Reconfigure house layout or move?

Khaderbhai

Hi

Need some help thinking about house layout alternatives and specifically bedrooms, hopefully there are some Kirsty Allsopp's out there that can help…

Back story is we are more than happy where we are and have been here for 10 years, but our young family of 3 will be growing and it is not the most kid/baby/toddler friendly house at all which has made us think about moving, sacrifice some of the character and go for a practical family home.

Id like to be able to modify the house layout to still make it work and open to suggestions, so current situation is this…

3 Bedroom Victorian Terrace 
Cellar downstairs, dug out but not damp proofed/converted.
Kitchen, Living room and utility room downstairs
Steep set of stairs from downstairs brings you to main bathroom, double bedroom and another medium sized bedroom on first floor.
On the second floor is the 3rd bedroom, which is a converted loft room with en suite, quite a large room so also has space for work/office desk one side and a double bed and storage the other.

Our main dilemma is we don’t like the thought of being on different floors to any kids, especially with the steep staircase in the middle. Anyone got any thoughts about splitting up the house or even moving the staircase or modifying it somehow?

The cellar can be converted but not sure this makes us difference to the bedroom dilemma. It works as a 3 but is unlikely too as a 4. We have looked at the market alternatives but it’s a bit of a joke price wise, so our preference is to stay put.

Thanks for reading!

Emmia

Do you have floorplans?

onomatopoeia99

Family of three equals two adults one child, becoming two adults two children?  Or it is one adult two children becoming one adult and three children? 

It makes a difference to the number of bedrooms you'll need, because while a four year old may love sharing with a sibling for a year or two, a fourteen year old will almost certainly hate it (and you, if you force them, especially if you have an empty bedroom that you won't let anyone use solely for the reason it will mean someone sleeping on a different floor to you).

Without floorplans I doubt anyone will have much idea about moving the staircase.

Dustyevsky

I agree about the need for floor plans, but on a separate tack, do you understand how disruptive reconfiguring a house can be? We lived in ours while we did it, which was fine for just the two of us, but I'd not have done it to my children!

Also, although you may think you've covered all eventualities, matters often crop up which impact the cost negatively.

It could be simpler and more cost-effective to buy the house you now require, and let the character of the one you're in now go to someone who will love it as it is.

Khaderbhai

Thanks for the responses so far. 2 adults and 1 child becoming 2 adults and 2 children. 

Floorplan now added below (I think)

I honestly believe a move is the only viable option, but wanted to know if any alternatives. To give an idea of costs, we would need to borrow at least an additional £100k to get what we need if we move.

Doozergirl

You haven't really said what you do want. More bedrooms?  

I can see you've said you'd all prefer to sleep on the same level, but that isn't going to happen it that house.  

A cellar conversion is going to make that worse, plus they're hugely expensive, usually disproportionately so to the house price. 

You live in a terrace so extending on the first floor isn't an option, really. 

Moving the stairs I don't think is an option - the loft stairs need to come up in the middle and running one staircase over the other is the most efficient use of space.  

Looks like the house has been pretty maximised unless you think a ground floor extension will help - which is probably cost £100k once you reconfigure anything else in the house.  

I'd offer some ideas rather than obstacles but you'd not provided any kind of design brief.  

Teapot55

For now have the new baby in with you. 

As the new baby gets older and would be happy in a different bedroom (every child is different but you will know when it’s the right time probably) move them into the other bedroom with the first child. You can keep the doors ajar so you can hear or have a baby monitor (or both). 

When the two children get bigger and need more space in their room to play you could consider swapping bedrooms with them. At this point you might want to move all the adult clothes up into the loft room to give you more space in your smaller bedroom and establish a dressing room/ area on the top floor near the ensuite shower room as funds permit. 

Eventually when the children are older you will be happy to move your bedroom up to the top floor, leaving them a bedroom each, or even, when they are much older, allocate it to them - split into two rooms. 

I definitely wouldn’t have an extension because you’ll just end up with a room in the middle that gets very little natural light. An extra toilet on the ground floor would be good though, especially for if you did come to sell the house and good anyway when you have small children. A shed/ hobby room at the end of the garden if space permits might be good, upgrading to a summer house maybe one day. 

Khaderbhai

Thank you, all useful comments. 

@Doozergirl I think you have hit the nail on the head re the house already being maximised. 

@T@Teapot55 reasonable suggestions and could work!

Bigphil1474

We live in a similar 3 bed terrace, although our second bedroom on the first floor is smaller, and our top floor is still 2 rooms. I think Teapot is spot on. You've then got at least a year or two to decide what to do.  

The steep steps in terraces are a pain - we're moving as we don't want to be in this house when we're getting too old to manage steep steps, but we don't particularly like the street or the house any more, and our alternatives are now affordable. 

As above, I wouldn't bother converting the cellar, as the cost will be way more than any added value - we looked into it for ours maybe 10 years ago, and it was about £25k then to create a dry empty space. Leave as is and when you sell it gives the next owner something to think about.

GDB2222

Here’s a completely zany suggestion that might possibly work for you.

Convert the first floor bathroom into a bedroom. That gives you the 3 bedrooms on one floor that you need. Convert the downstairs utility into a toilet, and put the washing machine in the top floor bedroom.

That leaves you with the only bathroom on the top floor, which is not ideal, of course. 

Kynthia

A new baby will share your bedroom for at least 6 months, but can be longer if you have a full size cot or cot bed in your room. Then you could have the children share in bedroom 2 for a couple of years. The space might be tight but make their bedroom just a sleep space and move their toys and many clothes up to the loft suite. The loft can be their play and dressing room for now. 

In 3 years time you might be comfortable moving into the loft room leaving the children on the first floor. Or if you weren't ready to move away from your youngest child you might be comfortable with your oldest moving up a floor above you.