Extension help!
Hi,
We're doing an extension mostly to improve the upstairs (our current family bathroom is tiny and there is no real master bedroom) but I'm still not convinced about the layout downstairs, especially the kitchen. The existing ground floor also has a conservatory in the space where the extension will go and we have dining table and a sofa in there.
The door in the new kitchen is for bin access without having to take it all through the house and the big doors are bifolds to the garden. We currently have the fridge in the utility area but would move that into the kitchen. I'm worried that it'll feel like we have less kitchen than we do now!
Are there any other obvious problems I can't see?
Thanks
Comments (8)
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4 years agoCatherine E
4 years agoThanks for replying
The front of the house is the left side of the pictures above and faces NE so currently the living room is fairly dark during the day and doesn't have a nice view, just the back wall of another house.
it is a bit of a weird plot in that most of our garden is currently to the side of the house. The photo below shows the plot and the current conservatory and a garage which we'd get rid of. The green blob is where we currently park but the start of the access is technically a part of the road so we could get blocked in. We were thinking of moving the drive to the 'side garden' so that we'd have more at the back but it really is an awkward space all round! We do have to have the bins at the front somewhere because the flats next to us get theirs collected at different times...
I'll try to dig out dimensions!
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floor plan / extension help for first home
Comments (6)Don’t actually know measurements but here’s some more pics of the side. I did consider that idea but to be honest I think I’d prefer to keep the kitchen where it is as it’s nice to look out to the garden while cooking! We can still see the view through from the dining room too. Perhaps if money were no object.. but I imagine moving all the piping etc will be a lot more expensive (?!), not sure of budget yet but am thinking through different options and considering the value it will add to our lives and potential added resale value in a few years or so. Also because of dogs it’s quite handy to have separate kitchen - we have it blocked off with a dog gate atm but I love those sliding wooden doors you see on Houzz. Basically am wondering if the cost of an extension is worth the hassle, originally that was our plan but now we’re in it I don’t think we would actually get that much extra space! At the moment the dryer is in the dining room (where the desk is in the photo) and there’s no dishwasher so that’s the main issue. If we could move the sink to RH and add in double/ sliding doors, fit a slimline dishwasher where the bin is in the photo on the LH side and perhaps squeeze in the dryer too somehow then perhaps extension not needed. Unless a conservatory would be a good option... (Alternatively was thinking about getting custom built cupboard around the dryer in dining room and get the washing machine installed on top, to free up space for dishwasher in kitchen...)...See MoreExtension help!
Comments (2)I like your plan. I would make a throughway from the house to the kitchen rather than through the proposed porch. I’d also make sure to invest in some sound insulation on the laundry/study wall. Nothing like the whine of a washing machine spin when you’re trying to concentrate... I’m assuming your garage has a concrete floor and will need insulating (as will the walls and roof) to bring it up to building regs. Insulation, vapour membrane, boarded subfloor or screed, plus your final floor finishing will raise your floor level. If it is concrete I would also investigate whether there’s a DPM, especially with it being lower than the main house....See MorePlanning for kitchen extension help please ? Area use help / design
Comments (3)Hi, I am a lighting designer if you need help designing a scheme and specifying fittings. Kind regards, Katie...See MoreKitchen extension help!
Comments (7)How far out would the extension go? Doesn't look like very much, but you'd also need to consider where you "land" when you go out of the bifold doors - would you want a terrace at that level? It's certainly not impossible but would require new retaining walls to be built in order to provide the firm footings for the extension and terrace, plus you'd need to think about steps down to the lawn which would be a substantially bigger drop than before. If there's no side access, the groundworks would be tricky as there's nowhere to get a digger in - but perhaps there is access? I'd get an architect round for an initial consultation to see what's possible. Also not sure what width you have and whether that's enough for a run of units, island and dining table - do you know what the width measurement is? Bear in mind you'll need about 600mm for the run, 1000mm (ish) for a gap, 900mm (ish) for an island though it could be a skinny one at 600mm, then possibly 3500mm for dining table and chairs which you can walk around on both sides - so that's about 5700mm minimum if I've done my sums right (though a bench arrangement on one side can minimise the dining space. I seem to remember that @rinked has some handy measurements for minimum sizes of tables & chairs.) But an island is not the be-all-and-end-all of a lovely kitchen - you may be able to create something you love with runs of units and a dining table in the middle. BTW I don't think the garage is actually there, is it? It's just that it's put there on the estate agent's drawing and has stayed on your drawing by accident?...See MoreCatherine E
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
Jonathan
4 years agoPersonally I think the garden size will always limit the resale of this house as a big 4 bed.
If it were mine I would be trying to get planning permission for an additional 2/3 bedroom house on the plot and then build the house if you can or sell the lot.
Catherine E thanked JonathanJonathan
4 years agoIf you do decide to stay put I think your plan can be improved. Personally I think that if you extend your lounge will then become too small for the house-especially as it has to be a cut through to the other rooms.
So I offer an alternative
Catherine E thanked JonathanCatherine E
4 years ago
Danny Jay
4 years ago
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