What do you think of this floorplan?

[sarahb083]

Would you consider it a 4bed or 3bed with an extra reception? Any suggestions for improvement?

Imo it's a 3bd - I wouldnt use that back extra room as a bedroom but only because it wouldnt work for my family. I'd imagine it would be handy for someone with mobility issues, a guest bedroom, or maybe a teenagers bedroom.

The ground floor layout on a whole wouldnt be one I would be happy with. But I dont have to live in it

Thanks @BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz (love the username) - what about the ground floor layout wouldn't you like?

I viewed a house with a similar floorplan once. The EA had put it on as a 4 bed. We don't/didn't need a 4 bed so we would have used the extra room as a home office or family room. The vendor was using it as a teenagers room.

I can't imagine anyone really wanting the bedroom leading off the lounge/diner. Maybe make that back room the living room, make the lounge/diner into a kitchen diner, spare bedroom where the kitchen is marked, swap the utility and bathroom, door from kitchen to utility and then into bathroom. Or keep it as it is and make it a three bed with study/playroom.

3 bed. I’d do exactly what @EssentiallyDisorganised has suggested, I don’t see the point of a lounge diner.

Thanks for the replies. We have one DD and not planning on any more, so we don't need 4 beds. We're planning to use the downstairs room as a guest room.

The guest room, downstairs bathroom & utility is a planned extension, and I'm not sure how much value the extension would add if most buyers wouldn't consider it a bedroom.

Any other feedback welcome! Thank you

I wouldn't consider it a bedroom, but I would like an extra reception room.

I'd also rather have a kitchen/diner and separate living room.

I wouldn’t consider it a bedroom… when I see a downstairs room in a two story house marked as a bedroom I immediately knock that one off the bedroom count! For me that would be a 3 bed with extra reception room.

I would also prefer a large kitchen diner, with a separate living room.

I think most people want a large kitchen diner/family room with doors out onto a garden, with a smaller sitting room and another reception either a toy room, kids den or office etc.

I'd move the kitchen into the back of the house into the lounge/diner room, make the back room a lovely sitting room with views into the garden from both spaces and turn the kitchen into an office/spare room.

I really don’t like the layout shown on the floor plan. If it were me… The kitchen should be the 4th bedroom (even better would be playroom with sofa bed for versatility). Lounge diner should be a kitchen diner. That extra room at the back should be the living room. Swap placement of shower room and utility so the shower room can be a ‘Jack and Jill’ accessed from either the bedroom or via the utility.

I would look for a house like this as our next property if we were to move as our parents are getting older and it’s likely one may need to move in at some point but even if they don’t move in, a downstairs bedroom would be easier for them to visit.

We would probably use a bed that folded down from the wall so that the room could be used in another capacity if it was just for guests.

Although I do agree that if what they have as the kitchen is big enough for a bedroom I would swap them around as well as the bathroom and utility.

I expect an agent would market & price the house as a 4 bed, but many people would use it as a 3 bed + recep. and that is OK. It gives people flexibility to use the extra room as a guest room or teen bedroom or home office (v. useful).

I think it is the square footage of a house that matters as much as the label of 3 or 4 bed. So if this is going to work for you, then go for it.

Looks like you are planning to extend your home. It seems a lot of cost and disruption to gain a utility room and the undefined rear room. Plus Jack and Jill bathrooms are a peeve of mine!

What are you trying to achieve?

I don't like the layout. Why not use the garage as a utility and put the toilet under the stairs? Can you do a loft conversion for an extra bedroom?

@LakeShoreD

I really don’t like the layout shown on the floor plan. If it were me… The kitchen should be the 4th bedroom (even better would be playroom with sofa bed for versatility). Lounge diner should be a kitchen diner. That extra room at the back should be the living room. Swap placement of shower room and utility so the shower room can be a ‘Jack and Jill’ accessed from either the bedroom or via the utility.

This would be perfect

It's a 3 bed for most families, but a 4 bed for anyone who needs a ground floor bedroom. It's worth getting the agent to make this obvious on Rightmove.

I think the downstairs layout works quite well, although it isn't quite as open plan as is fashionable at the moment. An obvious way to change this would be to block the kitchen door off and move the cupboards and worksurface to that wall (the one bordering the hall), and then open up the wall to the dining area to create a U shaped kitchen diner.

Alternatively the utility could become a kitchen and the ground floor bedroom a self contained annexe, with an additional bathroom carved out of the back of the garage if plumbing allowed.

I think it depends on life stages. I’ll be moving in the next 12 months so am obsessively on Rightmove at the moment looking for a 3/4 bed house. Lots of 4 bed houses have either a downstairs bedroom like this or a loft extension. When my dc were smaller I wouldn’t consider having bedrooms on different floors but now there older it wouldn’t be an issue.

Personally I would like a house like this, it would suit my family. Depending on the room size I’d make it a reception with either a sofa bed or double bed so that visitors could stay and have their own private bathroom. If my boyfriend moves in then I’d be tempted to have that downstairs room for us so that my dc get privacy from him and he gets privacy from them.

I would consider the additional room on the ground floor as an added reception room but when EAs try to describe it as an extra bedroom, IMO that's pushing it.

Personally, if the bedrooms are upstairs, all of the bedrooms should be upstairs.

Can you get the plans rejigged? They aren't flowing for me and I think you may have problems with the smaller bedroom when you come to sell.

They’re older not there!

I would knock down wall between kitchen and lounge/diner and create the spare room behind the garage with access from hall.

It's a 3 bed with 2nd reception. 2nd receptions can be used for anything and I think buyers realise that.

3 bed. I wouldn't buy a house with that downstairs floor plan. Hate that the kitchen's the smallest room

I think it's good.
a bedroom that's more private with en suite for relatives to visit. or for a live in nanny.

We would probably use a bed that folded down from the wall so that the room could be used in another capacity if it was just for guests

I don’t actually think wall beds are a great use of space. They are the size of a very deep bookcase but the shelving isn’t deep enough to out much on (can’t fit a A4 box file for example).

If I was to chose again I’d probably go for a decent sofa bed with shelving above if I needed it for storage.