Thoughts of putting fourth bedroom downstairs

[User28884995]

Floorplan/building work thoughts/advice please!

We currently have an old single skin conservatory out the back of our kitchen, it has an unusual shower off the corridor plan at the moment, we have found it handy having the shower downstairs too so don’t want to loose the toilet or shower, it is cold in winter and hot in summer so needs insulation and general updating as windows are failed and it can get mouldy.

We are trying to figure out how best to update our house to be able to renovate the conservatory but at the same time wanting to future proof as needing the seperate room for an office or fourth bedroom option in the future. We don’t think a loft will be in our budget so trying to future proof the building works now.

The floorplans below show current and our thoughts of the change, we think it would need to also need to include bricking up a couple of windows and changing a large sliding patio door to more of a French door style plus small windows either side on this back wall to make it feel usable as a bedroom option. The extension has a flat felt roof which we hope is ok to just refelt when needed. We are thinking to add a velux sky window in the toilet shower room to bring in light and ventilation as this is not an exterior wall.

We have have quotes from a couple of builders for this work, one a builder who we used for previous work and got on well with quoting 25k plus materials like the window and bathroom suite etc. and a second builder quoting 16.5k plus materials who seems well recommended. We just wanted to put this out there to seek others opinions on what we are thinking or if anyone’s done similar as an alternative less expensive option compared to a loft which is out of budget. Thanks for any thoughts!

Current versus thoughts for future (the front reception rooms remain the same size, 7.8x3.3m, this is just an image error, we use this space as a living room and dining room)

It's fine as an office or second reception, but surely it's not a bedroom as it's the only garden access?

This is student HMO level thinking. It’ll be a worse house for the change. The obvious thing to do is move the shower room into the darkest corner of the kitchen on the front left of the house, then just open up the whole rear space with converted conservatory into a nice kitchen diner opening onto the garden. Then sell your house and move to one with enough bedrooms.

We have garden access with a door from the second reception room.
We are just thinking for a growing family with three children, considering this for either us or one of them in teen years when too old to share as we can’t afford a loft. Moving isnt an option for us due to work.

No one will ever consider that a proper bedroom. Surely it’s a dining room since your kitchen is small and where else does the table go? At most it could be a second reception room/playroom and by all means have a sofa bed in there for when grandparents or whoever stay, but that doesn’t make it a 4 bedroom house.

You can 100% use that as a bedroom. I'd make it the master as it has the ensuite and access to the garden. Future buyers don't have to use it as a bedroom but you're making your house work for you.

I agree with @EconomyClassRockstar

It is an additional downstairs room.
Any theoretical buyers can use it for whatever they want to - study / playroom / hobby room / library / dining room / second sitting room - but, if you need a 4th bedroom whilst you live there, is can also be used as a bedroom.

I think it is a very sensible extension, and I would certainly look round at a time we were planning to buy, even though I would expect it to be marketed as a 3 bed + 3 Reception house.

We use our second reception room as a bedroom downstairs, and our third bedroom as an office upstairs (it's too small to be comfy for anyone older than a toddler as a bedroom although it is sold as such). I think do whatever works for you if you are in the property a long time. Bedrooms downstairs can be just as functional.

I think people are getting hung up on the downstairs bedroom thing-just because you will use it as a bedroom doesn’t mean future buyers would need to. It would also make a great second sitting room, office or dining room. And as someone who hates conservatories, I would always welcome changing them to something that is actually useful.

For older teens/young adults still at home, that would be a brilliant layout. They’d have their own access when they come home at 1am!

This.
In your head you need to still think of this as a three bed house with two reception rooms, one of which you happen to use as a bedroom.

Apologies, just seen that my fat thumbs put "3 bed + 3 Reception" in my previous post, rather than what I obviously meant "3 bed + 2 Reception" .

I can count, I just tend to press 'post' without checking for typos

Agree with those above. I don't think you should market it as a 4-bed house when the times comes (I know you're not asking that, but just thinking ahead), but it makes total sense to have a room there (and to have it done properly, rather than a conservatory / lean to).

I'd personally use it as a snug/playroom. And yes, I'd probably have a sofa bed in there so it could be a guest room if needed.

I'd do this slightly differently I think. I can see you've pushed the kitchen a bit wider and added a small extension into the side return. I think I'd take that out further and fill the side extension fully, just for the kitchen. Block the door out from the lounge, maybe with half glass for light, but have a door out from the kitchen instead. Simply because at the moment you are only gaining floor space in the kitchen, it doesn't give you room for any more storage etc, a little bigger gives you more options.

I'd also move the small bathroom and put it in one of the back corners of the conservatory so then you get an outside wall for a window. A long bathroom (shower one end, loo the other, sink opposite the door in the middle would be more efficient in the space. Then you've no need for the corridor bit between kitchen and rear room.

You can use the rooms in your house for whatever you want.

I think this makes a great additional space. Could absolutely be a bedroom for a teenager desperate to escape their sibling, great space for visiting guests as they can have their own bathroom, lovely office tucked away at the back and less likely to be disturbed (make sure you keep a lovely view of the garden)