Turning landing into 4th bedroom to sell

[ToddlerTerror]

I always thought I would live in my house until my dying day but over the Christmas holidays, the PERFECT property came on the market for us. It would be a huge stretch financially so trying to work out how to add extra value to ours.
House is a 3 bed detached cottage with 2.5 acres land and stables and we have completely renovated it over the last 4 years.
I was reading the old particulars from when we bought it and it said about the possibility of adding a forth bedroom on the landing. The landing at the top of the stairs is rather big and a bit of a wasted space. I was wondering if it would be worth putting up a stud wall to create an office/single bedroom. It would measure about 9ft by 6ft. We could do it in a weekend but it would mean the hallway would be dark as no natural light if the doors are all closed but that wouldn't be often.
Would this dramatically add value to the house/ make it more appealing? Or do you think it would make it feel a bit cramped?

also - floor plan required!

This, or a pair of glazed doors (they have them in B&Q £200 for the pair) and put blinds on the inside of the doors so they can be brought down for privacy. A lot of people looking for a 4 bed will actually be looking for 3 bedrooms plus home office which works well for this setup.

Remember any electrical work you will need. Sockets and light fitting in the new room. Repositioning of the light fitting in the hallway.

The landing of the house I grew up in was 3 times the size of my bedroom. Only 3 bedrooms but 7 doors and the staircase surrounding it.

Total waste of space so I can see where you are coming from but I can’t see how you could position it as a 4th bedroom. I can’t see many mortgage companies going from that

i do really like the idea of office space with frosted/glass panels rather than a stud wall to give it extra light

@Fran919 we are in East Devon in the blackdown hills so a very beautiful area.

Thanks all!

It is actually already set up as an office space. The house is an old 2 up 2 down that has since been more than doubled in size with a 2 storey extension so the hallway was actually an entire room at one point but now we just walk through it.

I have an agent coming out on Wednesday so I will ask them then what would be best to do. Part of me thinks it would be worth while albeit being very small for a bedroom but a decent sized office but the other part of me thinks it would make it feel really small.

Unfortunately, because of how the roof is in that area, there is no chance of a velux in the ceiling of the hallway.

I have done a rough sketch on the floor plan but annoyingly it isn’t to scale so it does make it look tiny!

Our upstairs landing had no natural light when we bought it. I’d do it. 3 bedrooms with a light hallway or 3 bedrooms, box room and dark hall….definitely the latter.

Why waste your money guessing what other people want? It works for you why wouldn't it work for others? I hate dark hallways so would keep it open.

You can put a light tunnel into a landing when a velux isn't possible. We've had to do that and it's quite impressive light wise.

I think because we are now in a world where a lot of people are working from home, most people want a dedicated room to work from. I know my DH really struggles with working on the landing as he can’t close the door on it at the end of the day and gets lots of distractions from people (me!) walking past.

With that configuration I wouldn't bother trying to cram in another bedroom. It would be too small for anything other than maybe a tiny nursery unless you make it a room you have to walk through to get to the rest of the bedrooms which most people don't want. Just have it as an office, I am sure if people really want to close it off they will anyway. It would be a bit strange marketing it as a 4 bedroom house, when it's not much bigger than a closet once you have taken the bit of landing that you need to use to access the rest of the rooms out it.

I've never lived in a house that has a window and natural light on the landing, I can't think of any friends or families houses I've been in that have either. I think it looks fine to be made into another room, 9ft x 6ft isn't too small, perfect for a box room or office. I'd do it.

Looking at your floor plan - yes i would!

Put in a light tunnel in the wall/frosted glass or something. 9x 6 is a decent single/office.

Marketing as a 4 bed will reach a bigger market and probably bump up the price too

The lack of natural light and fresh air into the landing would put me off. Also, it would be a really tiny room! 9 x 6 is tiny, no room to swing a metaphorical cat and not desirable as a bedroom.
I think you'd definitely add value by presenting it as the perfect homeworking space though. Have it set up with desk, shelves, etc, but without blocking it off from the rest of the landing.

Yes it would be tiny but a quick nose on Rightmove shows a large amount of homes with a box room of the same proportions and they are listing them as bedrooms! I agree, I wouldn’t personally use it as a bedroom but if it ups the value of my house, then I think it is worth while. I would just need to sort the daylight issue.

Do something to make it seem usable without making it seem dark. Some sort of room divider that goes from the ceiling to the floor, vertical slats - does that have a name? I know what I mean in my head. Basically to create an office nook that gives people the idea they can build out but still preserves the light for selling.

Actually having just seen the floor plan - I would. I'd google box rooms - I live in Edinburgh and it's common to have a space like this on the ground floor, but people often have a line of glass bricks in the walls, or glass, to bring light into the room.

Obviously when you show it you need to be careful to leave all doors open. I wouldn't go as far as putting a velux or light tunnel into the new void if you're moving but obviously if you were staying I would.

This! My brothers house is exactly this and it's a great space for an office, reading area or convertible if someone needs it. It would be simple to set up as a reading corner for selling

I would do it. It would be a great office space. My landing has no natural light when the doors are closed. It doesn’t bother me, I don’t spend much time in it really and all the doors are rarely closed anyway. It’s painted white so it’s lovely and bright.

I would market it as a 3 bedroom with an office/playroom. That room seems too small for a bedroom.

Advertise it the way you bought it, "with potential for fourth bedroom or an office".

What is stopping you putting a window in on the other side where the stairs are? (Where I've circled in blue)

Even without that I would do it if you're going to sell, it's wasted space and it's a small house so maximising space more important for most buyers than lots of natural light.

9x6 is reasonable enough for a child's room/nursery or office.

We put a glass partition and door on a similar space. It will be a study one day and worked so well it is now a child's bedroom with removable frosting on the glass.

Our house was marketed (we chose not to sell) and the change pointed out to people as a possibility. No issues with rightmove but people just couldn't see it. And yet it was a day's work and no planning because just a partition.

I think it's always worth doing the work. Otherwise people think they are taking a risk.

If it's any help my son's bedroom is 9X6 😅 but it's perfect for him to not get too untidy (there's no room) and it's his little hide away from his sister's. I may have also told him it's preparing him for prison when he stole my birthday chocolates 😂

Personally I wouldn’t put money into somewhere I wouldn’t be staying. Our EA was very much of the opinion of cosmetic fixes people change things themselves.

If this is something you really wanted to do could you possibly put a row of window across the new wall? Something like this?

I would.