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Original poster

To me this is the perfect layout for a compact 4 bed 1960s house

62 replies

LindorDoubleChoc · 17/02/2023 18:44

www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/details/england-85411699-12195007?s=60b2bbe70bb9d60f003ca05271107d9be51c42893569dd3d5f48978cab6e5ca4#/floorplan

I'm putting a link in for a property that is no longer for sale, but just wanted to illustrate how you can have a 4 bed house and garage with 4 decent sized bedrooms on a compact footprint. The dining table and chairs goes in the part of the L-shaped living room that comes directly off the kitchen. In effect the living room and dining area look directly onto the garden, but the downstairs isn't open plan as the kitchen can be closed off. The kitchen looks out onto the street at the front and there is a separate side door. There is no box room, all the bedrooms are a reasonable size and all except for bedroom 3 have a built-in wardrobe. There is even a pantry in the kitchen. And a downstairs loo.

A friend of mine lived in a house like this when we were children and I always thought, even then, it was a great design!

OP posts:
Pipsquiggle · 17/02/2023 21:40

We lived happily in a 1960s 4 bed house, layout very similar to the OP. The main reason we bought it was the size of the rooms - so much bigger than later built properties.

We were just about to spend alot of money to relocate the kitchen to the back of the property but decided to move to be closer to DH's work. We sold it in less than a month on the market. It was a great house

ChesterDrawsStickmen · 17/02/2023 21:48

This is quite similar to my house & I love it!

One thing that drew us to it over modern 4 beds was that because we have a bathroom upstairs & a toilet downstairs we have enough facilities without the huge bedroom space compromise that modern houses have. Here in the new 3 and 4 bed houses there are usually 2 en suite rooms plus a bathroom, and I don't need half the rooms in my house to have toilets in!

We also have more m2 overall for less ££££ than the admittedly less boxy and Vetter insulated new builds.

MissyB1 · 17/02/2023 21:48

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/02/2023 20:02

I prefer this sort of layout. Happy to lose at least one bathroom from upstairs too.

Doesn't have the dimensions on, but I'm sure it could he scaled down a bit to fit your square footage- especially if I bump at least 1 en suite
.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz
Thats exactly the layout of our house! And sorry but I really don’t like it, and will deliberately look for a different layout when we next move in a couple of years. I prefer OP’s ideal layout.

ChesterDrawsStickmen · 17/02/2023 21:49

Meant to say the huge bedroom space compromise due to en suites.

mathanxiety · 17/02/2023 22:10

I like that layout a lot.

I'd probably rip out that kitchen and put in something less 80s tactic though.

mrsm43s · 17/02/2023 22:15

I do see what you're saying about practicality, and houses that age do have quite nice sized rooms.

However, the layout wouldn't work for me as I'd want a separate sitting and dining room, a utility room and at least 2 full bathrooms in addition to the downstairs loo. The main thing that would put me off, though, is the lack of any kind of features and that from the outside its ugly AF. Personally, I'd prefer to compromise room sizes for character.

Frangipanitime · 17/02/2023 22:22

It wouldn’t work for me, I would not wish my kitchen at rhe front like that, right there off the hall way. And I am not a fan of rhe open plan living dining area, had one like that, not keen to repeat it, and four bedrooms and one bathroom would be inconvenient.

it’s nice you’ve a favourite though.

Throwncrumbs · 17/02/2023 22:28

My parents had a house built similar to that in the late 60’s in the same area as that house. I’ve often driven by to see the changes that have been made to it over the years. Shocked to see that one was bought in 2021 for over 1/2 million £.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 17/02/2023 22:57

Personally I prefer kitchen/diner to living room/diner because I've been in too many homes where the kids kick off and want the tv on while dinner is on. I also prefer to keep noise segregated.

Might be silly as obviously I'm an adult now and clearly in charge of my own kids!

Overall I have nothing against it. It's a bit bland on the outside, but I can get over that.

LibertyLily · 17/02/2023 23:19

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 17/02/2023 20:31

I always think integral garages steal so much downstairs space. I’d rather have no garage and more living space.

Show quote history

This ^

We've only ever lived in period houses (only one of which had a - detached - garage), but if we move again I quite fancy buying somewhere with an attached garage that can be converted to additional living space.

The one house we owned with a garage was large enough to not require extra living space anyway, plus the garage was a long way from the house itself, but generally speaking I see attached/integral garages as missed opportunities.

Regarding the house posted by @LindorDoubleChoc I don't actually mind it, layout wise even though it's completely out of my comfort zone era-wise. I don't have a problem with kitchens being at the front - although I respect the privacy issue comments - and as it happens we moved the kitchen in two out of our last three houses to the front as that's our preference.

