Best way to improve house. Any views?

Catbells

Just moved into a new house which is lovely. It has 1 good sized master bedroom, two fairly small bedrooms and a bathroom and also a loft extension. Initially we were going to refurbish the loft extension and add an en suite but it would cost quite a bit. Friends and family have suggested that instead we should knock the two smaller bedrooms into one large bedroom with an ensuite and also a family bathroom. This means we would be a 3 bedroomed house instead of 4. We're not planning on selling on quickly and will be here for around 10 years. I am concerned that a 3 bedroomed house won't be as sellable as a 4 bedroomed house down the line. It would instead be a 3 bed, 2 bathroom house. Which do you think we should go for? Thanks.

Emmzi

every 4 bed house I've seen has really been a 3 bed + study. If there's somewhere else to make a study nook, then go for it.

Catbells

Emmzi wrote: »

every 4 bed house I've seen has really been a 3 bed + study. If there's somewhere else to make a study nook, then go for it.

If we make it into a 3 bed roomed house there wouldn't be a study - no room but there is a conservatory and lovely kitchen/dining room + another reception room which you could make into a study though its a bit big for a study as such.

Are studies important when buying then?

CloudCuckooLand

For study - read computer room, second TV room, music room, sewing room, quiet room..etc Useful, especially in a big house, presumably plenty of family milling about not all wanting to do the same thing at the same time...

3-bed will sell for less than 4...in some ways its easier to shift a 3-bed, due to 2.4 children average...fewer big families, but the price will reflect high proportion of 3-bed places around.

It will also depend on locality, you need to fit in with the pattern of layouts nearby - buyers in "professional" area might expect en-suites everywhere, for example. Other, more "traditional" areas, not.

The master needs an en-suite, imo.

Depends on size and headroom of loft, whether it would make a better master & ensuite.

princeofpounds

If you are sticking around for a long time, I would suggest that you improve it in a way that best suits your lifestyle and not with an eye to the odd quid you will make at the end (as long as you don't so anything horrible to put people totally off!).

As long as your master is big, having fairly small bedrooms elsewhere is not likely to be a problem as they will generally only be used for guest rooms or children. As long as they aren't joke boxrooms.

Catbells

CloudCuckooLand wrote: »

For study - read computer room, second TV room, music room, sewing room, quiet room..etc Useful, especially in a big house, presumably plenty of family milling about not all wanting to do the same thing at the same time...

3-bed will sell for less than 4...in some ways its easier to shift a 3-bed, due to 2.4 children average...fewer big families, but the price will reflect high proportion of 3-bed places around.

It will also depend on locality, you need to fit in with the pattern of layouts nearby - buyers in "professional" area might expect en-suites everywhere, for example. Other, more "traditional" areas, not.

The master needs an en-suite, imo.

Depends on size and headroom of loft, whether it would make a better master & ensuite.

Thanks.

I'm certainly not treating it like an ipod! Thats why I'm here!

What you say about a 3 bedroom selling for less than a 4 is making me think......I guess what I want to know is - Would people spend more on a 4 bed house including a loft extension with en suite, even if 2 of the bedrooms are tiny OR would they prefer 3 good sized bedrooms one with en suite + a family bathroom.

CloudCuckooLand

Define tiny...

savanajhones

I feel the better ways of improving house is to see where the improvement is required. I mean after some period of time condition of house doesn't look so good and it needs an improvement for that.

I had done many things for this like plastering, painting and mainly the renovation.

tyllwyd

What would suit your family best - do you have children, or plans to start a family? Do you often have visitors to stay?

Catbells

The smallest is 8'4" x 7'. The other is bigger and has a built in hot water tank, airing cupboard and a single wardrobe as one unit. The bathroom is very small 5' x 7' which is typical for Edwardian properties I've heard.

Catbells

tyllwyd wrote: »

What would suit your family best - do you have children, or plans to start a family? Do you often have visitors to stay?

Thanks. We have 3 children in their 20s who come back quite a lot - not usually all at once. Don't have visitors to stay that often so don't need a lot of bedroom space I guess and we have a sofabed in the 2nd downstairs reception room - just in case we get deluged! Thinking about it now, 3 bedrooms is sufficient but I also don't want to reduce the value of the house as mentioned earlier.