Can you guys please help rejig my floorplan

Hi All

been wasting countless hours trying to reconfigure the floorplan of the property we're moving into but I keep running into the same issues. I know some of you are particularly good at this, especially the forumites who have the necessary architectural background.

Basically the challenge/constraints are:

- I want to maintain the house as a 4x2. It was already extended 4 yrs ago but the focus was cramming as many students into the property. Now we have to move into it Whilst I'm open to having more windows or sliding doors I don't want to further extend the property.

- I need the semi-open plan section at the rear of the property ie where the kitchen and family is, to be one large room that fits in a LARGER kitchen + island that has at least a window, dining and casual living /TV room.
In my mind, that means getting rid of the 2nd bathroom and laundry that's there currently.

But if do that, where do I put the 2nd bathroom and laundry elsewhere in the house? Plus, it would be a waste of dollars to dismantle a perfectly functioning new bathroom and laundry (these were built 4 yrs ago remember).

Hopefully the diagram doesn't confuse anyone as its the original architectural plans.

Help pleease!

 

Perhaps you could have a skylight instead of window?

 

Is there any scope for using the space at the rear of the (enclosed) carport?
Alongside the house?

 

Tx Jacqui yes I can but not sure how that's going to solve the problem

Thanks RB I can but that constitutes an expensive side extension, plus the windows of the bedrooms are all alongside the house

I can Wylie (after consulting a structural engineer). Basically after removing the wall in question and getting rid of the laundry and back bathroom, we're left with 6x6m which is pretty compact considering we want to fit a kitchen, dining table and sofa plus TV.

I think its obvious to me that if we stick to the layout I'm thinking of I have to find a home for the 2nd bathroom and laundry somewhere else in the house. But I don't know where.

 

Can you build an ensuite bathroom in the sunroom off the front bedroom?
Incorporate a small cupboard laundry in the new kitchen?
Marg

 

Yes Marg I can and have contemplated this scenario before. The only issue is that the only window to the front master is in that sunroom. It would have to be a really tiny bathroom tucked to the side...unless I reposition the front window of the house to one side as well. That could possibly work?

 

You could put a skylight in the master bedroom, and turn the front sunroom into an ensuite and small wardrobe or study/wardrobe. If it was my house, I would keep the new bathroom and extend the kitchen into the laundry, and use the back extension as one living room/dining room. We have an open plan area with two living rooms and we really only ever use one of the areas to dump the shopping/mail when we come inside.

 

Thanks Angel - that master would be pretty depressing and hot in summer without any natural airflow. Hence I'd prefer not to skylight it only. This is an area where the median house price is $1.6m so don't really want to have a less than ideal layout (if I can help it).

 

OK Wylie if I understand you correctly, you're saying remove the wall between the kitchen and living, then on one side of the laundry (LHS), stack a washing machine and dryer, and on the other side wedge a fridge that faces into the living room? That might work, except I'm not sure where to put the laundry tub. Aaargh!

Also what would you put in right in front front of the laundry where the kitchen is as there's a bit of space there?

 

Yes, what Wylie suggests moving the kitchen. You can increase the storage capacity of the new kitchen by adding some narrow shelving in the laundry. 4 metres is a good size kitchen. I totally understand about the airflow at the front

 

Thanks all, will contemplate these 2 scenarios ie ensuite in master vs keep bathroom at the back. I've considered these alternatives in some guise many times before. However, if anyone has a very left field idea, would love to hear it.

 

Can I ask what's the reasoning behind keeping the 4x2 configuration? Is it for family space (3 kids?) or is it to try and preserve "value" of a 4x2 vs 3x2? If this is a long-term residence, then not having the space you need will drive you crazy.

Why does the kitchen need to be larger? A redesign including a wall knock-down could make it more functional (he says without knowing what's already there)

 

Wylie I didn't want to confuse all of you but those plans are slightly outdated. I can't tamper with the size of the bedrooms because in bedroom 3 off the hallway resides a staircase which leads to (an unapproved) attic conversion.

The minimum kitchen length that we think we need whether its U, L shaped or island is a total of 9m. I thought I'd include a few photos to help all of you visualise. Shows the front of the house, the master/sunroom, hallway, the rear of the prop, the stairs to attic/cannibalising part of bedroom 3 and the attic itself. As you can see its not a fantastic reno - it was meant to be a forever IP but now that we're moving in, have become a little more fastidious.

 

For now it doesn't have to be a 4 bedder and we can use bedroom 4 as a 2nd living but as the kids grow up, we'll need 4 and aim to have all the bedrooms downstairs. I just threw a spanner in the works showing the relatively steep, but usable attic that's there currently. What I had planned to do was use the attic for a 2nd living/TV room.

The fcus though was reconfiguring the bottom. The attic is pretty straightforward (to me) in terms of use.

 

Could you put the "new bedroom" to where the family room is?
You could make the bedroom a smaller, keep the bathroom and laundry, and utilise the hallway space as it would become apart of your living area.
Would have to rejig Windows a little, and it may not open to the outside as good as it currently does, but would still be open plan to the outside (just longer and skinnier plus could gain you up to 6sqm of living area.