Renovation & Turning a Dining Room into Kitchen!

crow99

We are finally (fingers crossed) due to complete on our house on Friday!! This is a old listing here

The house is not in the best state of repair and I've been going through many MSE threads and purchased a number of books on reading up on how we can renovate - we have the luxury of renting whilst we do.

On Friday when we have the keys we plan on spending some time really thinking about what we can do and listing everything room by room, but our budget for all the work is £30K + an additional £15K for Kitchen / Bathroom if needed.
We already know we need to have the gutters lifted, flashing around the chimney, reline the bay window, some damp ventilation, electrics, plastering and painting / decorating. In addition we want to put a door where the window is in the current dining room and a window in the back of the current kitchen.

One of the things is although, there is only two of us we would like to try and create more of a kitchen diner feel, we had contemplated extending but figure a) we don't have the budget b) it wouldnt be worth it for the small amount of space we would gain c) the house is big enough for what it is

With that said we saw this house and although its already been extended, our rooms are wider and also quite long. Anyone got any thoughts on what it would do to the house value? Figure we could move the stairs forward and copy their downstairs layout without the toilet.

Any other renovation ideas / guidance would help, also in Buckhurst Hill so happy to be PM'd recommendations of tradesmen if you know any. Similarly any thoughts on if anyone has had a similar house or on our budget!

Our very rough (calculated by me) floor plan below;

Doozergirl

Congratulations on your new home!

Floorspace is what affects house value. Reconfiguring existing space isn't likely to add huge amounts, but utilities are very desirable and small kitchens are less so. By removing some of the hallway, you are adding a bit of usable floorspace and I think it would be a pretty popular layout, going with what our clients seem to be looking for.

Presumably the new stairs location still works for upstairs? Does it also open the possibility of enlarging rooms up there, perhaps?

Plumber90

I have pm'd you

crow99

Thanks, we havent seen it for a few months and are due to exchange tomorrow so having another peek tomorrow - after a couple of nightmares been trying not to get excited until we exchange (no onward chain).

Its a split level bathroom above the kitchen so if we pull the stairs forward it will just increase the hallway there, although could give us the potential to make the bathroom a bit bigger. Need to plot exactly where the stairs will be - dont want them too close to the door but our favored option.

dashingjames

Congratulations on your new home!

Me and my wife also had a terrible days when we bought a new house and renovate it. It cost us a lot of work to do but thanks to our friends who had many suggestions we are able to get the exact house we are longing. I hope that you will be able to build a house that will fit to you and your family.