Can I squeeze in an ensuite?

6 years ago

Hi All,

I'm buying a flat and would like to reconfigure it.

myplan is to knock out all of the downstairs walls to make a kitchen/living room.

i'd then need to add a bathroom upstairs. I'm happy with it being tiny but think I need a bath rather than a shower. Do you think it's possible?

thanks

alex

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PRO

User

6 years ago

Agreeing with JenP and Anna Auzins - You need to keep all the utilities where they are more or less. After all, you have no idea what the position is in the other flats, and they will all join at some point.

Rather than try and achieve probably the impossible due to the planning and building works required, the fees involved in trying to take on something like that, I would go for something a lot simpler.

Use the two reception rooms downstairs as bedrooms, with access to the bathroom. Then use the whole of the upstairs as living space, with the added benefit of an upstairs toilet and shower room.

If there happens to be nobody above you, then of course you may be able to get permission - if the wall happened to not be load bearing, to remove the wall separating the bedrooms. This would probably be best case scenario as you do away with the need for steel supports.

At least the options above give you living on one level and sleeping on another.

Comments (8)

PRO
Sally Rule Homeologist
6 years ago
What is on the ground floor? Consider how you live... do you spend time with friends cooking and socialising? Do you need 3 bedrooms? Will you live in all the bedrooms? Bedrooms with decent storage are beneficial. Do you need all the balcony? Can the reception be extended to incorporate a kitchen? Difficult to make suggestions without knowing how you live, but, some thoughts
PRO
Sally Rule Homeologist
6 years ago
What is on the ground floor? Consider how you live... do you spend time with friends cooking and socialising? Do you need 3 bedrooms? Will you live in all the bedrooms? Bedrooms with decent storage are beneficial. Do you need all the balcony? Can the reception be extended to incorporate a kitchen? Difficult to make suggestions without knowing how you live, but, some thoughts
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I agree that it is unusual now to find a new house without one but I think if you have space to put an extra shower room elsewhere so that you still have more than one then it should be okay. Ideally somewhere not far from the master bedroom. Also like the suggestion for you to put in all of the pipe work etc so that it can easily be added later. If you dont get round to it upon resale then atleast there is less work for a buyer.
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I think an ensuite without a toilet is fine, since you already have two loos there. Maybe you could squeeze another toilet in somewhere downstairs, closer to the soil pipe?
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I agree bring the wall forward into the bedroom. You don’t even have to take the existing wall down. Retain it as a divider between his and hers, though I would remove the door. A pocket door in the new wall into the dressing room would be better rather than having to shut the door behind you every time you need to get access your clothes. You might also squeeze a shallow full height cupboard in the shower room along the wall beside the toilet to store all your toiletries etc.
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@tab I’d prefer a shower with glass panel rather than a quad but I think exiting the shower is going to be a squeeze- even more so if there’s a sink there. The bathroom fitter who came to quote was very functional and pipe oriented rather than what would look good! I know that’s important but im struggling to see that it will be a nice space when it’s done.
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Jonathan
6 years ago
I think there is room to make a two beds, bath and shower on the entry level and an open plan living room/ kitchen on the level with the terrace.
whizzywig
6 years ago
What Jonathan suggests looks good.
PRO
User
6 years ago
Even if you could re-jig the floor plan to work - Have you considered that this is a Flat and has limitations unless you happen to own the Freehold?

All leasehold flats require planning permission and the agreement of the Freeholder.

The logistics of removing walls on a third floor and putting in the steel beams to ensure the integrity of the building would be a logistical nightmare. ( Scaffolding on the outside of the building - a crane - taking out windows so that you can put the steel beam in etc as you will be very unlikely to be able to carry it up a stairwell )

Don't want to be a ' Debbie Downer', but you may want to conduct a 'Feasibility' survey first.
A B
6 years ago
Agree with MATH. I do wonder if you would get permission to swap the kitchen and bedroom though (what a nightmare the kitchen is on a higher level! May be a good reason though...). If you could bring the kitchen down, you could look into connecting the 2 rooms with double doors rather than knocking through completely (possibly!)
PRO
Anna Auzins Interiors Ltd.
6 years ago
If the internal walls aren't load-bearing walls this will be much more do-able; my thought was about the soil pipes -- those generally need to remain where they are in a flat, because they are often connected with the ones above and below. Moving a kitchen around in and of itself isn't so difficult as you do have water on both floors, but the soil pipes may cause some issues.

In principle, however, having a kitchen/living area on one floor and bedrooms on another would make for a nice living arrangement, if you do this, I'd keep at least a loo on the lower floor!

Can I squeeze in an ensuite?

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Sally Rule Homeologist

Sally Rule Homeologist

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