Office/Guestroom: Shame about the two doors in the study/guest. If you got rid of the vestibule and made into a pantry for the kitchen and then made a pocket door from the guestroom to an expanded WC/shower-room, could you have the door to the hallway? A pocket door would mean you don't need to account for the door swinging into the room and as it's in the extension there should be a cavity for it to slide into. Would that make space enough to have the double bed and a desk? Then put the desk in the corner under the window and the bed on the wall that meets the hallway? Would the pullout daybed not work - when needed it becomes a double, but when not it's just a single? You could also look at a trestle desk that can be stored away when you've got guests and a wallbed for when it's an office. I seem very determined for you to have a door from the hall to the study :) Kitchen:- Do you need the table in the kitchen? Could you not have a peninsula with cupboards underneath and seating around, kind of like a breakfast bar? That might kill two birds with one stone - increase the worktop space and provide an in-kitchen dining area. Using the vestibule as a pantry would increase the storage space - it could be for food or for equipment you don't use often. Downstairs WC:- Is there scope to having the WC under the stairs? Would that help with more space for the guest room and kitchen? You might end up with more wall space in the kitchen to have units, and countertop, against. Anything in the understairs could find a home in broom units in the kitchen.

Hi Matt, Your side extension project sounds like a fantastic opportunity to transform your home! Here are some ideas and considerations for making the most of the space: 1. Optimising the Layout Kitchen-Diner: Placing this in the new extension would maximise natural light. Incorporating bi-fold or sliding doors to the garden creates a seamless indoor-outdoor connection, making the space feel even larger. Lounge: Retain this as a separate, cosy area, perhaps at the front or slightly towards the garden to maintain a sense of enclosure and relaxation. Office: A compact office could work well at the front of the house or tucked into a quieter corner. Consider glass partitions or pocket doors to keep the space open and flexible. 2. Boiler Relocation Relocating the boiler could increase costs depending on how far it needs to move, but keeping it in the current central location and integrating it into a cupboard in the new design could minimise disruption. 3. Garden Access Since you’d like to maintain garden access, make sure the extension incorporates a side door or keeps a clear path along the house. A well-thought-out landscaping plan can enhance this access without compromising the design. 4. Architectural Considerations At 2.5m width, the extension could feel narrow, but features like skylights, clerestory windows, or a vaulted ceiling can make the space feel brighter and more spacious. This sounds like an exciting project with lots of potential! Let us know if you’d like further help developing the layout or planning the finer details. Good luck with your extension!

Your extension looks great! Your layout has a nice open feel and good flow, but a few small tweaks might help: Fridge Placement – It feels a bit tucked away; moving it closer to the cooking area could improve efficiency. Island Seating – If space allows, making it deeper would create a more comfortable spot for family and guests. Storage – A pantry cupboard or extra drawers in the island could be useful for a family of four. Zoning – Different lighting or slight material changes can subtly separate the kitchen from dining/living spaces. Overall, it’s a solid design just some ideas to fine-tune it!

You may need an architect to help you. The design that has been sent to you in red maximises space without any consideration for the overall visual look of the house. It is difficult to plan a space without a full look at the surroundings including street aesthetic. If you want to limit the expenses on design, you could just ask for a design sketch with some massing details. This will set you up in a good place to work out the interior. I think it would be a mistake to just go for the biggest footprint without looking at how this sits on the site. It may well be the right solution for the large footprint, but you need to look at this with a balanced approach. If you have some photos of the main elevation and side, it would help in design. One thing that you should consider is how services are fed into your current home. Check drainage paths as often these are shared and may impact neighbours , which makes moving them to suit a big extension more difficult and costly. Electrical and gas supplies are equally a challenge,so try to get an understanding of these when enbarking on a project to ensure you dont waste huge chunks of cash on moving around services. They dont add value to your home and ultimately reduce the amount of nice to haves from a budget.