1980's Bungalow extension ideas needed

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We have a 1980's bungalow in King's Lynn. We would like to add an additional bedroom to enjoy the view down the garden, a utility room, and extend the main sitting area. We had originally thought, "open plan" and had an architect produce some drawings. Since then we have spent some time living in an open plan apartment, and decided open plan living is too noisy. We now think it would be better, if possible, to incorporate an "orangery" type extension. The back of the house has a long south facing garden.

We are also looking for someone who might like to take on this renovation.

Any ideas, recommendations, or information, very much appreciated.

I have attached the original builders plans, the architects plan, and my plan, with the open plan section removed.

Original floor plan

Architects plan

My plan

Full architects plan with loft extension and showing drains

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Comments (33)

Jonathan
3 years ago
You might consider extending over the driveway and putting the front door on the front- this of course depends on if you have enough parking at the front and if you can build up to this boundary
Martin & Jane . thanked Jonathan
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Kay Moden
3 years ago
Hi,

Are you happy with the hall to bedroom running through the utility area? Also seems to me you're using quite a bit of space only for access - just a thought, but appreciate if you have some site constraints.

Andrei
Martin & Jane . thanked Kay Moden
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I'm usually the one who differs so here goes:- The bungalow layout isn't great. The porch on the front ( presumably a late addition ) looks fairly bad, detracts from the bungalow, prevents having a lovely entrance and more importantly blocks a direct window on bedroom 2, which has no natural light. Therefore, knock it down. This will also give you square footage allowance in hand. If you incorporate the garages into the main block of the house it allows the new bedroom space. You can build a free standing garage elsewhere on the plot, which is more than large enough, and, you already know you're not restricted to building behind the main building line. Change the garden room into a proper pitched room with insulated roof and walls, knock down the lounge wall and add bi-fold doors across the back. This now gets rid of both dated / unattractive additions. Take out the shower room and make it part of the entrance hall. The rest of the plan is pretty much self explanatory and gives you a new larger Master Bedroom with en-suite a large second bedroom and family bathroom and a further bedroom with en-suite ( for guests etc ), which used to be the main bedroom. All the plumbing should be ok, as i made use of positions already in use and back to backed the new ensuite with the old one. However, you always need to get these things checked out by a professional builder / architect,
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I would suggest as others have, a bigger porch, will allow you more storage as well,particularly when it's wet outside. Also, perhaps render or paint the extension and porch to tie them together, but to do the whole thing might be too blocky and monolithic. Do the windows work for you from the inside? You might find that if, for example, you do the porch and extension in white, the windows aren't so obvious. If they don't work for you, look at making them larger and more symmetrical. They seem quite small for the house.
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Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Andrei, very interesting observations, thank you. We agree that it is not an ideal layout. Maybe it would be better to have the utility and toilet in the garage area and use the freed up space for something else? At this stage everything is open to ideas and change.

Martin
rinked
3 years ago
Is that a basement staircase?
rinked
3 years ago
And do you know where the main sewage pipe runs?
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Rinq, I have added some pictures that show the original architects plans, and have marked on the drains. You should also be able to see them on the existing floor plan. The stairs are on the architects plans are for access to a proposed loft extension. We have decided not to have the loft extension,as the costs started to become prohibitive. If we had all the work done as shown on the full architects plans, it probably would have worked out cheaper demolishing and starting afresh.
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Jonathan, thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately it would be impossible to build up to the boundary at the front of the bungalow as our neighbours have their sitting room at the front.
rinked
3 years ago
Have you considered something along these lines?
Martin & Jane . thanked rinked
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hello Rinq

Thanks for the time you spent on this innovative plan. I should have probably put more explanation in the original post. The reason for the extension with the bedroom looking out to the garden, is future proofing for our old age. At this point in time the room may have a spa installed, or be a quiet space with a view (we have a lot of wildlife visit us), but as we get older and less mobile the room would be used for sleeping and resting offering great views.

Thanks again.
rinked
3 years ago
Sounds lovely!
Jonathan
3 years ago
If it were me I would be trying to make the property look wider as it will add value, it seems like houses with a door on the front often sell faster, and since the limited head height upstairs makes these rooms less impressive I would put smaller less used bedrooms upstairs rather than creating one big suite.
Here’s what I would I would be considering
Martin & Jane . thanked Jonathan
Jonathan
3 years ago
With room labels
Martin & Jane . thanked Jonathan
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks Jonathan. I can see now exactly what you meant, when you said put the entrance at the front of the property.
rinked
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Playing with your floorplan some more, nothing too serious. I'm not keen on the traffic lines in your/architect's designs. If it works for you, that's great of course! To get to the bedroom in the back, you'd have to go through dining+kitchen+utility. And the evening sun would be on the bedroom window, am I right?

Not knowing which walls are loadbearing, I tried to keep as many of them as possible. Less demo too. The door next to the ex-garage would be your new front door. All bedrooms are opening to the same hallway, imagine some sun tunnels in there for daylight. Utility has an exterior door, for emergency and perhaps for boots. Could try to squeeze another wc inbetween kitchen and living, but a small breakfast area in the kitchen (and plenty of storage space) would be lovely too. And since you don't always want to open your livingroom garden doors when taking out some trash, I've added a regular sized patio door. Don't forget to add some good sized rainwater-storage next to the extension (or below the terrace), if there isn't any yet.
Martin & Jane . thanked rinked
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Rinq, thanks for your revised plan, we really like some of the ideas you came up with. You and Jonathan have both shown us the potential our bungalow has. Thanks again to you both.
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks everyone for all the ideas. We have thought about what has been suggested and adapted our original plan (see below). Any thoughts?
rinked
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Leave out the dressing area, there's a huge wardrobe in the bedroom already (and plenty of room to move around), more space for the ensuite. And do you really need a bathroom in your utility? Perhaps turn it onto a hallway toilet/shower room? Would be nice to have a loo near the garden, so your don't have to walk all the way through the house.
Martin & Jane . thanked rinked
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for all the ideas, and helping us focus. I have adapted our plans (see below). I am aware that we haven't been particular adventurous, but there are various constants, such as living there whilst the work is carried out, the cost of the works, and preparing for old age.

