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RenovatingDesign DilemmaKitchens
jane_rockliffe

Loft conversion or kitchen extension

Jane Rockliffe
3 years ago

Hello We are looking for some ideas on what we should do to a house we have just bought. It has 3 bedrooms, one very small, the other two bigger but still not huge. Not even sure we could fit a wardrobe in the master along with our kind size bed. It also has a tiny bathroom and tiny kitchen. Our dilema is, do we do a loft convesion and create a decent sized bedroom and an ensuite but then not have enough money for a kitchen extension or refurb the whole house, do the extension and not do the loft? We could knock through from the kitchen to the living room, but it would be an odd shape I think and not very big for a lounge and kitchen diner. Any clever ideas welcome! Thank you.


Featured Answer
  • keiblem
    3 years ago

    Hello Jane.
    I cannot promise clever ideas but here goes. A loft conversion costs serious money as dos an extension. You have only just bought the house so I would first be inclined give yourselves time to grow into the space and learn how you all use it as a family. I would see if I could work with what I already have with a view to possibly doing major works at a later date.
    You have already explored the option of knocking through from the kitchen into the lounge. This is a good place to start. Cost is dependant on whether or not this is a supporting wall. I notice you have a small inner hall and under stair cupboard. Could you open up these two areas to enlarge the kitchen further? It would increase its size by a third. If you block off access into the kitchen from the hall you would create additional wall space for cupboards. For this to work you would need to move the existing door opening from the hall into the lounge further along the wall towards the front door. Locate the lounge to the front of the house and dining to the rear. It is a long room. You could keep it open plan or divide it with double doors set in a wall. Pocket or bifold would prevent them eating into the space. Or just have two narrow walls either side to visually divide the space. Not an arch, this costs more and you would lose the height which visually shrinks the space.
    Going back to the kitchen. You could block the rear door which would again allow for more wall space for cupboards. With all this wall space you could build a u shaped kitchen facing the dining area. You may have room for an island or peninsula. Double doors from the dining would take you out into the garden. Are you planning to demolish the outside stores? If you do you could install a window in the outside wall into your kitchen.
    Do you currently need the third bedroom? If you don’t and you lack space in the bedrooms for wardrobes then could you turn this bedroom into a walk in wardrobe?
    All these suggestions are relatively low cost in comparison to extensions and loft conversions. They buy you time because as sure as eggs are eggs you will change your mind.

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