Bedroom vs Living space

[Fretfulmum]

If we sold in the future would you want a house like this:

We have a chalet bungalow which has a large ground floor footprint with 3 reception rooms (currently used as 2 lounges and a playroom), kitchen diner, utility, 1 bedroom and bathroom. Bedroom currently used as a study.
The upstairs is smaller as it’s a chalet and has 3 double bedrooms- 1 very small double, another a bit larger and a larger principal room with walk in dressing area and en-suite. There’s also a family bathroom.
We want to dig out a basement to move the ground floor bedroom into the basement (with large windows). This will be a guest bedroom. The basement will also have a gym, cinema, large storage room, entertainment space, bathroom.

Do you think our sleeping areas being smaller upstairs make the house “too living areas heavy” IYSWIM? I’m worried potential buyers may be looking for bigger bedroom space and we’d struggle to sell? If you are a family of 3 or 4 would this bother you?

Sounds like a ton of space and pretty flexible? We are a family of 3 and that would be too big of a house for us in general. I think it's quite nice to have the spare bedroom some distance from the family bedrooms so guests have some privacy.
Just out of interest, what's in your basement now? I am intrigued by how you are going to be able to have large windows there

We are on a hill and so the basement will open out into the garden as the land slopes down from the back of our house.
basement is currently earth 😬

Sounds perfect. Living space far more important to me.

Our current home has dining kitchen, dining room(used as study) , two sitting rooms and a conservatory. We use it all.
There are only two of us but we are rejecting 4 bed houses because they only have one living area. A 4 bed bungalow would do at a push where we would only have two rooms as bedrooms.

It sounds massive, with very flexible space.
I don't think you need worry about selling, from a layout pov. Buyers can use the rooms for whatever they want to, they don't have to use them in the same way you are.

It might well put off some people looking for a 4 bed - but I think the current fourth bedroom on the ground floor will probably put those people off anyway!
One of the biggest issues looking for a house was how "top heavy" everywhere was - so loads of bedrooms but limited living space. Yours sounds like a better balance - we'd use the basement probably as a study - so we were after 4 beds plus study - and didn't care if this was a 5th bedroom or additional downstairs space.

If you want the extra space to use, and aren't converting to sell, go for it.

I think flexible space is the way to go.

I think the main consideration will be the type of area you are in. Digging out the basement is a pretty expensive endeavour and I would not want to go above the ceiling price for my area. The accommodation sounds fine and sufficiently flexible to attract both couples and families.

This is incredibly similar to our home we put the kitchen diner living room and shower room in the "basement with windows" then middle floor has a 2nd lounge, study, bedrooms, bathroom, top floor has bedrooms and an ensuite

Your house is clearly bigger.

Our house is very flexible.

I have considered having a 2nd kitchen and converting the "basement" into a self contained annex.

As a couple, we bought a 3 bedroom dormer bungalow and extended on the ground floor, in part to future proof for our old age. It is definitely bottom heavy as we have at least double the footage downstairs - but we looked at creating a way the extra rooms could be used as bedrooms or a granny flat if necessary to make it attractive to a range of future buyers.

If it's well thought through, you will find people who it will be perfect for. I remember once going to see a recently built bungalow that had two bathrooms, both of which could only be accessed by walking through a public room first. It became an inspiration of what not to do.

Also, meant to say that even if you don't create a kitchen at this point because you don't need it, at least consider putting in pipe work etc that could allow it to be created easily. We've put in 2 gas pipes with electrical supply for if we ever put in a gas fire to our dining room. There are two places it could go and we didn't know which one would be most likely after we used the room for a bit. Ditto electrical socket and aerial for a flatscreen tv which we've hidden with a painting.

Weirdly DP and I were just discussing this! We also have a house like this

I live in a top heavy house-massive bedrooms, but not much living space (3 storey).

Trying to move to a house with lots of living space but teeny bedrooms,

thats much more important to me (although I do wonder what the kids will say when teenagers).

How much will it cost to dig out the basement? Your new layout won’t work for many eg people with 3 children because they’re unlikely to want parents in basement and 3 children on 1st floor. You have plenty of living space already so it really comes down to how much it will cost and how long you want to stay as I don’t think you’ll get your money back

Thanks for the useful suggestions. I think adding a basement with so much more living space would attract a bigger family, who may then want bigger/more bedrooms on the same floor. It has made me think that the layout is going to be key for different target future buyers so we will ensure we discuss this with our architect. May be we shouldn’t go too big in the basement and drop the cinema room and make the entertainment room smaller. We also want to ensure this house can grow with us as a family. When DC are teenagers they may want to move to the basement to get away from us. We loved this house because of how flexible it is but it’s not conventional living so not widely appealing.

@BungleandGeorge half of it is already excavated with the underpinning in place. We would be extending it further to create even more living space. The cost is eyewatering but we are in a very desirable location in the Home Counties and there really isn’t a ceiling price for our road. It’s more about if people would find this layout attractive enough to spend versus on a house which has maybe less living space but better bedroom space and over 2 floors.

It sounds like a great property that you plan to make even better - as others have said, it offers any future buyers lots of different options. If you plan to live there for sometime, do what suits you and your family.

I’d rather have more bedroom space and a conventional layout. If we were a family of 4 I wouldn’t need study, kitchen diner, dining room, playroom, living room, entertainment room, cinema room, gym. If I was a family of 5 plus I definitely wouldn’t want those at the expense of having children 2 floors up or down. I wouldn’t particularly want a guest room next to a living area/ cinema room. How much light are the basement rooms going to get? I think you’re wasting money if it’s ‘eye wateringly’ expensive. Maybe just do the smaller, cheaper basement area?

@BungleandGeorge yes and I’m sure there are many others who like you, would prefer a more conventional layout with good bedroom space and equally good living space.
we have weighed up the cost of moving and that in itself is close to £90K. Most properties we have seen need a lot of work too (cosmetic). Having costed it all up, we would probably be paying the same amount as getting the basement. We absolutely love of our location and houses here don’t stay on the market for long. It’s just that we could move and get a more conventional layout (no cinema or entertainment room) or have our layout as described.

I don't know how old your DC are but rooms and use change a lot as they get older. Having alternative living rooms is valuable when you have teens and even adult DC still at home. What works or is essential for babies and toddlers is soon superceded.