What would you do with this place?
Discussion
Context, had my eye on this house for a while, and it has now appeared for sale, but the floor plan is not what I imagined.
How would you go about getting a 4th bedroom with en-suite as well as an open plan kitchen dinner into this place?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159811310#/...
Ideally, with nothing going out the left hand side when view from the front to keep the drive plans open and preferably with no to minimal flat roof or box gutters.
PS: The wife want's it for donkey's in the garden...
How would you go about getting a 4th bedroom with en-suite as well as an open plan kitchen dinner into this place?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159811310#/...
Ideally, with nothing going out the left hand side when view from the front to keep the drive plans open and preferably with no to minimal flat roof or box gutters.
PS: The wife want's it for donkey's in the garden...
Edited by Megaflow on Thursday 27th March 11:00
How big is your budget?
If it's big enough, I'd probably square off the front of the house (double height), open the utility up into the hallway, move the sitting room to ground floor front and open up the existing kitchen/sitting room/conservatory to be the new kitchen/seating area. Since you'd be taking off the roof, you might as well open that up into useable space too
If it's big enough, I'd probably square off the front of the house (double height), open the utility up into the hallway, move the sitting room to ground floor front and open up the existing kitchen/sitting room/conservatory to be the new kitchen/seating area. Since you'd be taking off the roof, you might as well open that up into useable space too
Is that amount of land feasible for donkeys? The paddock bit can only be circa 0.2 acres max - can see it being stripped bare and a mudbath very quickly in the winter.
We let a neighbour keep donkeys on one of our fields and they stripped it bare in a matter of weeks, including stripping bark off trees and even eating the gate!
In terms of extending, there are lots of options, but will be very budget dependent - loft conversion, rear extension, squaring off the frontage etc…
I would defiitely be looking at the local plan and doing some local research, that land behind looks a definite possibility for development, which given there is a ready made access next door, would worry me, even if you were not fussed about losing the view, particularly given the comment in the agent’s notes about an uplift clause being required for granting future access to the rear - sounds like it’s a live issue.
We let a neighbour keep donkeys on one of our fields and they stripped it bare in a matter of weeks, including stripping bark off trees and even eating the gate!
In terms of extending, there are lots of options, but will be very budget dependent - loft conversion, rear extension, squaring off the frontage etc…
I would defiitely be looking at the local plan and doing some local research, that land behind looks a definite possibility for development, which given there is a ready made access next door, would worry me, even if you were not fussed about losing the view, particularly given the comment in the agent’s notes about an uplift clause being required for granting future access to the rear - sounds like it’s a live issue.
Cow Corner said:
Is that amount of land feasible for donkeys? The paddock bit can only be circa 0.2 acres max - can see it being stripped bare and a mudbath very quickly in the winter.
We let a neighbour keep donkeys on one of our fields and they stripped it bare in a matter of weeks, including stripping bark off trees and even eating the gate!
In terms of extending, there are lots of options, but will be very budget dependent - loft conversion, rear extension, squaring off the frontage etc…
I would defiitely be looking at the local plan and doing some local research, that land behind looks a definite possibility for development, which given there is a ready made access next door, would worry me, even if you were not fussed about losing the view, particularly given the comment in the agent’s notes about an uplift clause being required for granting future access to the rear - sounds like it’s a live issue.
We let a neighbour keep donkeys on one of our fields and they stripped it bare in a matter of weeks, including stripping bark off trees and even eating the gate!
In terms of extending, there are lots of options, but will be very budget dependent - loft conversion, rear extension, squaring off the frontage etc…
I would defiitely be looking at the local plan and doing some local research, that land behind looks a definite possibility for development, which given there is a ready made access next door, would worry me, even if you were not fussed about losing the view, particularly given the comment in the agent’s notes about an uplift clause being required for granting future access to the rear - sounds like it’s a live issue.
I had no idea donkey's were that destructive!
Cow Corner said:
I would defiitely be looking at the local plan and doing some local research, that land behind looks a definite possibility for development, which given there is a ready made access next door, would worry me, even if you were not fussed about losing the view, particularly given the comment in the agent’s notes about an uplift clause being required for granting future access to the rear - sounds like it’s a live issue.
Seems an odd clause to include given the easiest access would surely be the massive access lane next door to the property or straight off the A15...Probably the simplest way, but not cheapest, would be to fill in the L shape to make the footprint more of a square.
