Spacious and expensive house but bad layout, how can I rejig at minimal cost?

[JemimaDucki]

A house has come up in the area we are looking to move to. It is at the top top end of our budget and we cannot afford much more for renovation, maybe 15-20k max. Quick search reveals that the house is about 20 years old so shouldn't have any structural issue. This house ticked the boxes for what we want for house space, outdoor space, cul-de-sac location, schools, etc. But, it doesn't make me feel like I want to live there (admittedly I haven't viewed yet, maybe an actual viewing will change my mind). There are a few issues here:

1. the 1st floor has awkward layout, 2 rooms are long and narrow, 2 rooms are single. So out of the 6 rooms, only 2 are proper double. For a house in this price bracket I am expecting it to have more than 2 doubles. Also i particularly dislike narrow layout. I am also guessing it will be quite dark there as it all walls and doors. My question is is there any way to re configure the layout (cheaply) to have more double room, even if that means end up having only 5 rooms.
2. how can I let more light come into the 1st floor?
3. the kitchen diner living space is huge, 10+m x 5.5m. But looking at the photo, it doesn't give the feeling of spaciousness, in fact, it looks very crammed. This kitchen and the 3 ensuites upstairs are I assume recent upgrade, the kitchen has new gadget, quartz worktop, pop up extractor fan etc so it will be silly to rip it off. I am guessing the price tag include these renovation as its immediate neighbour sold for 750k early this year. So the question is, again, how can I partition this space to have comfortable kitchen, living and dining areas?
4. how to decorate this kitchen diner living space so it doesn't look so soulless, I can think of whitewashing the floor but nothing else comes to mind.

The price is at the top end of the market for this town, maybe slightly overpriced even, it has all the space but it is somehow lacking in character. (first world problem, I know but please don't shoot me)

I live about 2 hour from this house and am looking to move to this house to be nearer family. I will only view take the hassle to view if I have a plan of how to make it work.
Thanks for reading. Suggestions welcomed!
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113751593?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Bad luck would be because the money came from inheritance- i think the poster above meant - so for example, someone died and left you their estate.

You might be happier with the one www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108358889#/?channel=RES_BUY

I think painting out the yellow, orange and red will lighten up the house considerably but don't go white unless you want to make it even more stark. Warm neutral.
I t hink the big back room looks "wrong" as they allocated too much space to kitchen with a big gap in it and this results in dining and sitting areas being squeezed.

I can't see the issues you mention either but you should go and view the house.

The second house posted is far nicer and brighter in my view.

I'd rip out the 2 narrow ensuites at the left of the image, which would sort that bedroom, and still leave you with an ensuite on each floor plus a family bathroom.
I think the pictures might be deceiving, and the rooms are bigger than the pictures lead you to believe. Might be worth the trip to view the place - which could turn it into a house you want to make work, or a house you want to walk away from.

I dont know how you do it, but a light tunnel from the roof to the corridor if you want natural light there?

You need to view it, imagine it without the furniture - which doesn't fit the style of house, and imagine repainting the yellow and red walls and putting some soul into the garden. Other than that it's "nice". Front view is a bit soulless as well. You're overthinking it without viewing it

Looking at the photos, there doesn't seem to be a need to reconfigure the upstairs. I suppose a lot depends on how many people are going to be living there and their ages ?
The dining room at the front of the house could easily be turned into a bedroom, I would reconfigure the utility and downstairs toilet so there was a shower downstairs. The games room could be turned into a more formal dining area if that is something you like to have ?

Block up double glazed doors from front living room to big back room.
Make this formal space
Paint out strong colours (they look cheap as they used the wrong shades).
Big statement light fitting above stairwell to brighten and give character.

Less bulky seating in backroom, for "incidental" TV watching you don't need 6 seats.
Next door games room becomes family room for most TV use

That second one is seriously overlooked. And what is the point of those big doors just to look out on a green square while your neighbours look at you from their bedroom?

@JemimaDucki I think the solid grey doors in the kitchen may be triggering that cramped feeling. If the cabinet doors were a much lighter colour and had glass panes in them, you’d be able to have some kind of horizon line to look at. Humans need a horizon line to feel centered.

Wow, it’s a massive clash of styles. It feels like three different people have interior designed it. Looks big with good sized and shaped rooms. I don’t think the kitchen diner looks crushed in at all. It’s lovely and light.

The family are v keen on trainers, and I’ve never seen a house with so much storage.
I’ve never seen those inbuilt loo roll holders before either. They’re a bit snazzy.

I'd repaint all those coloured rooms white for a start! If you can afford a colour consultant they'll help you choose colours that increase the feeling of light and space.

How about knocking out the wall on the front middle bedroom as attached to increase lightflow into the landing and reduce the length of the corridor ?

But I agree you should go round the house, photos never give the feel of the rooms.

Nobody hangs about in the corridor, it's just a walkway to get to the rooms so it's not really an issue having no windows 🤷🏼‍♀️ nor does anyone require 2.7m to walk past a bed.

I'd be checking out that loft room - suspect it doesn't have regs

@Vslightlystressy thanks for the link, sadly this is out of our desired school catchment,
@BruceAndNosh you nailed it, too much space for the kitchen area, i would much prefer an island, and particularly like the idea of big statement lighting top of stairs
@savvy7 that loft room is on top of the triple garage.. strange looking bathroom there as well. could have done so much better with that space
@penjo, worthy ideas, thanks.

I think the rooms didnt used to be that small, but became small to create corridor to get to the extension part .

The red and orange paint are extremely off putting. The blue tiles are very dated.
The single bedroom had a huge egg chair to the right , I am sure you could replace with a double.
The stained woodwork abs balustrade in the hall is very dated plan to have it repainted in a light neutral colour.
It's a lovely spacious house but it's more functional than stylish at the moment it would be very easy to give it a five star luxury feel.
Location is handy for the motorway 5 mins from junction 18 of the m1 and 55 mins to Euston in the train.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves we need 4 rooms for immediate families, so to be fair to the kids. i think no one will take the smallest room, that might become an office. my kids are under 10 now but preferably we wont need to move again till they leave for uni.

@savvy7

I'd be checking out that loft room - suspect it doesn't have regs

Why?

I think sometimes the right house in the right location trumps everything!

I have similar sized bedroom and they are fine (not ideal but fine) for double beds.

@Alwayscheerful i think apart from the kitchen, and the ensuites, all the rest are original from new build 20 years ago. I am keen to know how to give it a luxury feel.. in fact, i dont need it to be luxurious, i need it to have better use and better presentation of space.. if you get what i mean

Why spend a million quid on a property you don't even like?

It's open plan. Why don't you just find a house that's not open plan? Wouldn't that make more sense?

I think most of the issue is taste/decor and it will flow better with your furniture and more neutral colours

dimension is what i trust rather than photos, the room with lots of trainer, the width is 2.39m, leave 30+cm to walk on either side of bed, i am gueesing it would be a struggle to walk if the bed is of normal height

Is the TV thing in the family room built in, that's the thing that really jars for me, very "heavy" and doesn't balance the dark gloss kitchen.

If you are worried one of your children will have a leser bedroom, could that study off the games room be a den for them? Or the two smallest bedrooms be combined into a bedroom/study pairing (or playroom for now?)