Help with our floorplan and extension!!!
Hey everyone,
My partner and I have been long planning and saving to renovate our 2-bed semi-detached bungalow and turn it into a family home with a social kitchen, a laundry area, better access to the rear garden and a place to store coats/shoes etc as you come in! We look to cook and entertain, and we are keen DIY'ers happy to get stuck in too!
We live in the UK and finally managed to get our extension through planning permission but in the time it has taken to do this, the quotes to do the extension are over double and we can't afford it! We are now trying to come up with alternative ideas! Below, in orange, you can see the shell we have approved and in grey the original house/walls. Originally we were going to knock the current kitchen into the extension to create one big room, with a separate area as you come in for a bench, hidden laundry area, tiny toilet and additional storage but the RSJ's to do this are too much so we are looking for other ideas! We have had one but I would love to hear others first! This has been almost a year of trying to figure out what to do now but have never tried online advice before!
Any help, ideas or advice is SOOOOO appreciated! I have given more details below for more context (if helpful!). Happy to rejig floor plans, or if needed go back to planning! We have a good-sized front garden too (on a slope!)
Thank you <3
Approved shell extending our the front
Current Floor Plan
It is a split-level semi-detached bungalow (attached on the right) with 7 steps between the lounge and bedroom area. We have a garage on the left which is not connected to the house (to the left of the MH cover) and that gap between the garage and the house is the only access to our garden. The garden is on a slope and is already 1.5M higher than the ground floor in the bedrooms and goes up so extending to the rear was never really an option. We don't use the garage (its only 2.4m wide), but we already have separate parking, and a shed for tools etc. The idea was to use this space to make the social kitchen we want then add bedrooms using a loft conversion.
Approved loft conversion:
We are blessed with great views at the front and back and can only have a front dormer due to roof heights at the back (it's too low). This is what we have approved for the loft. Adding two bedrooms, a bathroom, some storage as you come up and then a huge amount of eaves storage. In blue in Bedroom 4 is a little balcony (2.7 x 1.3m).
Comments (9)
Rhiannon A
3 months agoThanks for replying!!! Just to note, we have not started any building works and the walls with the orange outline have not been built or anything yet!
House Facing: The house is west-facing. The sun rises behind the back garden, goes around the right of the property and sets at the front of the house.
Going out the back: We have spent the last few years renovating the garden into a split-level design to address the slope, which are still trying to finish in our spare time and I just don't think flipping the extension to the back would work. We don't use the front garden (10m), or the side (3m to fence) where the garage is, which was why we decided to go out the side/front.
I quickly took this photo of the garden just now from Bedroom 2 (as I said we haven't finished and it needs post-winter paint but you get the idea of what we are trying to do!).
We were wondering if there was a way to reorganise the floorplan that we have not seen or keep some of the structural parts of the original kitchen wall so the RSJ's aren't as large. Or if going out the back is best what to do!
We do have a budget to renovate and extend, and we will do stuff ourselves to keep some costs down but the steels to go across that room to support the new loft conversion and roof were around £20k!
Thanks!Related Discussions
New Floorplan Help! Extension Renovation
Comments (10)Hi there, As has been discussed by others above, there are 3 main options for this house: 1. Loft conversion. 2. Double storey extension 3. Single storey extension + rejigging. In my opinion, all three options would require thought about the staircases position. My first bit of advise is that you think about your priorities as these will dictate your decision around primarily whether you are wanting to take on the project and buy the house. Firstly regardless of which option you choose, I would immediately suggest that you move the stairs and try to get a straighter run without the half landing as this will free up more usable space on each level. Accessing the stairs from the current dining room (see sketch) would be a great way to free up space in the current stair area for either storage or even to be used as a desk area. Maintaining the opening between the hallway and stairs and using reinforced glass to enclose the staircase with shoe storage underneath would be a very contemporary look. My proposal would be to do a contemporary refurbishment comprising both a single storey extension and loft conversion (loft conversion could be a later addition should budget not allow for at first) however if you are prioritizing the number of bedrooms then I would say that the priority should be a loft conversion. With two dormers, this could deliver an extra 2 bedrooms (or 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom) in the loft space either side of the new staircase. On the first floor, converting the back bedroom into a bathroom accessed along a new landing through the second bedroom would be beneficial, removal of the chimney breast here would be a good idea too. On the ground floor, making the bathroom into a smaller wetroom/utility with stacked washing machine and tumble dryer and opening up the kitchen and dining room through to provide access out to the garden with rooflights fitted to bring more light into a very bright kitchen living room. Of course the look that you want might be more traditional and this could still be achieved but this open plan space would be a huge improvement to the current layout. Best of luck!...See MoreBungalow extension floor plan help
Comments (7)I think you kinda have to move the kitchen. Firstly an extra bedroom can’t go in the side extension as it’s not wide enough - and if you put it in the rear extension then there is a concern that you will get to it though the lounge. I like the kitchen being through the lounge as it means you can have a kitchen roof lantern and the lounge will borrow some light too. As far as the logistics of moving the kitchen- firstly you were going to have the new space built so the plumbing and electrics can be included with the build. Secondly if you take an existing kitchen and put it in a bigger room it won’t fit. At the very least you may have to buy new worktops. A brand new kitchen might challenge the budget but there are bargains to be had on used kitchen specialist websites....See MoreAdvice on improving 1930s floorplan please (without an extension!)
