annexe design for a small space

3 years ago

any ideas on an annexe which has been converted from a garage in making it look and feel bigger using a sofa bed at present which is somewhat of a pain at times, any ideas ?

Featured Answer

Sonia

3 years ago

Hi, why don’t you share a picture or two of the room? Then you will get lots of advice of a suitable layout. Also share the dimensions of the room to ensure any suggestions fit. As to Permitted Development you need to have a look on your Planning Depts website where you will find all the information you need. 👍

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Comments (35)

Karenza Roy
3 years ago
dimensions? pictures?
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
Does anyone have an answer to this, I have previously had full planning for Garage removal and building of an annexe, its small far too small 6m x 4m and its hard trying to plan it out to allow my partner who is Disabled to finally have an all level home, can anyone tell me if I am allowed through Permitted Development to add another room to this building, to make it bigger? I keep reading about being allowed and then not being allowed, so has anyone any ideas for this, Thanks
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HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
have a few here the kitchen is the same size as the bathroom and the lounge is the rest of the room with a sofa bed in, all very cramped and does not flow right, any ideas
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
you walk in to the kitchen and lounge showing and then the bathroom is the same size of the kitchen dont have a lot to spend, so any ideas would be great it does not flow right, and so needs to have some ideas ploughed into making it better
Karenza Roy
3 years ago
that's surely larger than 4m by 6m?
the kitchen is extremely dull...only cream and whites... you need to either choose cream or white as they don't mix very well... the kitchen needs a boost of colour whether you paint the walls or the units... and maybe add some plants to bring some life to the place

the colour you add to the kitchen could then be incorporated into the lounge and the house would begin to flow
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
may not have the sizes correct, but its small you could be right to incorporate the colours the same throughout on a budget it was whatever we could afford at the time, so not great, I wanted to have it more open plan flowing, instead of small rooms off a main lounge, the bathroom is far too big, and this is what is making it wrong, just dont seem to get the money together to re design, but will take some advice and do the kitchen another colour maybe then bring the same colour throughout, seems to make sense, Thanks
Karenza Roy
3 years ago
ok... I think using the colour scheme could work well
where's the bedroom?
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
there is no bedroom its a lounge with sofa bed very cramped
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
thats why I wanted to see if we could re design it and put a bedroom in, using permitted development and maybe extending it a small amount then re placing the kitchen into the lounge open plan and using the kitchen as a bedroom
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
its not well planned at the moment and could be a lot better, having a bedroom would be great, a smaller kitchen and bathroom would also work, been on this site looking at ideas, and some lounges which have a kitchen in, are fine, I like open plan anyway
Karenza Roy
3 years ago
in the attached images you can see how others have done it? not sure if helps or not
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you am scouring the website and getting some nice ideas, Thanks again
Kiwikate
3 years ago
If you can draw up a floor plan ( even with pen and paper), then you will get more suggestions for layout.
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
i am sending on a rough idea of the lay out I do not have the funds to go mad, but the Bathroom is too big, and not allowing the flow correctly any ideas
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
This is where I was totally puzzled as to Permitted Development, can I add a small area to the existing Lounge and make this open plan Lounge Kitchen, and then free up the space in the Kirchen to make a single bedroom ? I have seen so many extensions being built, and some have no planning as these new rules seem to allow more building to be done, without bothering the Local Council ??
Wumi
3 years ago
Dimensions?
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
not entirely sure but I would guess at 14ft x 12ft or thereabouts the bathroom is what throws the place out of shape and I would dearly love to add on a bit from the window in the lounge and put the kitchen in there, to free up the kitchen and make this a bedroom
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
the original building of the annexe is fully covered on planning, its just too small to have a bedroom we probably would have had the chance at the beginning to do this, but sadly ran out of funds and made it as workable as we could,
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
adding a small area from the lounge window and swinging the door around to the side, would allow the kitchen area to be re planned as a bedroom and then make the bathroom smaller and a door in the new bedroom internally to get into it, not the best I know but is this allowed as it would only be an area of less than half the original size
Wumi
3 years ago
It would be best to measure the room and post the true measurements of the current layout. You’ll likely get more layout suggestions.

From your images and drawing the space looks bigger than 12ft x 14ft, which be a much squarer room.
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
from the front door which is in the middle of the building its 8ft to the right and 8ft to the left then the depth is 14ft
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
its not so much the room as the way its laid out the bathroom is taking up far too much room and the kitchen is the same size, the lounge is then a good enough size but with a small addition to the front the kitchen could then go in there and free up the space which the kitchen is in at present, we are not able to spend much which is a shame, but want to make it more open plan lounge kitchen and then use the rest of the space for the bedroom bathroom, would it be wrong to add the space and carry on ?
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
the new planning allowance clearly states that not more than half the original building can be added, we would not be adding more than half and are very unsure
Wumi
3 years ago
If you’ve not got much budget left adding on will not be the most cost effect. It may be cheaper to just reconfigure the layout. Have a look a tiny homes or student accommodation for layout options of the space as is. Here is a good example of student housing - https://www.wninteriors.co.uk/wingfield-house-portsmouth

I’ve had a go at trying to everything into the annexe as it stands.
Wumi
3 years ago
*cost effective
Karenza Roy
3 years ago
WUmi's layout looks like a perfect solution for you I'd say HU.. I'd go with it 😇
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
Looks great Thank you moving the kitchen out makes the bedroom and making the bathroom smaller allows for this, Many thanks for your input Great
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
Workable with what we already have, such a good idea Many thanks
Wumi
3 years ago
Just to clarify, when planning say ‘not more than half the original ground area’, it means whatever the total area of land around your house when it was originally built. You can’t take up more than 50% of that ‘original ground area’ with a permitted development extension. Bear in mind any add-ons or extensions added to the house since it was built count towards the 50%.
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
Wumi many thanks for your inputs, very knowledgeable I like the plans you sent through and although the area is tiny its workable, its amazing how much space we need, and how de cluttering and being sensible works, Many thanks
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
having such a small budget is a nightmare, but if I look around and call in some favours, then I am sure this will work, someone told me to look at the interiors of caravans, and get an idea, they certainly know how to work with tiny areas, Thanks again,
Wumi
3 years ago
You’re very welcome! Yes caravans are really good at space saving. You could probably even utilise some caravan fixtures - stove, small cooker to save space.

I follow a series called Never Too Small on YouTube. Some good space saving ideas there too - although what they consider small in Australia is palatial in the Uk!
HU-175894291
Original Author
3 years ago
Amazing ideas, really good, small can be so workable its just getting the colours and the ideas put into place, cant wait to get started as it can look so much better than it does now, someone said to stick to white, but another has suggested using colours, my head is buzzing with ideas, but sadly my purse wont allow, so have to be careful with what I do, Many thanks for all your help the first picture you sent through is just what I want, and so will be going with this I have the kitchen units, and the replacing worktop and getting the plumbing done, is the first thing, then to sort what was the kitchen and make it good for a bedroom by moving things in the bathroom, all go the bathroom was always too big, cant remember why but can take some space from it and make the bedroom liveable, Thanks again
Kiwikate
3 years ago
Great ideas from Wumi. Just to add here is an example of a bedroom with just a curtain to separate from the living room. If you need to have as much space as possible around the bed this might be a way to go.

https://www.houzz.co.uk/hznb/photos/odnushka-dlya-dvoih-contemporary-entrance-moscow-phvw-vp~114496292