Advice on DFG bedroom division - sizes etc

[apapuchi]

Hi everyone,

We are going through the process of getting a Disabled Facilities Grant to provide a 3rd bedroom (separate space) for our disabled son who is autistic, has learning disabilities and couldn't safely share a room with his younger brother who is 18 months old (he's still in with us just fine for now but obviously is getting older and will be ready for his own room by the time this is all hopefully sorted).

We live in a two bedroom house with a long front bedroom which could feasibly be two smaller bedrooms. The back bedroom has been my older son's and is a double bedroom so I thought my husband and I should have that and be creative with storage etc and the boys can have the two smaller bedrooms. To be honest for my older son, the smaller the room the better as he just creates more chaos and does more running and leaping around the more space he has. The first idea was removing a boiler/airing cupboard on the landing and making a corridor to second bedroom created from the bigger one. I was happy with this, it didn't affect the back bedroom apart from loss of its built in cupboard but the issue is where the boiler can realistically be located I suppose.

So they came up with two other options taking a corridor out of the back bedroom, leaving boiler and making the smaller of the front bedrooms the 'master'. I agreed to this plan in theory just before Xmas but have measured up and it just doesn't seem big enough for even a double bed, chest of drawers etc. I don't think my husband and I can really be comfortable in that space even being creative as possible.

This probably sounds ungrateful and I am definitely not, I was thrilled they agreed to provide the separate spaces but can't agree to something that isn't future proof, can I? In terms of our being able to live a normal life and, yes, maybe sell on in the future and it be a reasonable prospect for anyone.

I have attached the three options and would really appreciate any outside views. The other option would be to press for a downstairs extension but this will be far more expensive, likely take far longer and also who would sleep downstairs? The kitchen is at the back of the house where any extension could go so it seems like a weird set up anyway to have front living room, then kitchen then bedroom although I appreciate we may have to accept unconventional or unappealing in order to get what we need for our son's.

Any input greatly appreciated as I will be getting a phone call from the surveyor tomorrow or the next day to discuss, I suspect, as I emailed the OT today say I'm having doubts and she passed it on to him.

(posting as an OT)

I can't see a difference between the second two plans. Is there a different one?
iI personally wouldn't look at downstairs extension in your circumstances, the DFG is for the disabled child so I would be very concerned regarding safety being so close to the kitchen unsupervised.

Is there realistically somewhere in the house for the boiler to be relocated to? As you have said the house needs to work for you all in the long term as well.

I'm struggling to see the measurements, but the plan with your room in the new partioned bit looks too small for a bedroom.

Has the surveyor contacted you yet? They will want to make sure it is right, whilst still working within the constraints of law and policy.

Does the airing cupboard currently house just the boiler, or is there a hot water cylinder somewhere too?

If it's just a combi boiler you need to find space for, this could be moved downstairs e.g. on a wall or inside s cupboard in the kitchen, or in one of the remaining built in cupboards upstairs. On the plan with the better master bedroom, could the boiler move to the left, into the cupboard in the dingle bedroom? If you don't want the boiler in your son's room, could you swap the door to open into the double instead?

On the other plan, it doesn't look to me as if the double bedroom is big enough, but also the single bedroom next to it is undersized. It barely has room for anything more than a single bed!

To my mind, the plan works best if the split is done equally. This is the only way that seems to give workable room sizes, and also results in both children having small but workable rooms, with at least some storage. Moving the boiler, though am additional expense, seems a relatively minor issue compared to wasting the budget creating an unworkable layout.

I think you should look at relocating the boiler to the loft. Ours is in the loft and was in the old house too. Previous house had a combi - they are really tiny these days, but even if you needed a system boiler you could put the cylinder in the loft too. But tbh I think a combi would be fine.

I’d definitely look at relocating the boiler and use the first plan, with the master at the back. Could the boiler go in the big cupboard adjacent to bed 2- you could extend the corridor on the landing and have the door going off the landing if you wanted.