Comments (13)Hi. I like the suggestions already here, but, for what it's worth, I have a few thoughts to add too… I think your priority should be removing the angled walls between the hallway, family room and utility spaces as well as those between your existing kitchen and family room. These little walls divide up your space into pieces that just don't work - they create an incredible loss of useable space. Personally, I would leave the access to the kitchen/ diner from the hallway completely open. I.e. I have no doors/ walls to this space from the hall. This gives a lovely long-line of sight from your front door all the way to the back of the garden and will allow all the beautiful sunlight from your back garden to flow right through your home. If you would prefer to close off this space from the hall, I would consider putting the door in line with the back wall of the sitting room. This will give you nice square walls/ spaces to work with. Now that you have good usable space, you can pick and choose how to use your budget to improve it. In my opinion, the following suggestions would really transform your space and how you access/ use it: As you like to entertain, I would consider moving the wood-burner to the back room (currently your kitchen) and turn your current kitchen into your family room - It’s in a great position to enjoy the garden and a great size for a snug. The wood-burner would become a great feature in this space. Once the wood burner has moved here, the current family room could then be converted into a wonderful kitchen/ diner, perfect for entertaining. The left hand side of this room would make a perfect gallery kitchen. I would forgo an island in favour of an extra-long and hardworking dining table – the space may even accommodate one that seats 10!This long table would become the heart of your home - somewhere you can prep meals, have a casual natter with friends over a cup of tea, help the kids with their homework AND put on extravagant dinners. To enhance the space, consider creating a doorway between the existing family room and back garden – this area of the garden would be a great place for some outdoor seating/ dining by the way - You can then enjoy the simple pleasure of stepping out of your kitchen to enjoy your morning cup of coffee as your mood takes you. It will also extend the possibilities of entertaining to the outside. Transform your new family living space by creating doorways between the existing kitchen and back garden. I would encourage you to open up both walls as much as possible –blur the lines between the inside and out. This allows you to extend your family space to the garden and will flood your downstairs space with light. You have a variety of options available to you as to how you might achieve this – bi-folds, French doors or sliding doors are all great options, but you could stretch to fully retractable walls of glass - if your budget allows! Given its position, your new family room will feel like a well-lit sun room most of the year. Its size and position, away from the central spaces of your house, also makes it a great place for a snug – even more reason to reposition your fire burning stove here! To finish off the room, place a good sectional sofa along the boundary walls to cosy up on and dot with occasional tables. Explore options for floor to ceiling blinds/ curtains to draw over your new expansive windows, so that the room can easily transform from day room to cosy retreat at night. Play up the textures, rugs, cushions and upholstery in this room so it invites you to snuggle up. Adding a lightweight, sheer layer to the window treatments might be a nice addition for the summer - allowing you to open the doors to get air in, but shield from the sun. If you have also opened your new kitchen to the garden, your new kitchen/ diner will now connect to the family/snug via the outside too. This means you have a warm cosy space to retreat to from the garden when the cooler evening temperatures set in, and can just as easily pop into get some extra ice, for example, without having to break up the party. There are some changes you might want to do to enhance the practicality of day to day life too. If you were to create a doorway to the utility space from your new kitchen/ diner via the space under the stairs, for example, you would be able to access the utility without having to go through the shower room! If you like clean lines – consider concealing the entrance to the utility by running a long line of fitted floor to ceiling* storage unitsalong this right hand wall and across the utility room doorway. Keep the units in line with the width of the stairs so that you have an unbroken view down from the hall and really great storage! Most homes can never have enough storage, however, if storage isn’t your concern, you could also use the space to house an American-style fridge/freezer, home office space or even a wine fridge – handy for when entertaining and conveniently located for you to stop off at, on your way to the snug. *I suggest floor to ceiling cabinetry, as I would consider blocking up the window here - it doesn’t appear to have any great view, has limited light exposure (it is surrounded by buildings on all 4-sides) and its north westerly light anyway. In our home it would better serve as a giant wall of storage, however, you can keep the window if you want by having upper