Layout help please!

4 years ago

Hey all, first time posting here and was wondering if you could help please. Just bought a house and before we move in we will be getting rid of the (very old) conservatory and building an extension. Then the plan is to have a big kitchen diner going from the current dining room to the new extension. Only problem we’re having is that the stairs are in a really awkward place and don’t particularly want them to be in the kitchen. The plan is to eventually then extend out the other side but that will be in 4+ years when we have some money. Can anyone come up with an idea of how we could have the layout? We want to have a big open plan kitchen dining area that goes out to the garden. Thanks in advance :)

Featured Answer

Maths Wife

4 years ago

I completely agree with Jonathan and Rinq. You need to have a whole project plan in place before doing anything at all.

If you don't have funds now to do the project as a whole, I would wait. Doing things in stages, invariably in my experience, does not go so well. However, it's your house, and you must do what's right for you.

However, I think the whole of downstairs needs a re-jig. The room on the left is very narrow towards the front door end, and, judging by the walls is not the original layout.

Shutting the stairs in is easy and removes them from the back room.

I would not extend where the conservatory is. I would however, knock it down.

Extending on the opposite side to the current kitchen is a good idea, but moving the kitchen back to where the dining room is , is also a good idea.

I would wait and do something more like this, which flows better and creates a good usable layout with light right the way through the downstairs and a good entrance, in to a great space at the rear :-

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Comments (24)

Jonathan
4 years ago
I think you need to decide on the eventual layout even if you don’t do most of it for four years.
Please post the full plan including upstairs and your expectations for ideas from the forum and perhaps you can get some ideas for the whole plan
rinked
4 years ago
Yes, a layout of all floors would help. And how is your plot situated (perhaps a google earth screenshot)? Because I see your family room also has french doors.
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PRO
Projection Architects
4 years ago
I think in any case it would be a good idea to create a more squared space, kind of open plan, even if you don't do the extension to the side in the future. The problem is that the toilet and kitchen are just in the middle. The area at the end (conservatory) is separate from the rest by that those two spaces and I assume it is not very practical. I would put the kitchen and the toilet either on the left hand side of the house or at the very end, where the conservatory is.

Also, I would enclose the staircase, even if it means to reduce the size of the dining room. Anyway, once you change the layout, BC will not allow you to have the kitchen connected to the staircase because of fire regs.

Hope it helps.
rinked
4 years ago
Will extension part 2 involve moving the staircase?

Better prepare for the whole build and chop it into two or more projects, so you know where the beds and baths would go, for plumbing, staircase, loadbearing, et.

Also because 330cm isn't a whole lot to make a spacious kitchen diner island etc.

(lenghtwise:330w-60c-100a-90i=80a) (sideways:330w-90a-90a=150i)
PRO
Projection Architects
4 years ago
If your budget allows it then move the staircase at the same time, having in mind the future extension, although it all will depend on the first floor layout. Maybe there are not so many possibilities upstairs. Also, the staircase has to be connected directly to the entrance and front door, it cannot be opened to the kitchen, due to fire risk.
Leigh
Original Author
4 years ago
Amazing thank you! I love this last layout! I think you’re all right, I think maybe we won’t do any renovations until we can afford to do it all. Upstairs layout is ok, the only issue being that the top of the stairs sort of end right outside the entrance to one of the rooms. Not sure that makes sense! I will post a floor plan of upstairs anyway. The rooms upstairs are fairly big. The bathroom will get done eventually but it’s not a priority as it isn’t too bad!
Leigh
Original Author
4 years ago
Jonathan
4 years ago
Possible layout with extension
Maths Wife
4 years ago
Possible tweak amongst others for upstairs:-

However, before moving just the doors, remember that you have a room downstairs at the back that's extended. I'd consider extending over the top of that to make four bedrooms.

One possible scenario might be something like this:-

There are lots of possibilities with the house, so it may well be worth making an appointment with a Concept Planner.........there are lots on here. They can help you come up with a long term plan that will work. By spending a few hundred pounds now and getting the plan right, it will probably save you hundreds in the future by cutting out costly mistakes and having to do things twice.
PRO
MALLETT
4 years ago
I agree with the above comments and think that a good plan of what you want to achieve in the long run and splitting it down into 2 separate projects is a very good idea. Maybe worth looking into hiding the stairs if you don't have the budget to move them. I've seen some very clever concepts with having them in a built in joinery cupboard and access them through a door.
Leigh
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks everyone, think we will be definitely be doing the stairs and downstairs extension first and then it may just be a case of waiting to get the rooms done as and when we can afford it. As long as we have the shell in place. We will try and do some of it ourselves as well to save some cash. My husband and his friend can do the footings etc
Jonathan
4 years ago
Where are you planning moving the stairs?
Leigh
Original Author
4 years ago
I won’t be moving the stairs, the plan is to put in a new staircase that turns 180 degrees so the bottom of the staircase will be in the hallway. Like the attached photo...
Jonathan
4 years ago
Isn’t that going to take 3’ off one of the bedrooms above?
rinked
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
So essentially you're doing this upstairs?
rinked
4 years ago
Why not simply do this?
Maths Wife
4 years ago
Rinq is right, why move stairs, very disruptive. It's far easier to move the stud walls, plus you don't spoil the storage and therefore the potential for an En-Suite in the future.

Also, you would be moving the bottom of the stairs nearer to the Chimney stack and changing the fact that the stack is central across the wall.

If you want to move the stairs, move them over to the left of the house and utilise the narrow sitting room. Move the boiler to the kitchen or Utility. You then leave the upstairs as a blank canvas for a future En-Suite or to extend over the existing kitchen.

Plus you get a larger family room.
Jonathan
4 years ago
I think moving the stairs will cost the nearly same as reworking them at the bottom. MATHS wife is right that you need a plan that doesn’t just create a new problem when sorting the first one.
How much room is available to extend to the side? Personally I think this should be where you are looking to extend for several reasons- wide houses have more presence and are worth more. It would be easy to have extra bedrooms near the end of the upstairs landing- it’s not so easy to build bedrooms at the back beyond your current master bedroom. And if there are no doors on the side you are probably not using the space at the side but you do benefit from the rear garden so it’s a shame to make that smaller.
Jonathan
4 years ago
One possibility without extending
Leigh
Original Author
4 years ago
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Thanks for the comments. The house is semi detached and there is only a small amount of space down the side of the house so extending to the side isn’t an option unfortunately. Also, I have been told that moving the stairs will cost a fortune and we don’t really have the budget for that.

The storage that you see in the master bedroom isn’t as big as it looks either. I’ve attached a picture of the stairs as they are currently. The fireplace is along the wall where the stairs end, maybe about 2 metres (maybe more).

Any other ideas? This floorplan is driving me crazy! I do appreciate all your help
Leigh
Original Author
4 years ago
rinked
4 years ago
Extending is expensive too. So is removing loadbearing walls. Don't be scared of the cost of moving a staircase that's in the wrong position (I wonder, is it really?), as it will benefit your future plans.
rinked
4 years ago
Perhaps even move the kitchen-dining to the sitting room and make the old kitchen a utility. Even though there would be quite a few door in your living room.. And do you really need a family room ànd living room? Concept planning might be your answer. Spend some money on good plans, chop them up into projects and create the best of this house. This will mean working with the bones of the house. If it's not ideal for you, this might not be THE house. If everything else is right (location, garden, etc), some concessions might be required. ;)