Any thoughts, ideas appreciated.
jessa61
3 years ago
The biggest issue with your current plan, in my opinion anyway, is the kitchen is a throughfare to other parts of the house. A kitchen doubling as a hallway really isn't ideal particularly if you ever do decide to sell. It can also separate the two halves of your home and make the living space not only disjointed but also mean certain areas go underused. Whilst I can totally see why you've gone with it, in that it will certainly cause the least disruption if you're going to be living there whilst the work is carried out, it doesn't make as good use of the space as either Jonathan's or Rinq's plans. I just worry, that whilst it is easier in the interim, if longterm you'd prefer the other layouts for actually living in. Just my two cents and I could be completely wrong :)
Martin & Jane . thanked jessa61
E D
3 years ago
Ooh, the 1980s... 😊
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Jessa61, I do appreciate your two cents, and I can see what you mean. It's like two houses stuck together, so point taken. With regards to the other plans kindly received. Although we like the feel of Johnathan's plan, there are issues for us. Firstly, access to the garden through the dining and living area and secondly lack of rooms, which are needed for an office and hobby room. Rinq's plan ticks a lot of boxes for us, but the best view out and down the garden is where she has placed the dining living area, that is where we want the bedroom. I don't think there is going to be any one perfect layout, and there will have to be compromises made, it's just deciding what they are going to be. Thanks again to everyone.
jessa61
3 years ago
The biggest issue with your current plan, in my opinion anyway, is the kitchen is a throughfare to other parts of the house. A kitchen doubling as a hallway really isn't ideal particularly if you ever do decide to sell. It can also separate the two halves of your home and make the living space not only disjointed but also mean certain areas go underused. Whilst I can totally see why you've gone with it, in that it will certainly cause the least disruption if you're going to be living there whilst the work is carried out, it doesn't make as good use of the space as either Johnathan's or Rinq's plans. I just worry, that whilst it is easier in the interim, if longterm you'd prefer the other layouts for actually living in. Just my two cents and I could be completely wrong :)
rinked
3 years ago
Why would you NOT want the BEST views from living and dining? Those are the areas you spend time with your eyes open.
Martin & Jane . thanked rinked
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you Rinq and Jonathan, you are both right, we shouldn't compromise the flow, or the view. We just couldn't see a way of doing it, but thanks to your design skills and imagination, you seem to have come up with a plan that works and makes the best use of the space we have. All we have to do is try and find a good builder willing to take the job on. Many thanks.
Sarah
3 years ago
Aside from the other comments, consider the amount of sun you will get in an orangery. I live in Norwich; one of my neighbours has a south-facing conservatory which they cannot use, as it is far too hot in the summer. I have an east-facing garden room (ie fully insulated roof) which I find ideal and use all year. I have a south-facing lounge, study and bedroom - they all get too hot in summer. So much so that I am trying to find a way to install external shutters.

Extension was built 13 years ago. If I was doing it now, I would have bifold doors, but they were still very expensive at the time.
Martin & Jane . thanked Sarah
Rob Williamson
3 years ago
Given the way the climate is changing, I would seriously consider air-conditioning at least one room in the house. Installation costs are around £1,000 - £1,750 per indoor unit, and even if you don't want to do it now, make some allowances for where you could put the compressor unit outside later.
Martin & Jane . thanked Rob Williamson
Sarah
3 years ago
Jonathan's suggested layout looks far more sensible to me - I looked with some horror at that huge wasted space between the kitchen and utility.

Rob has suggested you consider air conditioning - it might be worth finding a consultant on natural ventilation. (Not sure how you find one, but the RIBA might assist, or I can ask my dad, who is a retired architect.)

The one thing I can tell you, having twice had major building work done (and I swore never again after the first one...) is that the more thought you put in up front, the less likely you are to regret design choices and find yourself with costly extra works.

Best of luck!
Martin & Jane . thanked Sarah
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Wise words Sarah. We have been umming and ahhing over what to do with this property for the last 3 years, and are still no further. The designs from Rinq and Johnathan are great, but would be a massive upheaval, and I fear that the costs would be prohibitive. We don't mind the utility and extra bedroom being separate from the main house, it offers privacy when people visit. We will to sleep on it a bit more. Thanks again for your thoughts, also to Rob, A.C. sounds like a good idea.
Rob Williamson
3 years ago
Don't forget to put 240v supply in the bathrooms, in case you want to add a bidet seat later.
Martin & Jane . thanked Rob Williamson
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
Here is an updated plan incorporating some of the ideas from members. Ideally I would like an ensuite in the bedroom at the front of the bungalow, but not sure if it would fit.
Sarah
3 years ago
If you are thinking ahead to wheelchair access to rooms, make sure the doors are wide enough. There is guidance here
Martin & Jane . thanked Sarah
rinked
3 years ago
How are the plans/progress?
Martin & Jane .
Original Author
3 years ago
- Hi Rinq
- We have had to compromise with the design, due to the size of the plot. Work is on the way.
I will add some pictures as the work progresses.

1980's Bungalow extension ideas needed

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