Best use for loft conversion

[Rrrob]

Here’s the situation…3 bed semi London/ Kent border. Downstairs we have a living room, kitchen diner and toilet, upstairs 3 double bedrooms (2 of equal size, one smaller) and bathroom.

Previously planned to do 2 storey side extension but lack of availability of builders/ huge costs mean its not possible. We also can’t afford to upsize where we are now.

Currently 20 mo DTs share a bedroom. Surprise baby no3 is due late summer and will have bedroom 3 which is currently a spare room/ office.

We’ve had plans drawn up for the loft in the past (permitter development) and that seems like a better option in terms of less exp and quicker once we find a builder, but now not sure how best to use the new space. It will be one large room and a bathroom….

1. playroom (would free up the living room)
2. office/ business space
3. master bedroom/ with a desk and bedroom 1 becomes an office
4. something else entirely

Any thoughts?!

Too far away for a playroom for me. Master bedroom and one of the first floor rooms becomes a playroom?

I'd see if there's room in the loft for a double bedroom, smaller room that could be and office as well as the bathroom. That way you've freed up all your existing bedrooms.

Realistically you'll have toys in the ground floor rooms anyway as the kids are so young. Get good storage and it won't be too bad.

We were in a similar situation and made the loft room the master bedroom either ensuite. Love it.

*with ensuite, not either!

Thank you! @ItWillBeDone are there any issues being on a different floor to DC?

We lived in Welling (London\Kent border), our 3 bed semi house was very small for us (3 kids). We thought of loft conversion but it wouldn't create the space we needed to put other things. We also lacked ground floor bathroom and toilet.

We sold 2 years ago and bought a huge 4 bed semi house in beyleyheath. What a big difference!!

See if you can sell and move to a 4 bed, much better than loft conversion

It depends if you plan to be there long term. I would aim for it to be flexible space. I would put office up there while dc are young, but with an ensuite or separate shower room up there so that when they are older maybe 7/8 you can move up there. I don't think a playroom at the top of the house would be used until they are much older plus you could never leave them there to play while you pop the washing on or prep some veg. The tsunami of toys does ebb away eventually!

Playroom in the loft would basically be a room where the toys are kept. My kids always wanted to play near me when they were small.

Some friends of ours have put two rooms and a separate shower room (not en-suite) in the loft. They have put two kids in the loft, kept their original master bedroom and made the box room into an office. It works well.

I would make the loft two rooms and a shower room and put the twins up there, probably from about the age of 4.

Personally I wouldn't mind DC on a separate floor as long as they were above me, not below. My thinking is that I could hear them coming downstairs in the night or morning and any burglars would have to pass my floor first.

Then keep you current master bedroom, youngest goes in small room, other bedroom is study/ guest bedroom.

DC under about 10 or so will always want to be ( and should mostly be) where everyone else is. No point in a playroom not on the ground floor.

Ooh two kids room in the loft is an idea!

I should have said re playroom. We have a nanny so the upstairs playroom would mainly be for during the week for them to have some space away from me on mat leave (I have to stay out the way or twins cling to me!).

Make it an office, away from the noice that 3 dc will generate as they get older, abs have all the bedrooms on the same floor.

@Rrrob

Ooh two kids room in the loft is an idea!

I should have said re playroom. We have a nanny so the upstairs playroom would mainly be for during the week for them to have some space away from me on mat leave (I have to stay out the way or twins cling to me!).

Yeah but then they still need to traipse up and down two flights of stairs to get to kitchen for a snack or to play in the garden. If you and baby take the loft during the day, pop a sofa, small fridge and a kettle and a TV up there, with an ensuite you don't need to come down at all during the day. Plus it means you have to have all the floors tidy as nanny goes through all three floors, though that is probably just my slovenly mind!

I would be more worried about fire if they are on the top floor than a burglar because I think most burglars aren't too interested in kiddies rooms.

@Rrrob

Thank you! *@ItWillBeDone* are there any issues being on a different floor to DC?

I should have mentioned our kids are older now. We had the conversion done when the youngest was 8. But if we leave the door open we can hear if anyone shouts on the floor below.

@Cattitudes an excellent point about the cleaning! But yes the fire issue is important.

@chukwe that would be good, but if we move in the next ten years it will probably be back towards family in the SW. To buy a 4 bed in the local area we would need to spend upwards of 875k, probably closer to 1m+ to get anything more than a 3 bed with loft conversion and everything is around here. Friends on the street, nct friends, twin playgroup, our nanny etc. If we move further out to start again we may as well move much further! Oh and my commute into central is long enough :). Having said all of that I might have a look on rightmove….

We have a similar house and plan to put 2 c kids up there with a small bathroom in single size rooms - with a stud wall to make into a master in the future

Small bedroom office and third child in larger bedroom.

I'd make it a flexible space if you can /its big enough/has enough window space: 2 rooms, one larger than the other, plus a shower/loo. With the smaller room, I'd have it situated such that it could be either an office or a dressing room, or a small single bedroom, thus leaving it flexible to suit your needs later on/whoever you sell it to.