Mild Curiosity Question: Turning this home into a place for letting out rooms

RHemmings

This is just a mild curiosity question - I'm not going to be buying this house. 

But, I'm curious what people might think about the following suggestion for this house:

https://www.williamhbrown.co.uk/properties/17555366/sales/LHS117576

Could the ground floor storeroom be merged into the bathroom, meaning that it's possible to add a bath there, and for a couple (owners) to live only on the ground floor being their private space? Then the wall for bedroom 3 on the first floor is removed and that space turned into a kitchen with the first floor living room becoming open plan dining/living area. 

And, the three bedrooms on the top floor are then let out via spareroom or similar. One being ensuite (very popular it seems) and the other two using the bathroom on the 1st floor. 

Or, is this just too much work to be worth it? I'm thinking that getting water to the new first floor kitchen may be a problem. But, I don't know these things. 

I was thinking that this trivial question would go onto the 'New Have A Look At This' thread, but on reading the OP of that thread: no, doesn't fit. 

Alderbank

That's quite a lot of house for band A. Be interesting to see how is is reassessed when converted into two dwellings.

H&c water to first floor kitchen would be trivial even if gravity fed, and 40mm waste water would not be too bad

eddddy

So you'd be talking about a 3 story HMO (House in Multiple Occupation).

A starting point might be to look at the fire regulations:
https://www.visum.co.uk/library/post/fire-safety-standards-for-hmos-of-3-storeys-o

And obviously, you couldn't do that on a residential mortgage. You'd need a specialist HMO mortgage - plus suitable insurance, etc.

lincroft1710

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

RHemmings

Is it still an HMO if the owner lives in it and rents out rooms? I wasn't thinking that it would be two dwellings, but a single dwelling with rooms rented out. But, of course, if the law classes that as an HMO, it is. 

After an hour with the mortgage consultant at a well-known EA chain, I feel certain that I will never have a mortgage ever. So, mortgage considerations aren't important. (They would be in the general case of other people thinking the same.)

Note: this is just mild curiosity. After a bit of a wobble, my house purchase appears to be back on track. But, the way that my mind works is that I'm always keen to have a plan in the back of my mind in case 'whatever' doesn't work out, and it gives me freedom to explore varying options. There are quite a few houses near me where the 'HMO' plan might work out, but I think I'd want a personal kitchen and bathroom. There are also advantages in the hopefully distant future when I might be frail if living can all be done on one floor, particularly the ground floor.

Note: this sort of plan won't work for the house I'm buying. Not the right size/shape. 

But, as per the thread title, this is just me rolling things over in my mind the way that I might roll a piece of blu-tak between my fingers.

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

lincroft1710

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

My comment was a general one, I was not thinking of anyone in particular. Many people would not find it an ideal situation. May have been the norm in the days of "Rising Damp", but that was 50 years ago and most landlords would nowadays want their privacy.

RHemmings

lincroft1710 said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

My comment was a general one, I was not thinking of anyone in particular. Many people would not find it an ideal situation. May have been the norm in the days of "Rising Damp", but that was 50 years ago and most landlords would nowadays want their privacy.

The snipping tool is not the right tool for graphics. But, maybe this would solve the privacy issue a bit. 

FreeBear

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

My comment was a general one, I was not thinking of anyone in particular. Many people would not find it an ideal situation. May have been the norm in the days of "Rising Damp", but that was 50 years ago and most landlords would nowadays want their privacy.

The snipping tool is not the right tool for graphics. But, maybe this would solve the privacy issue a bit. 

With a return on the stairs half way up (probably 1.5m from the floor), you wouldn't be able to put a door where you suggest.

RHemmings

FreeBear said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

My comment was a general one, I was not thinking of anyone in particular. Many people would not find it an ideal situation. May have been the norm in the days of "Rising Damp", but that was 50 years ago and most landlords would nowadays want their privacy.

The snipping tool is not the right tool for graphics. But, maybe this would solve the privacy issue a bit. 

With a return on the stairs half way up (probably 1.5m from the floor), you wouldn't be able to put a door where you suggest.

Hmmm... A front door into the kitchen would definitely make for two separate properties as they would have their own front doors. 

lincroft1710

RHemmings said:

FreeBear said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

My comment was a general one, I was not thinking of anyone in particular. Many people would not find it an ideal situation. May have been the norm in the days of "Rising Damp", but that was 50 years ago and most landlords would nowadays want their privacy.

The snipping tool is not the right tool for graphics. But, maybe this would solve the privacy issue a bit. 

With a return on the stairs half way up (probably 1.5m from the floor), you wouldn't be able to put a door where you suggest.

Hmmm... A front door into the kitchen would definitely make for two separate properties as they would have their own front doors. 

Still wouldn't work because you either have the bathroom isolated or the problem with the stairs

RHemmings

lincroft1710 said:

RHemmings said:

FreeBear said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

RHemmings said:

lincroft1710 said:

It wouldn't be very private for the couple on the ground floor, having their bathroom accessed via a communal hallway

If I - hopefully not - end up on the market again it would be me living on the ground floor. And, I'd be fine with that. No naked run to the bedroom is not too much of a privation.

My comment was a general one, I was not thinking of anyone in particular. Many people would not find it an ideal situation. May have been the norm in the days of "Rising Damp", but that was 50 years ago and most landlords would nowadays want their privacy.

The snipping tool is not the right tool for graphics. But, maybe this would solve the privacy issue a bit. 

With a return on the stairs half way up (probably 1.5m from the floor), you wouldn't be able to put a door where you suggest.

Hmmm... A front door into the kitchen would definitely make for two separate properties as they would have their own front doors. 

Still wouldn't work because you either have the bathroom isolated or the problem with the stairs

I may be thinking of a different door that would be impossible because of the stairs.