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Original poster

Would you rather a ground floor bedroom or an extra living room?

104 replies

hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 15:23

We have an extra room on the ground floor that can be used as an additional living room or a bedroom. (See the lower right corner of the attached photo). On the upper floor, we have 3 bedrooms (2 double and 1 single) and a master bathroom.

What would you prefer to use the space for if it was your house?

If I sold this house as a 4 bedroom (3 upstairs), would you consider it so?

Would you rather a ground floor bedroom or an extra living room?
OP posts:
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HurryShadow · 23/05/2023 16:57

OhBling · 23/05/2023 15:29

I would list it as a four bed for people who are using 4 bed as their criteria. But in the plans/description make it clear that it can be used as a second living area/study/4th bedroom.

I agree. A lot of people will want a 4 bed because they need 3 and want one for a guest room or study, which this would work well for.

If someone needs a 4 bed for lots of children, they could consider it and discount it.

If you listed it as a 3, it'd miss a lot of Rightmove browsers that would be happy with the setup if they knew.

I agree with PPs though that as a fourth bedroom, it would be useful if that room could have access to a full bedroom on the same floor. Is it possible to knock through a doorway between utility and bedroom 4? That's a long way round for a pee in the night if you need one otherwise!

LibertyLily · 23/05/2023 16:59

CaveMum · 23/05/2023 15:45

A downstairs room is always a reception room. I hate it when I look at 4 bed houses and see that the seller has listed a downstairs room as a bedroom. Of course use the rooms in whatever way you wish, but I'd suspect the majority would not count an additional downstairs room as a bedroom when looking to buy.

The buyers of our house in 2011 must have been the exception.

They were looking for five bedrooms but purchased our house which had the following layout -

First floor with two bedrooms (plus one bathroom)

Ground floor with kitchen, conservatory, two shower rooms and five reception rooms.

They had two teens (who were going to have two of the receptions as bedrooms) plus a newborn who would eventually have the second upstairs bedroom. After purchasing they went on to have a further three DC and still live there, although I don't know how the sleeping arrangements work now.

When we sold it was marketed as a two/five bedroom house with the floor plan showing the additional reception rooms as (for example) reception three/bedroom three. I guess it appealed because in addition to the upstairs bathroom there were two shower rooms on the ground floor.

Personally we bought the house only needing two bedrooms but as we were downsizing from a six bed house and had lots of stuff, we used the extra rooms downstairs as music room, study, dining room and library.

@hiccup88 I'd use your extra room as a snug/TV room or library and if/when selling market it as a three/four bed house.

FusRoDah · 23/05/2023 17:02

We bought something similar and it was listed as a 3/4 bedroom house. Can't remember how that worked in practice with the Rightmove filters though - I think it probably came up as an expensive 3 bed.

FusRoDah · 23/05/2023 17:03

To actually answer OP's question, we use our extra downstairs room as a study/snug, with a sofa bed in so it acts as overspill guest accommodation too.

TinaTotal · 23/05/2023 17:10

Do you need to keep the garage? It could be your utility?
This is our layout and it works well for us. The downstairs bedroom will be my study if teen DS ever moves out 🤣

TinaTotal · 23/05/2023 17:11

Forgot to attach pic 😬

Would you rather a ground floor bedroom or an extra living room?
YetMoreNewBeginnings · 23/05/2023 17:13

hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 15:27

I forgot to mention that the room in question has the only working fireplace in the house!

That would make it the lounge for me.

Floralnomad · 23/05/2023 17:13

What is the current layout of the house @hiccup88

Original poster
hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 17:27

TinaTotal · 23/05/2023 17:10

Do you need to keep the garage? It could be your utility?
This is our layout and it works well for us. The downstairs bedroom will be my study if teen DS ever moves out 🤣

We are worried that removing the garage will devalue the house. To be honest, we only use it to keep ladders and spare building materials right now because our neighbourhood has ample street parking and all houses can fit at least one car on their driveway. I don't think anyone in our street ever really uses their garage for anything other than storage.

That said, I also read in these forums that removing a garage devalues a house. We are not selling soon and are doing the build for ourselves, but we never know where life takes us and if we have to sell in the future, I don't want to regret any (expensive) decisions.

PS. Thank you for sharing a picture of your floorplan! It is super helpful!

OP posts:
SquarePegInRoundHole · 23/05/2023 17:28

I think you should market it as 4 beds and if people want a separate sitting room then they can use it as that.

SquarePegInRoundHole · 23/05/2023 17:30

I'd swap the dining and kitchen about. It would be much better to have the seating area bit next to the table than the kitchen end.

Original poster
hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 17:35

Floralnomad · 23/05/2023 17:13

What is the current layout of the house @hiccup88

This is the current layout of the house.

