One bathroom or two

Discussion in 'Renovation & Home Improvement' started by Lizzie, 28th Nov, 2018.

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  1. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    We recently bought a future PPOR - an old weatherboard federation two block from the beach that will be in need of a major rip and reno in 2-3 years time, before we move in. Rented out in the meantime.

    There is a beautiful tree in the backyard that I want to retain - and will be engaging and architect to refine our renovation - but trying to get an idea of some concept ideas down on AutoCAD of how things will fit/work.

    It will only be hubby and I at home - maybe youngest daughter for a year or two while she's at uni - so we don't want two stories (slight two step split level is okay as the backyard is sloped) and numerous unused rooms.

    The plan is to end up with three bedrooms - one used as an office ... and two living areas - the original sitting room which will be more like a library and a second open plan, cathedral ceiling'd living/dining/kitchen.

    Question is ... do we really really need put in a second bathroom/ensuite or is a second toilet in a flash looking laundry enough? If we put in the second bathroom, I fear the beautiful tree will need to go

    The property:
    Screenshot (686).png

    Current layout:
    Screenshot (686).png

    My thoughts:
    Screenshot (685).png
     

    Attached Files:

  2. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Can expand living area towards the deck on the right and give small ensuite to bed1? Essentially removing family room
     
  3. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd steal a bit of the family room and enlarge the main bedroom and add an ensuite.

    I'd move Bed 3 from the back and put it where the family room is.

    You might have to push the laundry further back (if you add an ensuite), but it opens up that back area without Bed 3 pushing into it.

    If you don't want an ensuite, I'd add a nice powder room, but not in the laundry.
     
  4. Kassy

    Kassy Well-Known Member

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    I’m with Wylie
     
  5. Peter_Tersteeg

    Peter_Tersteeg Mortgage Broker Business Member

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    "One bathroom is enough..."

    ... said no parent with daughters ever.

    This may appear somewhat misogynistic, but I'm fairly certain it's accurate.
     
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  6. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    Actually, this is also often true for teenage boys!
     
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  7. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    If you don’t need a big family room, more like a library(?), I would put it where the bathroom is between the two bedrooms, so long as that is big enough for you. Just the three walls, open to centre. Move the bedroom doors to open from the central passage if it works better.

    Then on the left side it could be (from the front) main bedroom, en-suite, bathroom, laundry then kitchen. This gives you all the plumbing in a line, usually a cost saver.

    This would not work if you want to keep the fireplace.
    Marg
     
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  8. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Ah yes - suspected as much. Two bathrooms it is.

    I was hoping to keep the family room, as it has the old victorian cast iron fireplace and patterned ceilings - but it is also on the south side of the house so would be better positioned on the north.

    I'll have another play
     
  9. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    You could do an amazing bathroom in the room with the fireplace.

    Or make the fireplace room the main bedroom with the ensuite where you've drawn the laundry?

    Put the laundry behind the family bathroom and open up that back area by not having the bedroom pushing into it?
     
  10. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    Too many walls being removed and added. Not sure if its worth the cost.
    Might be better off keeping the front half and extending the back.
     
  11. lightbulbmoment

    lightbulbmoment Well-Known Member

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    This is an extremely easy floorplan to work with you can basically do whatever you want here.
    Get ur ideas floating around here then the draftsman will draw it up. Wouldnt bother with an archtect as more dollars
     
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  12. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Moving walls is not a big cost. The bigger cost is changing the ceilings and flooring.

    If you are renewing the flooring anyway Lizzie (and I suspect so seeing you are changing the rear part of the house), then I'd make the living with the fireplace the main bedroom, add an ensuite (if you want one, and who wouldn't if you are changing things).

    I'd consider leaving the dining room wall where it is or pushing it back and making the hallway part of what is the dining room a wall of storage, with bathroom behind. I'd think bout whether it is worth pushing the bathroom out into the side, as that likely will be a large cost and maybe making the window bigger might work without the big cost.

    That puts three bedrooms and enquire at the front.

    And the whole of the back becomes kitchen, living, dining open plan with laundry behind euro doors behind the current dining (unless you want proper room for laundry which takes up more of the living room space.

    Walking down the hallway and then... BAM! it opens up into a lovely, light filled living area. Nice.

    Edit: We don't have an ensuite. We could move our door to enclose the hallway to our main bathroom but no room really to add a decent second family bathroom on the top level of our house. I wish we could have an ensuite and I know not having one certainly will hold us back of we ever sell.
     
  13. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    Moving a structural wall (this house would most likely have a framed roof meaning all walls are structural) would set you back about $8k per wall.
    My guess is that the back section of the house (ie laundry / bath / kitchen) are all under a skillion roof which would make extending the back section difficult too unless you really get a low roof (got to make sure the gradient also matches especially with that length.
    I had a similar plan, I actually demolished the section that was part of the skillion roof and rebuilt it all from ground up.
     
  14. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    Minimise removal of walls, and the preserve the integrity of the front part of house (which probably has nice ornate features).

    Untitled.jpg

    By structuring the laundry in that manner, it acts as a walk way to the bathroom. You would put proper walls on the right to maintain the look of the hallway which then opens up to a larger open space. It is optional to have a door for that laundry or just keep it open. It looks neater without the door in my opinion (its the same setup i have in one of my IP's).

    This allows you preserve the walls and only have to knock down the existing laundry before you extend the rest of the house. Your living room can also be made larger simply by borrowing space from the dining (ie shifting the dining table closer to the wall).
     
    Last edited: 29th Nov, 2018
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  15. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    That was the plan - to keep costs down by retaining the front original four rooms as is, in position

    Rip off the enclosed rear deck skillion on the back that houses the current kitchen/bathroom - rip off the skillion off the skillion that houses the current laundry ... otherwise we might as well knockdown and rebuild completely.
     
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  16. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    @Lizzie can you provide a satellite view to show the roof line?
     
  17. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    This is where a builder would prove helpful. We've just moved several walls in two different timber houses. Both had walls that could have been removed without structural problems.

    But the walls we removed did mean that we had to install hanging beams into the ceilings, which came at a cost of course. I doubt it would be $8k per wall removed but a good builder will bring in an engineer and then be able to price it up.

    Old timber houses are easy to fiddle with, but everything you do has a knock on effect on some other area. We've rearranged the living areas in one of the houses we've just done, and the compromise is that bedrooms open off the living area. Not ideal, but that is the way it was from when it was built. Not something we would do now if we were building from scratch.

    And Lizzie will live here one day, so that means different decisions, and making something to suit Lizzie rather than just suiting a tenant. Sometimes doing it better from the get-go, paying a bit more, but making the flow work for your future enjoyment is worth doing.
     
    Last edited: 29th Nov, 2018
  18. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Roof is asbestos so it'll all be coming off anyhow ... but you can see my tree

    Screenshot (687).png
     
  19. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'm assuming internal walls are timber, but perhaps they are not? Lizzie?
     
  20. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    @Lizzie
    Can you crop your address out of the image ;)
     

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