and lower cabinets and building in some worktop space. If after the above, you can stretch an extra few hundred pounds, you may want to create a doorway between the sitting room and new kitchen/ diner: Placing doors in between these two rooms gives you the flexibility of opening up the space for entertaining, and/ or keeping the spaces separate when you want to keep things cosy/ formal or just keeping the mess in your kitchen from view! Imagine opening them up as you invite guests seated in your sitting room over to your table… or opening them from the kitchen to retreat back to the sitting room for a nightcap. Make the opening extra wide/ tall to create drama. Keeping the opening wide will also be great for parties. When your doors are fully open, the two rooms will join seamlessly, providing good natural flow/ circulation space through your home - guests can socialise and move throughout the downstairs - not be stuck in different rooms - much more sociable! I don't see much value in reconfiguring the shower room/ utility spaces. It is definitely handy to have a downstairs loo in a family home. So only consider the expense of changing these if you wanted to make space for an office, as someone has suggested. However, you could block off the doorway from the shower room to the utility if you have opened this up from the understair and don’t like the idea of being on the loo and having to ensure both doors are locked!...See MoreExtension Floor plan advice please
Comments (1)One option...See More
Isla Cherry
3 months agoRhiannon A
3 months agoThe original design is one big open room and its not possible to do in stages. I didn't attach this initially as its quite hectic to look at with all the lines and colours. But you can see the original walls and garage in orange that have been removed and then the proposed idea.
As the front garden is also on a slope, and with adding the loft conversion above the original footprint at the front (the only place it is possible), if we want to remove all of those original kitchen walls it needs these very large RSJ's. So were looking, hopefully, for some ideas where we can re-jig the layout of the floorplan, or utilise this L shape extension we have approved differently! I do have an idea for a broken plan layout that could work but rather than get feedback on that, I wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas that are different to what we have had without being led by that. We want to create a social cooking space but a large open room is not essential for us! Just somewhere to socialise and cook!
Does that make sense? Basically, can we do anything differently to re-jig the layout or utilise the shell of the extension differently so we are not removing all of that kitchen wall.
Many Thanks!
pauldrowan
3 months agoWould leaving these portions of existing structural walls help? (Are end of the peninsula & where the new WC would be) It makes the WC/laundry smaller so could the laundry relocate to the airing cupboard? Or into the kitchen? It should reduce the spans required for steels and thus, I believe, reduce the depth required too resulting in reduced cost 🤞🏼
Rhiannon A thanked pauldrowanRhiannon A
3 months agoInteresting idea there Jonathan! Thanks will talk that through with my partner! Although we have great views at the front too so its great if we can still look out and watch the sunsets over the hills!
Dee - We also really liked it! We had 6 quotes and based on house prices falling, and the building costs going up over lockdown etc and not coming down, the cost to do both the loft and downstairs is more than it would probably be worth! We also live in the south-east. We are already looking at doing it in two stages, downstairs now, and then loft when we remortage. So great minds!
pauldrowan - Yeah, this is along the lines of what a builder suggested and what we have been trying to do, another toilet is not essential so it's not the end of the world if we lose this!
This is the idea that I had. Leaning much more into a broken plan idea, and blocking the original lounge off for a private lounge, maybe using under the stairs for a small WC... Then I can still get additional storage in the entrance hall and my bench! Then in the extension, we would create a 'butler pantry' type space. This would mean that the corner of the original house would sit on the upper right corner of this butler's pantry space so we don't need this huge RSJ's as they can sit on the corner of the original footprint (if that makes sense). In here can be a utility come pantry, then we would have a banquet seating type area come off the kitchen peninsula island which had a wonderful outlook out front.
rinked
3 months agoSomething different: A 2.5m side extension, an enclosed porch and kitchen moved.
No utility space, but with a second bathroom upstairs, consider removing the bathtub (small shower perhaps?) The hallway storage space in the drawing is 75x115cm and next to the stairs is 90x150cm (wc?). Fire regulations would likely require you adding a kitchen door because of the staircase, so i went ahead and created a hallway, once the loft is on, it's more energy efficient anyway. The kitchen has its corner under the stairs, from left to right: fridge, oven, a 30cm pullout larder unit, corner lemans, sink, dishwasher, carrousel corner, hob on drawers, 30cm pullout for bottles.
Rhiannon A thanked rinked
Jonathan