You can see that there actually is already a door on the right hand side connecting the old kitchen to the old dining room (proposed as new utility/wc and new living/bedroom).

You can also see how HUGE the garage on the left side of the house is, hence us cutting it and using the space to add to an open plan space.

Would you rather a ground floor bedroom or an extra living room?
OP posts:
Original poster
hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 17:37

Posting the (updated) proposed floor plan again for comparison...

Would you rather a ground floor bedroom or an extra living room?
OP posts:
Original poster
hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 17:41

SquarePegInRoundHole · 23/05/2023 17:30

I'd swap the dining and kitchen about. It would be much better to have the seating area bit next to the table than the kitchen end.

You make a good point! My only worry is the plumbing/drain is currently set from what is the utility area on the drawing (right side) and we will have to run plumbing to the other side of the house in order to put the kitchen on the far left side.

Is running plumbing across the house a big deal or not really? It's what's stopping me from moving the kitchen, but maybe it's not even an issue. Has anyone had experience with moving/adding plumbing where there wasn't any before?

OP posts:
TinaTotal · 23/05/2023 17:44

@hiccup88 I thought if you were replacing the garage with extra living space it added value, if you have alternative parking.

caffelattetogo · 23/05/2023 17:44

Only student houses and dodgy house shares would make this a bedroom.

Iwrotethissong · 23/05/2023 17:45

Is this a house you're building, or a reno? I'm a bit confused. Just use the room for whatever you like, why does it need to be so defined?
I personally wouldn't class it as a 4 bed for sales purposes as it wouldn't have enough reception rooms, it'd make an ideal play room though.

Merchantadventurer · 23/05/2023 17:51

If it feasible to move the plumbing can you essentially flip the build and put a wall in half way is in the current living room and have the fireplace area in the open plan area. It would mean that the fireplace would not be as lost and the bedroom/living room would be more flexible?

Original poster
hiccup88 · 23/05/2023 17:55

Iwrotethissong · 23/05/2023 17:45

Is this a house you're building, or a reno? I'm a bit confused. Just use the room for whatever you like, why does it need to be so defined?
I personally wouldn't class it as a 4 bed for sales purposes as it wouldn't have enough reception rooms, it'd make an ideal play room though.

It is a renovation and we currently live in the house.

OP posts:
snakewhite · 23/05/2023 18:12

Could you call an estate agent and ask their opinion? They obviously have a good insight into what people are more likely to want in your house in your area.

Seeing your existing layout though I'd probably have the open plan bit on the right, so convert the kitchen and dining room and make it your sitting / dining room. I'd then have the kitchen in the middle (as on your original post) and close off the lower section of the current lounge to use as a playroom / study / den etc. Then the top half of the garage would be utility and boot room. You'd be adding one more wall so might cost more though... But would get rid of the choice of having people wander through the kitchen while you're cooking to get to the dining room (which would drive me mad!) or running plumbing over to far side of house.

cupofdecaf · 23/05/2023 18:37

When house hunting I was put off with 2 story houses where the dining room/ extra living area was marketed as a bedroom. It's really annoyed me as it felt disingenuous.
Same with bedrooms you need to go through other bedrooms to get to.
Given the fire place can you actually market it as a bedroom?

Ccvyvyan · 24/05/2023 08:31

Serena73 · 23/05/2023 16:47

Personally I wouldn't view it as a bedroom even if it had a bed in when I viewed the house. I have two reception rooms in my house and I refused to turn one into a bedroom as it was just inside the front door and I thought that was weird! But people will use it for whatever they want.

That’s what I think and can’t it go on infinitely, as in oh well the kitchen could be a bedroom?

Caspianberg · 24/05/2023 09:55

There’s a lot of doors and squashed area in the new utility area.
Make the downstairs toilet and shower at the back (orange) where current back door is. Walk through utility to it.

Then move back door and utility to green area.

Kitchen on left rather than in middle.

Downstairs room no need for another door from utility. Just door by front door and use as living room/ playroom/ office as you need.

Would you rather a ground floor bedroom or an extra living room?
Kentlassie · 24/05/2023 10:00

Agree with @Caspianberg‘s suggested plan. We are currently looking at houses and I hate it when a house it described as a 4 bed but actually has 3 beds and a reception room that could be a living room or bedroom!

SleepingStandingUp · 24/05/2023 10:05

We'd be in the market for a 4 bed if we had money, but I'd expect them to be upstairs. I've 3 young kids, I wouldn't want to be on a separate floor from them at night and I wouldn't want some of my kids down there either. So for us, it would be a 3.

I'd probably nick space from the garage for a dining area, but leave the kitchen. An open plan kitchen with young kids is a nightmare. The dining room would then become the play room.