What would you do with this layout?!

[JonesEvansJones]

Ideas needed!

What would you do with this layout?!

This house has been extended (twice) and now has this slightly … unorthodox… layout.

I love it as I know there’s heaps of potential, but not sure exactly what you’d do with it.

It’s semi-detached with the “garage” built right up to the boundary.

Ideas I’ve had:

• Separate off the lounge into a smaller snug space
• Move the stairs to the centre of the house (into the end of lounge) and have a double height hallway - might make the space more cohesive? But then how would you make the space upstairs work especially doors to all bedrooms
• Keep the stairs in their location and instead turn the two bedrooms on the end into a big master suite with dressing room and bathroom - then only need one door in and can build out one of the middle bedroom into the landing with an en-suite?
• Try and knock together the end of the lounge, kitchen and diner to have a huge space - but might be dark and could require columns or a lot of expensive steel to do?

All ideas and wisdom from past experiences welcomed!

For the downstairs, I'd see if I could knock through between the dining room and kitchen/diner and block the wall halfway up the current kitchen/diner and open that part up with the lounge and put in a window on the side. I don't think that would make all of the space workable but just a couple of ideas to start off with.

Like this if my message didn't make sense. Blue is build a wall and red is knock down a wall.

Hmm,

what do you want to get out of the space? what are your priorities? more living space? gym? office? cinema room? more bedrooms? or fewer bedrooms and luxury bathroom / dressing room?

All of those could be done (not all at once) but you have to decide what you want.

here is one option

Lounge at the front - big and separate to other rooms for quiet
big Hall (H)
Stairs move to the centre of the house
Big kitchen / diner across the whole of the back.
Move WC and utility (U) into the garage and make them each bigger.

upstairs, you could make bed 5 bigger with the extra landing space (B5). but you could re-arrange other bathrooms / dressing rooms.

it all depends on your priorities and your budget!

I like @parietal diagram!
I think it depends on how long you plan to stay there and whether it's about adding value or making it personal to you?

Hmmm could you hold out for a house with a better layout? I'm not sure this one would be easy to fix. Although I'd love to see everyone's suggestions.

Thanks all, really really helpful!

@Expectingfirstbaby Somewhat agree but the price/space ratio is too good! Am really not a fan of the victorian long and thin (which is primarily not near us)

Really like what you’ve done with the stairs @parietal. I like that both you and @Frogpig saw the potential in changing the front lounge - something I’d been totally blind too.

I like the idea of a

• Master with a nice en-suite and storage
• a guest room that’s somewhat self contained with an en-suite

One thing I am really attracted to but not sure how it would work would be a big upstairs laundry and storage area. Looking at my house it’s perennially covered in a layer of washing drying/folded/waiting to be ironed etc. Much easier for DC clothes as well …

Large open plan kitchen/living/dining room across the back of the house (possibly L-shared). Floor to ceiling minimal framed sliding glass doors across the back of the house for maximum light.

Family room at the front of the house.

ideally the stairs would move to the middle.

how many bedrooms do you want? can you lose a bedroom to make a dressing room / ensuite?

do you need an office / music room / other downstairs room for anything?

Moving the stairs would be very expensive.

I would try and make a kitchen/diner/living space across the back of the house. I would then possibly try and make a hall from the front with a small wc and utility .

upstairs I would make the small front bedroom a little bigger by shifting some doors around. And then move the en-suite in the back end bedroom so that you can shift the door and thenhave a laundry cupboard in the upstairs hall.