Which layout would you prefer?

jsb1987

RAS wrote: »

You are putting the living room as far away as possible from the kitchen and as far away as possible from the garden and on the north side of the flat. Barmy.

As Doozer says, two bedrooms on the north side with en-suites between - retain the nice coving just breakthrough lower down.

Then a kitchen living room space on the south side with access to the garden.

I'm not putting it there - it was already there! With option 2, the kitchen is quite close - takes a few seconds, & only 1 door separating them both. And there is a reasonable size bar area so that is where you would probably eat most of the time…

I did consider the layout that you are suggesting but I just decided it would be a shame to lose the lovely living room, and the new living area would be small if i did the open plan thing at the back. And bedrooms would be huge in comparison…

Wouldn't it be weird having a huge master bedroom, and a small living area? Bedrooms are for sleeping, seems like a massive waste of space to me personally

jsb1987

…The living area is north facing, but it has massive windows so isn't particularly dark. And in the summer it gets some sun in the evening

Cisco001

jsb1987 wrote: »

I'm not putting it there - it was already there! With option 2, the kitchen is quite close - takes a few seconds, & only 1 door separating them both. And there is a reasonable size bar area so that is where you would probably eat most of the time…

I did consider the layout that you are suggesting but I just decided it would be a shame to lose the lovely living room, and the new living area would be small if i did the open plan thing at the back. And bedrooms would be huge in comparison…

Wouldn't it be weird having a huge master bedroom, and a small living area? Bedrooms are for sleeping, seems like a massive waste of space to me personally

bedroom 2 as living room.
Take out the sliding door of bedroom 2.
Add a door next to structure wall (best to be with glass panel such that the corridor not too dark?)
The existing corridor will be part of living room such that it feel bigger.

BTW, is option 2 the existing layout? Or what is the existing?

jsb1987

My main target market (i think) is a young professional who wants an occasional second bedroom.

So i think it is unlikely that bedroom 2 will be a permanent 2nd bedroom. Hence the large sliding door in option 1 so you can open it up & use it as a dining room/extra living space if you wanted.

With either option, i will just be putting a sofa bed in bedroom 2, so in a way it would be like a 2nd living room..

Cisco001

jsb1987 wrote: »

My main target market (i think) is a young professional who wants an occasional second bedroom.

So i think it is unlikely that bedroom 2 will be a permanent 2nd bedroom. Hence the large sliding door in option 1 so you can open it up & use it as a dining room/extra living space if you wanted.

With either option, i will just be putting a sofa bed in bedroom 2, so in a way it would be like a 2nd living room..

But if you advertise as 2 bed flat, you can always earn more?
Where is the flat?
If I am young professional and living in City center flat. With 2 large bedroom, I have a chance to sub-let second bedroom will be bonus.

jsb1987

Cisco001 wrote: »

But if you advertise as 2 bed flat, you can always earn more?
Where is the flat?
If I am young professional and living in City center flat. With 2 large bedroom, I have a chance to sub-let second bedroom will be bonus.

It will still be marketed as a 2 bedder, and will be changed to 2 beds on the lease. And subletting i think would definitely still be an option - you will be able to fit a double bed and a wardrobe in bedroom 2 (option 2 layout).

Does nobody agree about what I am saying re bedroom/living space? Surely more living space is more important than bedroom space?

I think most young professionals would really like to have a nice sized living room… I know I would.

dekoder

I agree with you re bedroom/living space, living space is more important.
However the layout would be even more important to me and would prefer having garden entrance of the living room.
I have a few friends that have similar down stairs layout (living room at the front with kitchen and garden at the back) and they're fine with it (though house parties do end up being split by living room/kitchen crowds).
When buying in London you usually compromise on more things then you would like to so something like this wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. I would prefer option 2 from the two listed.

Doozergirl

This is London. What I'd personally do is build the side return extension and reap the profit, having built the perfectly balanced space for a two bed flat with a south facing garden. No brainer for me.

princeofpounds

combo kitchen/living room.

ugh!

As someone who has been very much part of your target market, this has always been a pet hate of mine.

Loads of developers have shoehorned these into bad conversions in the belief that it magically moves a house up bedroom price band with the space freed up.

Even a tiny galley kitchen is better than just sticking a wall of kitchen units across your living room.

Nothing better than watching TV as the washing machine spins...

Glad you aren't planning to do something like that.

jsb1987

Doozergirl wrote: »

This is London. What I'd personally do is build the side return extension and reap the profit, having built the perfectly balanced space for a two bed flat with a south facing garden. No brainer for me.

It was considered but our budget couldn't stretch to structural work.

One option, once everythings done and if we have enough money, was to do the side return just to create a dining space with double doors to garden. It would just go out from the kitchen window with a courtyard/lightwell left for the bedroom/kitchen. You'd just have an opening where the window is into it so probs wouldn't require structural work.

Though maybe a 1.8m x 4.5m room would be a bit weird for dining.. or anything