Change in the living room layout

ric1982

Hi,

We are thinking of having bedroom/office room space in the house. The only less expensive way of doing this at the down strais living room.

The current layout is as follows (the image is borrowed from the interweb but the layout and dimentions are very close):



So the Dining room in the layout is the current living room (sofa and tv on the wall). The lounge is the lounge space (the dining is in the kitchen which is saperate). The current lounge is not doing much which is the reason to covert it to a 4th bed room (not officially but in practice) . The idea is to create the stud wall in the middle and create a new saperate door. (I think this was the original layout of the house so I would be just restoring it). 

Do you think 11 x 12 living room is too small? (espec. when we come to sell)? Would this new layout have any negative effect on the property value ? We have been quoated 2.5K for the job, does it sounds reasonable (outside london)?

Thanks

PS We did thought about having french door instead of wall but it would not be appropriate for the proper bed room which we are trying to create. So

Cairnpapple

I think that when selling it would probably want to be sold as 2 receptions. So perhaps staging the front room as an office or office/guest room if you didn't want to move everything around. 

If you could tolerate solid double doors to the bedroom, that would be a pretty normal arrangement for connecting 2 receptions. 

maman

I think as you'd be simply putting up a stud wall to restore the existing two rooms into one then it wouldn't be a problem if it came to a future sale. All the hard work (RSJ) has been done and you could point this out to any future purchasers. 

As it stands I'd do as you suggest and get the best use of your home for your current needs. Unless you need an extra bedroom permanently then I'd go for the office with a sofa bed for occasional guests. 

ric1982

Cairnpapple said:

I think that when selling it would probably want to be sold as 2 receptions. So perhaps staging the front room as an office or office/guest room if you didn't want to move everything around. 

If you could tolerate solid double doors to the bedroom, that would be a pretty normal arrangement for connecting 2 receptions. 

I take 2 reception rooms are +ve when comes to selling?

strawb_shortcake

ric1982 said:

Cairnpapple said:

I think that when selling it would probably want to be sold as 2 receptions. So perhaps staging the front room as an office or office/guest room if you didn't want to move everything around. 

If you could tolerate solid double doors to the bedroom, that would be a pretty normal arrangement for connecting 2 receptions. 

I take 2 reception rooms are +ve when comes to selling?

This is what we've been looking for to create a bedroom/living space for our adult son when he's home and finished uni. Cannot find anything as every home we look at it is all open plan. 
I'd definitely see it as a positive 

ric1982

One more question about the wall itself. Should we go for stud wall with soundproof insulation and plasterboard or should we opt for brick wall? (Brickwall has better sound insulation but more expensive to build)

Albermarle

Do you think 11 x 12 living room is too small? (espec. when we come to sell)? Would this new layout have any negative effect on the property value ?

Some people like open plan, but not everybody, so would depend on the buyer. As already mentioned it would be easy enough for someone to change it back.
11X12 is not too small as long as you do not cram too much furniture etc in there.

gwynlas

Create the space that suits you for now.
I would use studwork as this will be simplest for buyers to remove if they wish in the future.
When you are ready to sell you could either set it up as office with sofa bed or as lounge,
With smaller rooms you always need to buy appropriate furniture but  room size is adequate
From the floorplan you show it looks as though someone could extend under permitted development in the future,
Do  you have space for a downstairs wc?

twopenny

Patio doors - Round here with bungalows there are a number with patio doors leading from bedrooms.

Some because the bedroom is used as something else. Some because it's nice to open out onto the garden. So I don't think you need to worry about that. All sorts of soloutions for a buyer who didn't want that.

Only downside might be heat loss in winter.

Stud wall. Nice and easy to convert back if selling.

Don't forget you can rearrange the rooms and furniture to more suit that scenario when you come to it.

tizerbelle

ric1982 said:

I take 2 reception rooms are +ve when comes to selling?

2 reception rooms was top of my criteria both times I bought (and I was buying as a single person). 

While I understand the appeal of open plan I do not think that should come at the expense of a 2nd reception room that can be used in so many ways to suit the changing needs of the household - a formal lounge or dining room, home office, TV room/snug, kids playroom, guest bedroom etc.   Also smaller rooms are cheaper to heat!

For me putting the stud-wall in and re-opening the doorway from the hall would be a no-brainer.  

ric1982

gwynlas said:

Create the space that suits you for now.
I would use studwork as this will be simplest for buyers to remove if they wish in the future.
When you are ready to sell you could either set it up as office with sofa bed or as lounge,
With smaller rooms you always need to buy appropriate furniture but  room size is adequate
From the floorplan you show it looks as though someone could extend under permitted development in the future,
Do  you have space for a downstairs wc?

Yes it can extened under permitted development if needed. And yes there is a downstairs shower and WC.