How do we improve the ground floor on a tight budget
If you had £5k, what would you do to improve the use/flow/layout of the downstairs of this house? We need to keep the toilet, but don't need the shower. Where the utility/shower room is would have the best views of the garden. Also worth noting that this part of the house is a 90s single storey extension.
Wish list would obviously be to do a side return extension, but we don't have the money. Can anything transformative be done with such little money? Garden views/access, mini boot room, breakfast nook etc?? Move part of kitchen to discuss dining room or into the utility space. Any lightbulb moments from anyone reading this. Please share!
Comments (16)
Rhian Foley
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Help with the exterior of a 60's house - Tight budget
Comments (12)I would agree with the previous comments and suggest the following; 1. If DIY confident pick a nice masonry paint colour ( fan of Dulux cobblestone) and paint house brick front and side including side of steps. Paint railings. 2. Purchase two/three garden trellis and cut to size, paint with same colour masonry paint and place around step structure. Plant a few evergreen creepers in front to soften and add colour. 3. Dig a planting area perpendicular to house along driveway from trellis to front entrance and plant with a low evergreen hedge such as box hedging or a mix of box with grasses. 4. Repair lawn. 5. Cut and shape plant/hedge at bend in of garden or remove entirely if in bad shape. Budget of £300 - £500. Best of luck!!...See MoreHow can we improve the look of our new shed / summer house / bbq area
Comments (21)If you feeling brave, dark stains such as black look stunning and help the building to visually recede against the backdrop of vegetation. It's the tradition finish for agriculture buildings and has a very contemporary look. I'd contrast it with a pale grey deck or beige gravel or stone if you want something warmer. The building needs grounding in its setting, ie. connect it with a path and some planting to prevent it looking like it's been dropped from space! It's going to be a great facility to have in the garden....See MoreImprove ground floor layout - Victorian House
Comments (20)Just a thought! For your first floor if you wanted to then it looks like there might be potential to create a more central bathroom on the landing and make the current bathroom, or part of it, into an ensuite for the back bedroom (number 3 on the plan). Not sure if a bedroom with ensuite and an extra bathroom is something you'd like to have, but it looks like this might be an option. Useful if you want a guest bedroom with an ensuite, or have teenage children who spend ages in the bathroom! I imagine you have the front bedroom as the masterbedroom, and it doesn't look so possible to create an ensuite for that room without taking space off the bedroom. Might be something worth considering. Having an ensuite is the second most frequently requested alteration that I get asked for. It would be worth asking your estate agent if doing this would improve the potential resale value of your home - if this is something you're interested in....See MoreNew kitchen lower ground floor of victorian house.. what do you think?
Comments (15)I don't really understand the "walk through cupboard into larder space". The plan just shows storage either side, would you not be better just having a wide larder unit? Agree with Jonathan re range and integrating fridge. Only on the assumption you won't be using both dishwashers at the same time, I might swap the one in the corner with the bin (so you're not dripping mess on the floor and DW's in corners are trickier as you can only stand to one side to stack etc) and move the other DW to the island but also swap the side of the drawers. It would be a major trip hazard though if you do use at the same time :) Given you have 2 DW's do you need an extra fridge in the utility? something like Little Greene French grey/pale may work for units, which is a Victorian paint colour. You could have oak on the island although it's obviously not as practical as Quartz etc. i think a butlers sink would also be more in keeping?...See More
Tani H-S
3 years agoTani H-S
3 years agoThis area here. Is there enough room to put doors in and have a small sofa/tub chairs to the left so you can sit there when it's sunny etc and have the doors open?
It's not major works if there is room but it would give you that feeling of being open to the garden until you can afford to extend or do major works.
keiblem
3 years agokeiblem
3 years ago
CWD
3 years agoRhian Foley
3 years agoTani H-S
3 years agoRhian Foley
3 years agoRhian Foley
3 years agokeiblem
3 years ago
Emma
3 years agoRhian Foley
3 years agoI'm getting quite excited at the prospect of doors there now. I think it will make all the difference in making the house connect better with the garden. One last question. There is a small amount of wall that will be left between the door and the kitchen door. If we remove this to make the dining room feel more connected to the kitchen then I assume it will need to be supported. It is thick wall. Would we need a structural engineer for a small bit of wall like this? And any idea on ££ for this extra bit of work?
keiblem
3 years ago
Su L
3 years agoI'm not sure how much you could do of my ideas, but... 1. Like many others I'd change that large window in the dining room for french doors, without going sideways, the radiator could be moved to the narrow bit of wall to the right (or both sides), Reina do some lovely and inexpensive narrow radiators, we put in 2 x 20cm ones either side of our french doors. 2. Do you use the door between the dining room and kitchen? If not it is amazing how much space you get if you take off the architrave and wood door framing, you gain about 10+cm of width which feels like so much more, it looks like the kitchen ceiling is already at that door height so no options to open out above the current door frame. 3. Then if you don't use the shower, and the tiling looks nice so why not move the washing machine/dryer into that space, and put another door into the wall at the end of the utility. This room may be bigger than what you have but you get the idea, you look like you have space down one side of your utility for storage. If you do this then you'd probably need to change the toilet door for a sliding door of some type. Have fun!
keiblem