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!

It’s reduced head height down there, you can’t see on the plan but it goes right down to the eaves. That’s why it’s at the jaunty angle I think!

Yes I see what you mean. , it does look exactly like that doesn’t it. The plan definitely minimises how many changes to the current structure are made, but I guess that might not be the most efficient, but perhaps the architect wasn’t given much free rein

Ooh yes a nice wide kitchen at the back could be nice.
The upstairs is undoubtedly awkward, but because it hasn’t been touched much, it’s kind of how it is now, but slightly bigger bedrooms. I guess it will be a lot more expensive to redo the upstairs too.
The loft is a usable space, but hasn’t been done properly. These plans put in a massive 9m dormer! At the moment it’s just sort of unofficial useful space.

Fwiw, everything else about this place is lovely- beautiful garden, outdoor office space, endless garage, great village. In budget and a bit left over for work budget, so overall I’m willing to accept some awkward layout issues, but it does need to work!!

Tbh you might want to think about buying as it is and living with it a bit if it has lots of potential.

Then save up to to make it how you want it, rather than trying to make someone else’s plans work for you.

The current layout isn’t terrible (in some respects- but not all - better than the plans you have).

I absolutely think you could make it fantastic but I also think in time you’ll feel you’ve not only wasted an opportunity but also money trying to make the paper plans work if you go done that route.

As the architect who posted earlier, the plans are just pretty uninteresting and flawed in how how space is used.

Budget is obviously very important but at the same time doing a re-design based on minimising impact to all structural walls and putting stairs in odd places leads to huge compromises in what you get - and even those plans won’t be cheap.

There’s a big risk you’ll think in a few years….I wish we’d just not compromised so much because we still aren’t happy with what we have, even after spending tens of thousands.

Thank you, this is really interesting insight.
I see what you’re saying, it’s just so hard to imagine what else could be done instead. I know that’s what architects are for though!

What am I missing though? Ignoring the upstairs because I’d rather sort the downstairs and then fix the bedrooms if necessary later on. They’re fine for what we need right now and budget only goes so far.

What should I/could I do instead? Please feel free to squiggle on the plans! I just don’t know that there’s anything more logical!

I agree that living there first may be a good idea

we did before our big build and we changed our view of where the kitchen should go. The common decision and the one that would sell better just wasn’t practical for how we live

depending on ages of your kids and how many you have another idea is to make the guest suite on the ground floor in existing sitting room/toilet and keep the loo off the utility. Then make the loft space for the kids rooms with hang out space and the main suite on the first floor

Good idea about moving in first, we had thought this would probably be the case.

Interesting layout idea, but I’m not sure that’s a practical use of space for us, we have young kids so don’t think we’re ready to send them upstairs yet, and tbh don’t have guests to stay often enough to lose downstairs space to them really. But a good demonstration of different ways of looking at it

Are the beds in the plans to scale? Why are there two double beds against walls - you'd never do this if there was room for access to both sides. Three of the bedrooms seem to have much space around the beds for other things, though I appreciate it looks like there are built-in wardrobes.

In answer to your kitchen Island dilemma, there are people that cannot understand that no two kitchens are the same, and while understanding why pine tables are popular, they do not address storage or appliance space needed, especially if a former small kitchen and a dining room are knocked in together.
Our island (fairly large island )houses a washing machine, a twin bin cupboard, a double cupboard, two single cupboards, cooking book shelves, a sink for food prep, and seating for 4. We use the worktop for food prep, and if we have friends/family over people can gather around it. A beautiful farmhouse table could not provide the missing wall space for all that our island does!

Forgot to add we needed enclosed bins, as our dog believes that ordinary bins are automatic food dispensers!

I prefer the original layout, I can see the advantage of squaring up the house with her extension depending on what is in that area outside.

I have a strong dislike for open plan living especially with a kitchen as so often it gives you a small kitchen in a big room. Moving the door into the utility rooms looks to be making much less useable.

We as a general rule discount any house that has been extended when looking for houses as 80% have them have created big rooms that are glorified corridors and aren't practical for every day living. It takes care and consideration and a good architect get the flow of the rooms right.

Print off the plans and draw in how you could walk from one room to the next. This then gives you the useable space for each room.
If you are having seating how would you be sat that would permit a conversation.

feels like you could switch the big rooms round for a better layout, or get an extra bedroom in there....

is there any reason there's no window in the bottom right corner?

I think that area is restricted height

I'd make the loft one bogger spce and have the bathroom where the L shaped thing is.

like this

Yes I think they’re properly to scale, but they have teenagers at the moment with beds in those spots. As I said, the upstairs hasn’t been changed much so this just matches how they have it. I guess it’s just one person living in the room. Maybe it’s just their drawings, maybe they never got them professionally done and the estate agent is telling a little fib! I’m waiting to hear back

Gosh your island is working hard!

I read that people are going back to closed or part closed kitchens, but I much prefer eating in the room where all the food is. Too many trips back and forth otherwise, especially with small kids

So would you prefer it if the room to the left had the option to be shut off, or you prefer it coming off the other lobby?
I like the idea of seeing the kids playing, but I also appreciate that this is a stage that doesn’t last forever- and I see what you mean with corridors, you then have to have ‘the corridor’ in the open plan space as well/instead

Yes restricted height. It would benefit from a velux for sure, but I think if you made it a separate room, it would feel quite restrictive. It’s a dressing area at the moment, which kind of works, given the limitations of the space.
The Other room in the middle is about 3x3m, so don’t think you want to make it any smaller as you won’t get a wardrobe in.

Oh this is nice. At the moment, the two bathrooms are stacked on top of each other, which I think explains the placement, but I wonder how difficult it is to change that, as this does provide a nice layout

Do you have kids? If so, I would 100% reduce the size of the downstairs loo in order to increase the size of the ante room, change the window in that room to an external door and make it a walk through boot/coats/school bags room, with door to the loo and to the main hallway, to contain all the shoes and clutter from reaching the main part of the house!

ETA the internal doors to those two rooms should also open the other way so they open towards the wall.

there's seemingly plenty of room? - just offset the double bed twoards the window and put wardrobe etc in corner

The new corner "velux room" could be a guest room/study?

it all kind of depends if you're going to be traipsing through front door or back door with shopping, kids, wet dogs etc

I have an almost 6 year old and an 9 month and for the last year the older one has preferred to play in her room.

I like being able to see them play but at the same time it's really useful to be able to shut them out of rooms too and to not be tripping over toys and being able to have some child free time not staring at their toys.

I'm not sure on the conversion from ft to m but I think our downstairs is a similar size and this is what we have, sorry it's a bit scruffy! A large living room where the children play most of the time but we have a play room for bigger items and for longer play times. Now my daughter is a bit older she has a small desk in there for colouring. There's room in the kitchen diner for toys if I'm cooking but also we can shut them out of the kitchen when necessary too.
We have hard wooden floors throughout and with the doors open they can scoot about freely across all of the downstairs.