use the front half of the garage as an office space for your DH

Having just done a garage conversion - I'd make the front half a study, back a utility room and then knock through to the family room. Something else we did was build forward to give more space in the garage conversion and a sizable porch to. This needed planning permission but has been worth it.

Agree with converting front of garage into a study and the back a utility. something like this

What they said.

OTOH, if you need the garage for storage, I’d consider an extension that’s about 2/3 width of house, leaving yourself patio in evening sun space, or design extension so you’ve an indoor/outdoor space where you can enjoy the evening sun (by having bifold doors or whatever).

I'd be echoing what others have said and utilising the garage space.

Thank you! We hadn't even considered converting the full garage, DH is already concerned about losing storage space from it for the utility. We would need at least one very big shed! (Not to rule it out, but it's very well used).

I think if we were going down the road of converting the garage, we would probably create one room and then need another solution for the utility. Having another room that guests could stay in would make a big difference to us - we don't live near family and it can be quite limiting to only have sleeping space for an extra 2 people.

@womanity I think that could be a nice solution actually. I'm very conscious not to place too much importance on that sunny spot because we do live in Scotland. An indoor/outdoor space would be much more valuable.

Yeah, read the OP and thought what everyone else has said!

I think the above plan is good, sofa bed in the study and you could also have another sofa bed in the lounge (you can get comfy ones that you can also sit on). So when family stay there are two rooms with doors people can sleep, but also enough living space/the kitchen free if people wake early.

If you convert the garage you could make the utility part of it and have a mini kitchen for guests - mini fridge, kettle etc so they can make tea for themselves in the mornings. It would be private for their stay.

I'd build a garden room as a home office and storage. I'd still move the utility in to back part of garage. Have the kitchen on opposite wall and put glass doors or big double doors or pocket doors between kitchen and dining room, to use as family room most times or closed off as a guest room when needed.
I'd make the window over sink another set of doors to garden, or even that whole wall.
You have the space to reorganise rather than extend (if you add garden room for wfh).

And to add, if you really need that huge garage for storage- what are you storing? Maybe you need to ruthlessly declutter your stuff.

@Changingwiththetimes I am ruthless, DH is not!

We have bikes, scooters, tools, lawnmower, strimmer, a chest freezer, the BBQ, multiplying pairs of wellies, anything waiting to go to the charity shop or for recycling, the christmas tree, outdoor toys. Lots of little things we could be more ruthless with like tins of paint, but we'll always need somewhere secure for the bikes etc.

With a bigger utility you can use some of it for a chest freezer. Depending on where you live, our bikes, tools, mower, strimmer, and all other outside stuff is perfectly safe in a shed with a lock.