Changing new house layout

kgall

Hi,
We have just exchanged on a new house. Yay! It hasn't been updated in a long time so we plan to refurbish the whole place. I am having difficulty working out what to do with the layout of the downstairs kitchen/wc/utility room area. What would you do?

The layout is shown in the below plan. We are moving the bathroom upstairs into bedroom 3 (and adding a loft conversion to keep a third bedroom). Downstairs I really want to have a small WC and utility area as well as the kitchen, however I really want the window in the current bathroom to become french doors that would open up onto the garden (and maybe even put a velux window above the current bathroom to give it even more light in what would hopefully be the kitchen/small dining area). Fitting it all in without extending seems difficult.

The cupboard on the plans is the understairs part. Maybe perfect for a small WC I was thinking but concrete floors would make plumbing difficult I guess. To give you an idea of size the existing kitchen area is 9'9" x 8'9" (2.97m x 2.67m)

So, how do you think we should do it?

KennyH1

As you've said you've only really got two options. Change the existing bathroom to a utility / wc or use the cupboard.

Changing the existing bathroom makes sense as all the plumbing is already in place. You could always relocate the sink in the kitchen and replace the existing window with patio doors out that way?

If you put the WC / utility under the stairs you have to be aware of height requirements for standing at the toilet. You need a minimum of 1.9m height at the front of the pan.

KennyH1

Also if you blocked up the door between the dining and kitchen and then made a new opening into the cupboard you will gain more usable wall space for kitchen units. You will then also still have a small useable storage space under the stairs.

notanewuser

How much money have you got? I'd extend into the side return (squaring off the bottom left corner and have a glass roof to flood light into the kitchen/dining room. Then put a utility and downstairs loo against the stair wall so you could have French doors opening onto the garden.

kgall

Thanks both. The problem with extending into the side return (aside from cost - although not impossible) is that you would have to get rid of the window into the existing dining room. So as you say you would have to merge the kitchen/dining room. Not only would that room then be huge but we would lose the dining room (second living room).

Not an easy one I feel.

notanewuser

Ah sorry, I thought there was a window on the side of the house. But looking closer its a fireplace. Is this a terraced house?

notanewuser

I'd do it anyway, and either keep the window between the dining room and kitchen, or make it the doorway with either an arch or glass doors. The dining room would get more light, you'd have a lovely big kitchen/breakfast room and could have a utility and downstairs loo as well.

JimmyTheWig

How about...

Leave the toilet where it is.
Squeze a small wash-hand basin in close to it (ideally in the corner so it would be in front of you and slightly to your left when sitting on the toilet, if there is space).
Remove the bath.
Put a wall in between the toilet and where the bath used to be.
Put a door in this wall.
Does that still leave room for the French doors in that end wall?

notanewuser

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

How about...

Leave the toilet where it is.
Squeze a small wash-hand basin in close to it (ideally in the corner so it would be in front of you and slightly to your left when sitting on the toilet, if there is space).
Remove the bath.
Put a wall in between the toilet and where the bath used to be.
Put a door in this wall.
Does that still leave room for the French doors in that end wall?

That would leave less than 2m width at the back. :-/

And mean losing the utility room.

JimmyTheWig

notanewuser wrote: »

That would leave less than 2m width at the back. :-/

That's enough for patio doors, isn't it?

And mean losing the utility room.

The OP wants patio doors in that end wall. If they do that, the utility room can't stay where is it whatever happens.

KennyH1

notanewuser wrote: »

I'd do it anyway, and either keep the window between the dining room and kitchen, or make it the doorway with either an arch or glass doors. The dining room would get more light, you'd have a lovely big kitchen/breakfast room and could have a utility and downstairs loo as well.

You most prob wouldn't be able to extend to the side as the neighbours house will more than likely mirror the house so you have to be aware of the 'right to light' rule. By extending out you may restrict light to the kitchen window and dining room window of the neighbours house (if terraced and mirrored).

Also looking at the layout the stairs will restrict use of the cupboard so really the best place for a WC/ Utility is where it is.