Location big ✔️ layout needs work…. Any suggestions please?!

[Loulou377]

Hi, we have viewed this property (layout picture attached) and like it’s location however the downstairs layout doesn’t work for us. Our aim would be to live here for a few years and reconfigure in the hope that we could make a profit. We would like to add doors to the garden (which is on the north and east of the layout). There unfortunately isn’t enough space in the garden to extend. Ideally we would like a larger, more sociable kitchen and could sacrifice the size of the lounge and could remove study room. There probably isn’t room for a utility but if one could be squeezed in that would be ideal!! For reference it’s a 4 bedroom family home.
Any layout suggestions would be much appreciated as it’s certainly not a strong point of mine….!

Do you have the upstairs floorplan... helps see where you have plumbing?
Is there scope for an extension (does money/garden size allow) or not?

sorry just saw you said no garden space to extend! Is there any plumbing on the right side of the building or is bathroom above kitchen?

4 bed house and no toilet downstairs?

oh sorry i see

if you don’t need a study - remove. and then have the space to get your more social kitchen / diner

a utility room though would be ambitious given the overall footprint is rather small

It’s pretty easy to find that property on Rightmove OP I’ve just found it, not sure if you want everyone to see it? But what about extending to the side of the house?

I agree it looks like you could extend to the rear or to the side near the garage
Other properties have added conservatories
The study wall looks to be load bearing given the upstairs floorplan

IF you can move the plumbing to the right hand side of the house then how about this:

Basically swap the lounge and kitchen and rid of study, you get a smaller sitting room/snug and a larger kitchen diner. I’ve drawn an L shaped kitchen with island, and dining table near the garden (forgot to draw in doors to garden) but you could have a dining table where the island is and then there would be room for some seating near the garden instead.

You can fit a utility cupboard under the stairs. Not sure a separate utility room is possible without messing up the shape of the rooms.

If you are happy not to have a direct door between sitting room and kitchen then you can get some extra space back there (where I have drawn a door) and you could fit laundry machines in there and space under stairs could be for coats.

thanks for all your replies. One of you mentioned the study may be a load bearing wall?
On reflection we could probably manage to build a small conservatory/room but I’m concerned that the garden is already in the small size. We value garden over house size but I’d I guess other families wouldn’t.

I think your layout minipie has nailed the brief Thankyou…! Not sure why I couldn’t get to that!

This seems like a logical change to the layout to me. I prefer a kitchen diner.

From the description, I think the side where the study is is already an extension.

It's a shame that there are no pics of the hall because it looks like, as a PP has suggested, there is space there that could be used for a utility area. I'd be reluctant to completely lose a separate room like the study, as kids get older - even if it's too small to be a proper snug/ sitting room, it's still a useful space for having friends around without hiding in bedrooms or even doing homework in peace.

That’s a really interesting perspective Thankyou. We have very small children currently but I could imagine the benefit of an extra room (even if it is very small!) downstairs for older families.

the hallway is really rather nice and a good size. A little unnecessarily big for the proportions of the rest of the house. Wasted space for sure (although could be a lovely cloakroom/dumping ground!)

correct, it has already been extended to the side.

I'd move the front door, change the back door to a window, the back large window for french doors or similar, divide off the living room in favour of a kitchen diner, keep the study.
It'll be less work than moving all the plumbing

Yes, I would avoid moving plumbing, that's a good point. I like @SgtJuneAckland 's layout better than mine. A toilet can fit into a utility if designed cleverly.

Thank you this is a great suggestion and probably more affordable for us!

Back half of kitchen becomes utility with a wall to divide it, rest of kitchen knocked through to sitting room, which becomes large kitchen/dining/sitting room, study becomes snug for when you want a separate area.

I'd do what @SgtJuneAckland suggests. It makes sense if the space you have and includes the utility you want, without too much upheaval.