The first option of moving the boiler and splitting the long room is by far the best option in terms of a liveable house, fart to much space is sacrificed for option2.

Second one but instead of the corridor that takes a big chunk out of the back bedroom, make both doors set on a diagonal V.

Just came on to say the same thing, we had our boiler in the loft (combi) in my old house. Worked just fine

Moving the boiler is imminently the most sensible option. It is extra money/ work which is why they might not want to do it but the rooms will all be too small otherwise.

Sorry, I didn't see I'd posted a duplicate. Here are the two latter plans they suggested, the one I didn't post is even worse than the one I did I think... but just for info purposes. I spoke to the surveyor today and will report back on that once have done bedtime tonight, but I really appreciate your reply.

Thank you for all the replies, I hate having to make this decision and it's hard to visualise anything really despite having masking taped it out on the floor etc. I will reply properly a bit later when the kids have hopefully gone to bed. I really appreciate you all taking the time to read and reply.

Yes I totally agree a downstairs extension doesn't really make sense, in some ways a wetroom too might have made sense if I had pushed for that as it's already almost impossible to get our 9 yo into the shower over bath or the bath but we will just keep on trying with that. I wouldn't want to be downstairs with the kids upstairs and we'd need to lock older son in to be sure he wasn't doing anything dangerous if he was downstairs so it doesn't make any sense, and as you say the adaptation is primarily for him and his needs. I am completely on board with them doing the works within the footprint of the current upstairs but as you can imagine just don't want to make it uncomfortable or impossible living (well, sleeping, or playing for them) for any of us.

I want them to tell me about potential for the boiler to be relocated but they are just waiting for my response without saying that. I imagine the logistics team would need to come out again to look at if they could maybe remove a kitchen cabinet or something and locate there. The master at the front in the newly split part makes it 8.5sq m or msq (never sure which is right) which seems small for two adults especially with the chimney breast taking space, but then again the back bedro staying as is is only about 9.1 so maybe negligible but I find it easier to envisage us in that back room as it is as I don't need to actually imagine anything. Sorry, that's garbled and I hope it makes sense.

To me, the best option is back room is biggest/master and the front two become single rooms for children. The boiler is the sticking point and I suppose until they say if a move is possible or not it's going to remain that way. We had a back boiler behind a living room fire when we moved in but it broke down soon after and it seemed ideal having it in that landing cupboard until we have needed this adaptation.

I really appreciate your OT input, we have had them out of course and they have been really sympathetic and thankfully recommended the adaptation made ASAP but they have since always referred back to the surveyor for any further queries or discussion.

I know the name of the game is making things safe and suitable but also that lots of emphasis is - or should be - on future-proofing so I don't want to make a bad decision now. Of course, the main point is that our older son and by extension both of them have safe and separate space, so I feel a bit selfish and entitled talking about how much space or whatever my husband and I need... but ultimately we need to live there too and have enough space to function, keep our belongings etc.

Thank you again for replying ☺️

Thank you for this, lots to think about and discuss with them. They are pretty open to my questions and doubts but I know they will want to do things as easily and cheaply as possible - although I spoke to the surveyor today and when I mentioned the expense of moving the boiler he did say not to worry about that but that the issue was more one of logistics and he had passed it back to another team to look at the boiler issue.

It's just a combi, we had a back boiler before and water tank in the loft but it's gone now. I wonder about other comments about boiler in the loft but it's just about boarded with ladder access so not sure if this is alright for checking it regularly etc. Obviously that would be our responsibility...we have lots of kitchen cabinets and more than needed I'm sure so I wouldn't be against them putting it on an external wall in the kitchen but wonder how they'd feel about making good any decorative mess that left or if any flooring might need to come up. I think there are rules about being near a window etc that might make that difficult.

If the boiler moved into a further cupboard it would still need to be vented through the roof as it is now but I think that move would take it off the 2/3 of the loft that is boarded so maybe not safe or possible even just for a flue!? Argh.

