5 bed-change to a 4 bed or 3 bed?

TheWiz17 · 18 March 2017 at 4:30PM

Good Afternoon,

Wanted some ideas/advice on changes I'd like to make to my property.

- Currently a 5 bedroom 1 bathroom terrace house
- Basement:Cellar
- Ground floor :living/dining and kitchen
- First floor :bathroom(3/4 bath), double bedroom x2 and box room x1
-Second floor: double bedroom x1 and single room x1

Option 1:
The bathroom and box room are next door to each other so thinking to knock through the room and make it a 4 bed 1 (big) bathroom with a full sized bath and shower.

Option 2:
Option 1 + knock through second floor rooms creating a large loft room with ensuite so the house will consist of 3 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

We want the most cost effective option whilst trying to add value.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts and maybe an alternative to the above options.

Thanks in advance

TheWiz

Doozergirl · 18 March 2017 at 4:36PM

En-suite!

Much better to have two bathrooms than one big one.

But also better to have 4 beds than three. The difference between 5 and 4 isn't massive but there are very distinct markets for 3 and 4 bed houses. Much better to be priced at the lower end of the 4 bed market than at the top of three.

Find a way to fit a full bath in though. You don't need huge amounts of space. Imagination is very important.

zagubov · 18 March 2017 at 4:39PM

You do need an extra bathroom or perhaps an understairs toilet. Don't know your family size so not sure how many bedrooms you need. You certainly don't want to go from five down to three bedrooms. Down to four, maybe, but this could all reduce your selling price.

Cakeguts · 18 March 2017 at 5:21PM

4 bedrooms with an en suite bathroom for the master bedroom and a downstairs cloakroom. At least you will then get something to help you live more comfortably there even if it doesn't make the house any more valuable.

TheWiz17 · 18 March 2017 at 6:03PM

Doozergirl-it does make sense having 2 bathrooms (maybe one with a full bath and the other with a shower but both will have toilet and sink).Also thats a valid point you made re 3 bed vs 4 bed market.To be fair the master bedroom which is on the same floor could have an ensuite which would make it a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom.

Zaguboz- There isn't any room to put a cloakroom on the ground floor but if i changed the box room to a shower room I'd gain another toilet.This way i'd only lose one bedroom.

Penitent- The box room is small so that seems to be the best room to lose in terms of bedroom space so changing it into a shower room seems to be a good idea.I have had a look and it appears that 4 bed (3 double/1 single)/ 2 bathrooms sell for more than 3 doubles /2 bathrooms.If i did have an ensuite that would make it a 4 bed /3 bathroom.The only 'downside' is that they would all be on the 1st floor..but as 1 would be an ensuite it probably wouldn't matter as much.

Cakeguts-i think the ensuite option in the master bedroom as opposed to the 2nd floor is good idea rather than losing another room.No room to fit a cloakroom downstairs.

Thanks for all your suggestions-definitely given me food for thought

cyantist · 18 March 2017 at 8:36PM

Depends on the layout, but could you split the box room to add some of it to the bathroom while using the rest for a small ensuite shower room?

zagubov · 18 March 2017 at 8:47PM

cyantist wrote: »

Depends on the layout, but could you split the box room to add some of it to the bathroom while using the rest for a small ensuite shower room?

I think the OP might be suggesting doing something like that. Extending the bathroom by taking from the box room and fitting a shower (presumably plus a toilet) next to it using the remaining space. Two toilets and two places to bathe/shower would be immensely useful in any multi-person house.

Ensuites seem a waste of space for me. I cannot comprehend why they're so blooming common.

sparky130a · 18 March 2017 at 9:10PM

Penitent wrote: »

Last time I was looking to buy, I came across a 2 bed flat with an en suite and a family bathroom. Most families in a 3 bed manage fine with one bathroom, so I can only imagine the builders had a small, very incontinent family in mind when they designed it.

A 3 bed may manage fine with one bathroom but that doesn't make it desirable...

Owain_Moneysaver · 19 March 2017 at 12:32AM

Additional shower room / utility room in the cellar?

I'd like to see at least a loo on the 2nd floor, saves going down stairs in the middle of the night.

AnotherJoe · 19 March 2017 at 7:32AM

I think its very likely that a 4 bed with 2 baths/toilets (whether one is ensuite or shower room is of less consequence) would be worth more than a 5 bed with 1.
However a 3 bed would most likely significantly drop the price compared to a 5 or 4 bed.

Hoploz · 19 March 2017 at 9:13AM

You need to have a bathroom (or shower room) on each floor where there's a bedroom.

If you can squeeze in a wc on ground floor then that's very much the norm, and would be expected in this size of house. Families like to be able to toilet train toddlers easily, and who likes visitors going upstairs?

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5 bed-change to a 4 bed or 3 bed?

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