Our current detached cottage-y house (dating from 1600s) has a very small hall area (plus porch) and previously you had to walk through the living and dining rooms to get to the kitchen - not ideal when coming in with loads of shopping. So it made sense to relocate the kitchen near to the front door as it's a ridiculous trek to the back door. Having already moved the kitchen to the front in our last-but-one house and loved the new layout, we didn't hesitate to do it again, although I guess from comments here it's not a popular choice!

Crikeyalmighty · 17/02/2023 23:25

I like it - I realised even when we had decent kitchen diners once there were 2 of us we tended to eat meals in the lounge anyway apart from Sunday dinner. Slovenly I know.

twotoedsloth · 17/02/2023 23:26

We have a three bed semi detached version of this house! We extended it to put an office over the garage (which is linked to next door), and to make the living room 10 feet longer.

We love having the arrangement of having the living room at the back of the house and the kitchen at the front. When we're sitting in the living room we look out onto the lovely garden and it feels like our own little world.

The other thing that is great about these houses is the built in cupboards. We have them in every bedroom like this house and it's brilliant! Our bedroom sizes are similar to this house - not bit but adequate, and not awkward in any way.

RhadamanthNemes · 17/02/2023 23:29

Honestly?

These houses look small.

I have never lived in such a small house.

RhadamanthNemes · 17/02/2023 23:32

That is NOT four decent sized bedrooms.

TeenLifeMum · 17/02/2023 23:44

@RhadamanthNemes are you in the uk? These are standard size homes and 4 beds is actually bigger than the majority of people live in in this country.

RosesAndHellebores · 17/02/2023 23:49

Winchester is very expensive.
I quite like it but can't really visualise it as a family house. The bedrooms seem very small. I would have one to sleep in, one as a dressing room and one as a study with a spare room. Downstairs would be great for parties.

It would suit if I were single.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 18/02/2023 00:01

The layout is perfect for me. I'm trying to buy a 4 bed currently, the only thing this misses off for me is a separate playroom which we are looking for. Although a garage conversion would sort that I suppose!
I currently have a living/diner and love it. Views right out in the garden, doors open in the summer. It's lovely. Not a fan of kitchen diners. I like to leave the cooking mess behind when sitting for a meal. A dining room is what I want!

MandeeMore · 18/02/2023 00:13

That’s basically my house layout, though the kitchen is at the back and lounge at the front. It’s also been separated into three distinct rooms, and had extensions added to the side and back though.

We love it!

Cornishclio · 18/02/2023 00:26

That is roughly the layout of my daughters house which is about 20 years old. They have an en suite too though and garage conversion giving utility room and study.

RhadamanthNemes · 18/02/2023 00:28

@TeenLifeMum,yes!

I am in the UK.

I have honestly never lived in such a small house.

It's tiny.

KimmySchmitt · 18/02/2023 01:30

@RhadamanthNemes oh it is not tiny, don't be rude and ridiculous. Let's see a floorplan of your house then.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz I prefer this layout too and have just bought a very similar house. The 4 bedrooms are similar dimensions to the OP (bedroom 1 slightly smaller but bedroom 4 slightly bigger, no box room) and it's a new build so not all new builds have tiny rooms.

LadyVictoriaSponge · 18/02/2023 01:52

mrsm43s · 17/02/2023 22:15

I do see what you're saying about practicality, and houses that age do have quite nice sized rooms.

However, the layout wouldn't work for me as I'd want a separate sitting and dining room, a utility room and at least 2 full bathrooms in addition to the downstairs loo. The main thing that would put me off, though, is the lack of any kind of features and that from the outside its ugly AF. Personally, I'd prefer to compromise room sizes for character.

Agree, that house is reasonably practical but it would bore me to tears living in a house like that, easy to clean I guess, no nooks and crannies or any features.

PinkPantherPaws · 18/02/2023 01:55

Here in the new 3 and 4 bed houses there are usually 2 en suite rooms plus a bathroom, and I don't need half the rooms in my house to have toilets in!

Oh God, this. I hate so many new builds for this reason.

I've seen a lovely (downstairs) four bed recently advertised near me - where THREE of the four bedrooms have an en suite. What a monumental waste of space - my dc do not need their own fucking bathroom each! Unless you're running a guest house it's just unnecessary.

RhadamanthNemes · 18/02/2023 02:13

KimmySchmitt · 18/02/2023 01:30

@RhadamanthNemes oh it is not tiny, don't be rude and ridiculous. Let's see a floorplan of your house then.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz I prefer this layout too and have just bought a very similar house. The 4 bedrooms are similar dimensions to the OP (bedroom 1 slightly smaller but bedroom 4 slightly bigger, no box room) and it's a new build so not all new builds have tiny rooms.

It's not rude and ridiculous. I live in a Derbyshire longhouse. It's a six bedroomed long and thin farmhouse. I don't have an available floor plan

I can talk you through it if you want...

RosesAndHellebores · 18/02/2023 02:29

I think a lot could be done to extend/improve it and that it has tremendous potential!