The smallest bedroom is tiny but I had thought that box room style might be ok for my older son as a small space would work for him I think. That said, it is tiny but seems it would fit a single bed and chest of drawers and has a built in cupboard above the stairs so he wouldn't need a wardrobe etc as such. Splitting the front equally is difficult as there is one long window (more than 2m) and then a tiny one.

You are right about the boiler though and thanks for that comment as I will put that to them, that saving some money on not moving the boiler but making all the rooms pretty much single rooms is false economy. My son's disability social worker is coming tomorrow morning so I will chat about it with her even though obviously it's not her area of expertise, she was the one who put forward the request for OT assessment and I know she will be on our side if my feelings are reasonable.

Thank you, I had thought of this and it was actually an option when we got this combi installed on a stud wall up there, I think. However when we only needed 2 bedrooms having it in that cupboard was ideal, I didn't have the gift of foresight, unfortunately. When it was installed our older son's behaviour was manageable and it would have seemed he could have potentially shared a room, and our younger son didn't exist, but he has since developed such challenging behaviour and sleep issues it is definitely needed now.

I will ask about this when the team who look at these things respond, the surveyor has passed on my queries to them today.

Yes I think the boiler needs to move. We have a new plan now which I'll add. It makes the smallest bedroom even smaller but should fit a single bed and has a built in cupboard. As I think I already mentioned, the smaller and lowest arousal bedroom is probably best for our older son but also don't want to not even be able to fit a bed in it. In the new plan it's two doubles (small but big enough I think) and this tiny 3rd bed which would be OK for our older son for now anyway and anyone buying the house in the distant future could have two doubles and tiny bedroom or use it as a study or something.

Really appreciate your time and comment!

Thank you, totally agree and they do seem to be agreeable to my comments/concerns of that nature. There's a new plan been suggested as a result which I'll post. Really appreciate your opinion ☺️

This is an interesting idea but not sure I can visualise it!? Would it be a small corridor coming to a point in a triangle, as it were? Thank you!

Thank you, they are coming back soon to look at newest plan so am going to ask about this. Boiler does already vent straight up and through the loft so it might be possible but we do only have ladder access.

Thank you, I totally agree and they seem to be understanding of my feelings that this is the only way forward. It's logistics I suppose. They have said they'd relocate to the kitchen but I'd need to make the kitchen 'good' as they only fund for the 'medical' need. It might get quite expensive as they would need to remove flooring and wall stuff (technical 😂) for pipework and other work and we have a very low income really due to me not having worked for several years now due to my older son's needs.

Thank you for your support and opinion, it's appreciated!

This is the newest plan in response to my comments about all bedrooms becoming too small in their second round of plans.

It makes the smallest bedroom smaller still as they'd pinch space from it for the newly relocated boiler cupboard (outside of the room still off the landing) but if it is still workable to have a single bed then I think the room would suit my older son as he only uses the bed in his current room and the rest is all mess and leaping around. He would retain a built in cupboard which currently houses all my husband's stuff and which I'd hopefully get someone to build into creatively for best storage a little further down the line when works completed.

Any opinions appreciated!

I’d put the boiler in the back bedroom 1, and give back a little more
space to the smallest room.

Or (depending on cost) I’d knock through the bathroom and loo, board up the door
in front of the wc, and put it there.

But this final plan looks workable.

Thank you! The team came out again today and confirmed that even with space taken for the boiler cupboard, the room will be long enough for our son's single bed which is a Tough Furniture one. So I have agreed to this newest plan... with nerves but hoping for the best. Your idea about the bathroom is a good one but they said I'd have to make good any bathroom or kitchen changes myself as it's just a grant for his medical needs, and we can't afford that, so it hasn't been explored. We had minor outside adaptations which should have cost around 2k a few years ago, the contractor they appointed charged 6.5k so I am imagining these internal works will probably eat up the 30k DFG even without doing anything additional. Not for me to say it's all a bit corrupt, of course, anyway, all the surveyors, OT etc we have dealt with have been really supportive so I definitely shouldn't grumble. Now onto space saving ideas I suppose 😂