Swap the dining room of sitting room around to create the kitchen diner space. At the front have a massive lounge or create another room, maybe office type thing.
4th bedroom above,
Not cheap and as already said, if you can afford to do that you might be better buying a house closer to what you want.
As for donkeys, you need around 0.5 acres per donkey and I bet none of you pr neighbours would thank you for the noise.
Swap the dining room of sitting room around to create the kitchen diner space. At the front have a massive lounge or create another room, maybe office type thing.
4th bedroom above,
Not cheap and as already said, if you can afford to do that you might be better buying a house closer to what you want.
As for donkeys, you need around 0.5 acres per donkey and I bet none of you pr neighbours would thank you for the noise.
Cow Corner said:
Damn... skeeterm5 said:
Probably the simplest way, but not cheapest, would be to fill in the L shape to make the footprint more of a square.
Swap the dining room of sitting room around to create the kitchen diner space. At the front have a massive lounge or create another room, maybe office type thing.
4th bedroom above,
Not cheap and as already said, if you can afford to do that you might be better buying a house closer to what you want.
As for donkeys, you need around 0.5 acres per donkey and I bet none of you pr neighbours would thank you for the noise.
Really, I wasn't aware of that... Actually that should probably say, I have zoned out when Mrs Megaflow has been going on about Donkey's. That saves me some money then!Swap the dining room of sitting room around to create the kitchen diner space. At the front have a massive lounge or create another room, maybe office type thing.
4th bedroom above,
Not cheap and as already said, if you can afford to do that you might be better buying a house closer to what you want.
As for donkeys, you need around 0.5 acres per donkey and I bet none of you pr neighbours would thank you for the noise.
Yep, this, I'd do a double height extension to fill in the front, upstairs will accommodate the new bedroom with en-suite. Remove the utility and put the front door on that side wall with nice porch - you're entering the house from the driveway anyway so it makes more sense for it to be there and you'd have lost the existing poorly located front door with the extension. Then use the room marked "Dining Room" as the formal living room, open up the kitchen to the room marked "Living Room" as an open plan kitchen/diner/casual lounging area, and you've then also got a new room on the ground floor in the extension to use as a study/whatever else you'd use a bonus room for (kids play room, gaming room, whatever).
Nice house, good luck securing it. Looks like it'll make a lovely home.
Nice house, good luck securing it. Looks like it'll make a lovely home.
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Any planning in for behind/that access patch to the side?
Prime new build estate.
It's the middle of nowhere (IMHO), and I'm sure the OP's solicitors would uncover any plans for animal rendering plants on that field before purchase.Prime new build estate.
Can we stick to the OP's question please, I expect he's considered the location carefully already.
Skodillac said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Any planning in for behind/that access patch to the side?
Prime new build estate.
It's the middle of nowhere (IMHO), and I'm sure the OP's solicitors would uncover any plans for animal rendering plants on that field before purchase.Prime new build estate.
Can we stick to the OP's question please, I expect he's considered the location carefully already.
To my eye, it's like a lot of semi rural 3 bed houses.
Small rooms upstairs.
You could spend £200k 'improving' it, extension etc, but then it would be too big for the plot and you'd have increased its value by £100k tops.
The plot is narrow, your garage etc is crowding the house and dominating the view out the back.
Extending the house will make that worse.
Plot is too small for more than a couple of wabbits, but will make a decent garden in 5 years with some ££ and hours.
It's an OK house, but I've seen a depressing number of houses like this which have been badly 'modernised' and extended on a limited budget.
There's more potential if you can find one which needs work to make it habitable for £100k less, then proper spending is worth while.
better to buy it and enjoy it as it is (i.e. no more than decoration) than spend the prime of your life on some half-baked 'upgrade'.
Small rooms upstairs.
You could spend £200k 'improving' it, extension etc, but then it would be too big for the plot and you'd have increased its value by £100k tops.
The plot is narrow, your garage etc is crowding the house and dominating the view out the back.
Extending the house will make that worse.
Plot is too small for more than a couple of wabbits, but will make a decent garden in 5 years with some ££ and hours.
It's an OK house, but I've seen a depressing number of houses like this which have been badly 'modernised' and extended on a limited budget.
There's more potential if you can find one which needs work to make it habitable for £100k less, then proper spending is worth while.
better to buy it and enjoy it as it is (i.e. no more than decoration) than spend the prime of your life on some half-baked 'upgrade'.
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