Does this floorpan make sense?

[janglemycoppers]

Would love some input into this house design. Dimensions aren't on, but I think you get a feel as the furniture is there. Whole house is about 10m wide if that helps. Do you think it flows nicely, and do you think the loft stairs work?
It's so hard imagining walking everything through!
TIA - I'm sure you're all much wiser than me!

I'd like to see the current floorplan. Personally I don't like this proposal but it really depends what you are working with.

What is it you don’t like? I’ll attach the original plan

This is it now. It’s a good space, but the dining area is just too narrow and I feel it needs to go out. Once it starts going out, I want to get my moneys worth!

I’m so surprised by all the dislike, this is so eye opening to me!

I think it’s uninspiring
The upstairs is badly designed with odd shaped rooms and the stair to the attic hasn’t really been thought through
If this is a proposed plan it’s
boring
Sorry OP

What do you mean about the stairs to the attic? I think it’s to do with the roof height above.
A couple of rooms are odd, that’s what’s there already. It’s an older house, so not a box.
Could you elaborate on ‘uninspiring’ what do you think it’s missing?

when I wrote the post I wasn’t aware it’s a redesign of an existing
So I thought someone had designed this from scratch and you were buying into it

On that basis I don’t believe it’s a great design. But I’m an Architect and we are notorious for being super critical. I’ve just finished criting a loud of third year Uni students designs, so I’m on a roll 🤣🤣

In terms of the stairs to the roof it seems it’s just been put in a spare room rather than designed in to key in perhaps with the grd to 1st fl stair.

The location of the dining room is in circulation space leading through to the garden view but blocking it which is a shame.
Furniture can be changed of course

There's also little things like the layout of the upstairs bathroom for example. I’m aware it’s personal choice but I feel you’d get a more designed feel if the shower and Bath were right and left of the door and the WC and whb were facing the door and under the window.( no idea re dimensions but if that’s a7/800 swing door looks like the bath might fit ? )
Just some thoughts but as I said I assumed this was a new unbuilt property
Just my view
Homes are very personal
Hope I havent offended

I actually prefer the original layout, and would probably just move the door to the second living room creating double doors to make the space more open.

At the very least I’d be engaging my own architect to come up with something better, but ultimately it would be the upstairs that would put me off.

Likewise.

In terms of it being a re-design I think it’s pretty flawed in lots of respects.

As per my pp I’d look at engaging an Architect and starting afresh.

Just as an extra thought
The entry door into the grd fl WC could be pushed back to make that lobby area into the sitting room more spacious. If the stair risers have been drawn correctly you would have the headroom to do that

This is why you need an architect OP.

They see things you won’t.

I wanted to change the layout of my house and thought it was going to cost £££.

Got an architect and we got all we wanted (and more) by moving the staircase and changing some non structural walls.

I just couldn’t have envisioned what they did and the cost of the architect more than paid for itself vs the cost of the “plans” we had drawn up in our heads/on paper/with a builder if we’d followed through with them.

Ignoring the furniture and fittings and just looking at the bones of it I quite like it.

ground floor - agree about having doors to be able to separate off that seating area. In terms of the rest it’s a good space and you can have a think about how you would prefer it. You have plenty of time to think about it as you haven’t even bought it yet.

I can see first floor you’ve done what you can. I agree the stairs going above the existing would feel cleaner and I think would make the top floor have a potentially better layout

if you stuck with top floor layout I’d get rid of the bath and make the bathroom a bit smaller and the bedroom a bit bigger.

Thanks and I have to say whilst it’s an extra cost they / we 😁 are good at saving money on construction costs < blows own trumpet >

but make sure if you go down this route you ensure they are registered Architects.

You can check on the ARB website by just putting their name in. If they aren’t registered with ARB they aren’t qualified. Having this means they have PI insurance amongst other things.

Thanks btw.
Most people think we are a waste of money.
Nice to hear things went well for you

Really? That’s interesting. The dining room is too narrow. There just isn’t enough space for our dining table. It feels narrow in there but I don’t want to spend all the budget on moving the big central wall, I’d rather push it out I think. But maybe it doesn’t need to go as far. That’s the only real change downstairs

I think this was architect designed?!
But yes, maybe we need to try again. I love all the architect programs and agree that they see the space in such a different way!

Ah thank you, this is helpful!
ooh I can’t stand opening the door and seeing the toilet! My family never manage to close the door.
Good thoughts re the staircase. I think the roofline might prohibit them being stacked on top of each other, as it’s slightly odd, but I will go back with my laser measure on the next viewing.
And no not offended- it’s really useful to get different views, so easy to get caught up in it all and forget there’s other options.
It’s another cost though going back to architects.

Thank you. Will have a look at staircase. And yes, furniture is moveable. We will probably build in a lot of storage as can never have enough!

Was it Architect designed, Theyve missed some opportunities if so

You could have some fun yourself by making a model
You just need cardboard and glue
You can model your dining table and other furniture aswell and move it around the space
Plasticine is also great for furniture

It helps with visualisation and is great fun
( although maybe it’s just my idea if fun of course 🫤 )

This is good to hear. Our last architects for this house were in now, it just wasn’t a cost effective design. So much on unrealistic internal changes and in the end, not lots to show for it. Maybe I need a better architect!

I don’t know. Estate agent said so, but I don’t think you can always trust them.
I hadn’t thought to make a model, I’ll get me glue!

Have fun
Can we see pics when you’re done

I can see why you'd want to do the bump out on the current dining room. I think the layout isn't quite right though and those new floorplans, idk, feel a bit rough and ready? Doesn't feel like it's had architects eyes on this tbh.
I'd keep the lounge on the left separate but add a big door or double doors into the dining room.
I'd probably do the bump out.
I'd put the utility room where the current kitchen is and take out the existing utility and little loo, then I'd knock through there and have the kitchen all across the back, again with doors out.
I'd want to live where there's light and stick utilities in the dark corner.

I'd need to see the existing floor plans for the upstairs to judge if I'd buy this house though, the upstairs feels much more compromised than the downstairs and I wonder if bumping out downstairs and making that double height would sort out some issues.
It's the loft conversion there already? Or is that suggested as an addition?

Maybe it was done by an architect but probably to the brief of the current owners and their wants/needs/priorities and budget.

IME the key is finding someone good and not over briefing them (i.e. not giving them any license to be creative).

If all you tell them is we want this room so big, the stairs here, don’t move this window/wall etc then you might as well draw up the plans yourself.

Rather (with a good architect) it should be collaborative. We talked more about budget, spaces/views and the functionality (and how we lived/wanted to use the spaces now and potentially in the future) rather than being super prescriptive.

The we just let them run with it and come back with some potential designs that we then finessed together.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this already but, in the longer thin bedroom, wouldn't it be better to have the wardrobes across the width of the far end rather than behind the bed and then the bed turned to face the door in the larger part of the room. I like the rest of the design