Too much faff and expense? Opening kitchen up & moving bathroom U/stai
Hi all,
First time posting for advice, always been a lurker but just as of today put an offer in on a home and it's all becoming a little more real now!
Our issues are that the space as it is just does not function, and we know it wouldn't work for us. I always use the bathroom at night so I know I will need a bathroom upstairs or a toilet at the very least (but would make sense to do a full bathroom if we have to pay for plumbing etc anyway) and the kitchen is beyond tiny, it's like 4m x 1.8m with doors in awkward places so there isn't much worktop space at all.
What I'm thinking is, I don't want to lose a bedroom, but I want the bathroom upstairs so I've done a bit of fiddling with numbers and on paint and come up with the below layout/proposed shape. This would mean we don't need to build an extension or anything like that, we would just need to reconfigure the existing space. See below for a bit of a guide:
My questions are, would the above design be expensive to achieve? It would involve moving an upstairs window and buying another window for bathroom and getting that fitted, moving a wall and building x2 partition walls upstairs (have no idea if wall connecting b1 and b2 is load bearing??) and then knocking through all of downstairs beyond kitchen, but again I don't know if this would need re-enforcing as the wall that will be knocked down looks to be part of the original exterior wall of the house, or whether we'd need an RSJ etc... Picture from the outside to see if this helps...
What do we think?? Expensive?? The alternative is that we build a small ensuite from larger bedroom into the right hand corner of bedroom 2 and install a small window, and then buy a new kitchen for tiny existing kitchen but keep everything pretty much the same (but, after we put dimensions etc into the ikea design planner, the space looked uncomfortably cramped and not big enough to house everything we currently use and would like to continue using.
Any advice on feasibility/sensibility/practicality/financial things to consider more than appreciated!!!! x
Comments (9)
A B
6 years agoI think it's a great idea. The only thing I wonder is if it would be worth keeping a small amount of the existing bathroom as a downstairs loo (normally adds value and the plumbing is all there) and space for stacked washing machine and dryer. I'd also look into adding a conservatory to the side as a dining room off the kitchen accessed through another set of french doors (bigger than shown!). Good luck with the project!
Jade Bambrough thanked A BRelated Discussions
What do you think of open plan bathrooms?
Comments (65)I'm looking to renovate the ensuite of my 2 bed flat and came across photos of open plan bathrooms. Some of the photos look great and I'm considering it as I don't have much room to work with in the bathroom and my bedroom has room I can use. I'm looking at moving the basin into the bedroom area, which would free up space for a bath and shower. I was thinking of making the basin look less bathroom-y and more like a makeup desk using wood and soft furnishing and a full length mirror. The rest of the bathroom would be behind a wall (no door). Main problem is that the door to the bedroom will open to the the basin (the rest of the bedroom is on the left), which I guess would put people off. I quite like the idea but I'm concerned it would put off potential buyers (more so after reading the comments). Should I stick with a traditional ensuite? I can put a bath and shower in there but I think it would be too cramped or I can loose the bath and have more room with just a shower. What do you think?...See MoreUrgent bathroom advice needed, is this vanity too long?
Comments (15)Hi Jen, good idea re the laundry - it would nicely "segregate" that functional space and open up all the rest as bathroom space. If you go that route, just check with a plumber that you don't cause any knock on issues with running a soil pipe from the back of the WC to the main soil stack (you really don't want those issues!!), and then make sure you do it in a way that doesn't lose light from that window. Regarding custom mirrors - the cheapest way is to get a local glazier to quote to make and install. Assuming it is just a single plain sheet you are looking for, the cost should not be too bad at all. Definitely get the glazier to install - it pays to leave the risk on their side, and they are experienced in handling the material. I've had a few bespoke glass splashbacks go "pop" on me, and there are few worse feelings... For what is a relatively piece of glass, make sure that there are no access issues to get it into the room (awkward bends round stairs or the like), or consider doing it in a couple of pieces. And if you are concerned about getting the best price, ask a couple of people to quote and look online too. And don't be afraid to haggle nicely - any glazier will try and squeeze a little extra margin if they can, so try and get it back! Try the online pricing tool at mirrorfit.co.uk for a quick feel of cost, or any of the other tools online....See More3 bed + bathroom downstairs or 2 bed + bathroom upstairs?
Comments (22)Front hallway- I say save your money leave it up. Cost of removal is minor but you will likely have to move radiators and electrics and make good plasterwork and coving- I say protect another £1500 profit. Present the larger back reception as a living room and present the front reception as the dining room. Given that the bathroom is likely to go upstairs make the downstairs bathroom into a room to access the garden- I would present the kitchen as a kitchen/breakfast room with doors to see the garden as being able to see from the front door to the back garden should pay dividend....See MoreMake one bathroom smaller? Advice on bathrooms remodel
Comments (18)I've been thinking about options to cover all basis and came up with this. To allow guests to use a bath/shower the ensuite would be shared. I added a wall in the master bedroom to divide it and add privacy so guests don't have to walk into the bedroom to get to the bath/shower. The upsides are that the ensuite is larger, includes a bath and shower and has more vanity room. Also, by diving the bedroom I can add sort of a walk-in wardrobe. The downsides are that there's only one bath/shower that has to be shared and guests have to walk through the walk-in wardrobe to get to it. Also, it reduces the size of the master bedroom but it's quite a long room anyway and it would cut out the light from the windows in the bedroom. Personally I don't see these as big problems but I guess some people won't like it. Do you think this is a good idea?...See MoreJade Bambrough
6 years agoJade Bambrough
6 years agoA B
6 years ago
A S
6 years agoHi,
I like the plan you have suggested for the upstairs, it's always useful to have a toilet both upstairs and downstairs.
For the downstairs, here's an option:
-squaring off the lounge, this would involve removal of what may be a structural wall and installing an rsg/ steel.
- this would increase the kitchen size and hopefully give you more work surface, I would also remove the small cupboards so you have a squared kitchen.
- I would also keep a toilet and sink downstairs and use the remainder of the space to house a w/m, dryer.
You may want to go open plan to.make the most of the space available if that suits your living style
All the best!
Jade Bambrough thanked A SJade Bambrough
6 years agoA S. That looks like a great idea, actually if we kept bathroom the same (it's already been newly done) and left the external wall into the cupboardy bit the same/no need for re-enforced beams and have washer/dryer stacked in the cupboard space, all we would need is the support between kitchen and living room which would work out much cheaper than I think my initial model would be (and possibly a little more practical too, and possibly more value)
Here is a bit of a prototype of the size of the space we'd have to play with, I think it would be big enough for our needs (not massive amount of worktop space which is something we'd hoped for, but really I think it's enough) and also some space to fit a small table and 4 chairs in front of french doors and means not having to rip out whole of bathroom downstairs.
I think I may take some advice from temple274 too, and instead of building whole bathroom upstairs and trying to readjust windows, I'll just make a small ensuite in top right corner of bedroom 2. I've seen little porthole windows you can get, but equally like temple274 says all I'd really need is adequate ventilation. All in all I think this new plan is better and more cost saving than the original!!
I knew coming here would be a good idea! Thanks all x
temple274