Where would you put the lounge?

[Keke94LND]

Hey all, so I am buying a 2 bed flat (floor plan attached)

We are going to be renovating the flat, as it is quite dated inside. As you can see there is a door from the kitchen to outside where there is a garden, we were considering making 'bedroom 1' the guest bedroom, making the 'lounge' the main bedroom, and then making 'bedroom 2' the lounge, and adding patio doors from that room out to the garden, but, I am now thinking that as the living room is the main entertaining space and probably where we would spend most of the time, maybe it would be better to have the current lounge as the living room and make 'bedroom 2' the main bedroom, we would probably still want to add patio doors though, which isn't as nice in a bedroom 🤔

What do you think?

Why do you want to put the main bedroom at the front of the house, where road-noise will be?

Could you make the left side a through living space (kitchen / diner / lounge) and have the bedrooms on the right side.

@senua

Why do you want to put the main bedroom at the front of the house, where road-noise will be?

Could you make the left side a through living space (kitchen / diner / lounge) and have the bedrooms on the right side.

Hmm I'm not really a fan of open plan living/kitchen, definitely want a separate living room, get what you're saying about bedroom being at the front and road noise, but I've lived in flats like that before and it wasn't really a problem, I just liked the thought of having patio doors from the living room haha but now thinking it maybe makes more sense to keep the lounge where it is

Do you own a share of freehold? If not you will have to factor in getting the freeholder's permission to put in a new door and they will probably charge for this.

Hmm I'm not really a fan of open plan living/kitchen
Me neither but MN seems to like it so I suggested it, through gritted teeth!

I would keep it as it is tbh

@Ellmau

Do you own a share of freehold? If not you will have to factor in getting the freeholder's permission to put in a new door and they will probably charge for this.

Yeah we own share of freehold thankfully

Is there an upstairs flat? Where do they have their bedrooms and living rooms? You don’t want your bedroom to be underneath their kitchen ( dishwasher/ washing machine noise at odd hours) , and vice versa nor do you want to be underneath their sitting room.

If the property is a conversion it is likely to have very poor sound insulation between flats.

@viques

Is there an upstairs flat? Where do they have their bedrooms and living rooms? You don’t want your bedroom to be underneath their kitchen ( dishwasher/ washing machine noise at odd hours) , and vice versa nor do you want to be underneath their sitting room.

If the property is a conversion it is likely to have very poor sound insulation between flats.

Yeah there is, the lady who currently owns it though has had sound insulation put in and you honestly can't hear the upstairs flat at all

I think that having the main room at the back looking into the garden is lovely, and will be even more so if you put in patio type doors.
You then have a lot of privacy in your living room compared to it being at the front, and everyone being able to see in.

I'd probably leave it all as it is, but if you do want the lounge at the back with patio doors (which I think would be nice) then I would move the wall back between bedroom 1 and the lounge to give you more space in the back room (assuming the lease allows this)

Your initial plan, so guest room bottom left, lounge top right with patio doors and main bedroom bottom right

Hmmm I would do lounge at back, if your entertaining then in summer you can spill out into the garden too plus kitchen is literally opposite too.

Why not get any state agent round and see what they think of your plans and how it might effect value...they know buyers and what they look for and might have an opinion on bedrooms being at front and whether that would turn off alot of buyers.

Remember if your there for at least 5yrs live how you want to live. As long as chnages u make arent too permanent e.g. built in wardrobes no reason why next owner cant change rooms to be what they like or u can even stage them to be bedroom at back again.

I assume this is a basement flat? I'd make the lounge into whichever room is brighter out of bed2 / current lounge so that you get the sunlight in the daytime. It doesn't matter if a bedroom is dark.

Also, your guest room can surely double as a study or another living space? If you don't have guests all the time, then make sure you can use the space well.