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Hi all, bit of advice needed and any suggestions gratefully received. I'm refurbing and extending a 30's semi detached. I'm in a dilemma and need advice on two building options I have. The first would give me three good sized double bedrooms, a smaller box room and a long (3m) but very narrow (1.3m) bathroom. I'm not that bothered about the bathroom as it would contain the essentials no problem but it would be an unconventional shape and could cost me in the future. There is also a good sized downstairs WC and shower room. Second option is extend boxroom, end up with 3 double bedrooms a more conventional bathroom and an undefined room 3X1.3m in size that I will likely end up using as storage. What way would you go? I'm thinking 4 beds is better than 3 and uses all the space but that narrow bathroom is a bit of a worry come resale time.
What are your goals?
Are you just doing it up to sell it on?
Yep what is your aim?
the long narrow bathroom sounds strange, I'd need to see it to be convinced and if I was looking seriously at it then it would need to be a very good design to convince me it was a good idea.
3 Doubles are a good number if you retain a decent practical bathroom upstairs, storage is mostly undervalued but good innovative use would be attractive, can you split the space between 2 of the bedrooms as wardrobes or an en suite?
Personally I'd go for 3 bedrooms and a decent size bathroom. I am not convinced a boxroom adds much value adn a decent bathroom does to me. Your tiny boxroom becomes a walk in wardrobe?
Not everyone needs 4 bedrooms, everyone needs a bathroom. 1 less bedroom will put off far less people than the odd shaped bathroom.
Build what you’ll use rather than what you think you can sell.
Post up your layouts,
I'd say go with a decent sized bathroom. They are expensive to install / change.
If you went for a long thin room, I'd try a see if you could use some of the space for a built in wardrobe or ensuite like mentioned above
Is 3m long for a bathroom?
My bathroom is about 2.4 x 1.2 so its a bit longer than mine but not by much - and our one doesn't seem narrow - it does have a very deep windowsill though as we have 2ft thick walls and that maybe makes it seem less narrow.
How long /narrow it seems is possibly more to do with where your door and window are maybe
I’d go for 3 beds and a good bathroom.
If you do go down the narrow bathroom route ,visit Fleet services for design ideas?
Thanks all. I think you're making sense about the bathroom vs boxroom. Might get both drawn up and see what works
Then again, say nursery instead of box room and you're able to sell to a different demographic
Need a floorplan. Can the long thin room be changed to a couple of en suites? Home office/study? Would need some clever design of course.
I would say that long and thin is quite efficient for a bathroom? Just like it is for a kitchen.
Everything in a bathroom needs wall space.... a squarer room gives you less usable space.
4 beds is "family home" territory, one small bathroom won't fit that criteria. Parking for more than two cars is usually expected too. Just been through the exact same scenario when considering a 4th attic bedroom here, was advised by several agents it wouldn't push up the value to similar 4 beds in the area.
I’ve recently made an en-suite bathroom for my son about the same dimensions as you have for that small room (10’ x 4’). It’s great as an en-suite but I suspect families would find it off putting if it was the sole bathroom
That's a great bit of work Colp!!
I'll add a little more detail. I'm extending the house by adding a two storey extension where the garage was attached to the side of the house. I can only make the first floor 1.5 meters wide internally because I have to be 1m from the boundary. My options are to extend the box room into the extension giving me a 3rd slightly snug double or extend the current bathroom/loo into the extension giving a 3rd good sized double and move the bathroom into the new extension. It would be around 3.5m x 1.5m + there will be a second bathroom downstairs too.
Ive seen some pretty cool designs online like this
3 bedrooms and a better bathroom - ignore the importance a decent bathroom at your peril come resale time.
Additionally can you not make the small extra room (undefined room 3X1.3m) into an en-suite for one of the bedrooms - that would add much more value.
Haven't seen your reply to the purpose of the work - are you living there long term and if so how many bedrooms do YOU need. IMO why worry about long term value when you may spend the next 10/20/30 years using the space yourself.
If you ever plan to work from home then that box room sounds like office material to me...or playstation room