Convert Bathroom to Bedroom in 3 bed semi

Caolan

Hey,

Looking for some practical advice. Currently live in a standard 1100q ft 3 bed semi in a Dublin Suburb. We are currently outgrowing the house (2ad and 4 kids). We have been looking at options to move but for one reason or another we are tied to our home and can't move elsewhere (we have tried everything with the bank) -so we need to do something to reconfigure.

We have had a look at a double height extension on the rear of the house, but would be concerned regarding getting planning and also the effect it could have on our neighbours (it would block light to their bedroom and also to their own single storey rear sunroom/extension)

I then looked at an attic conversion and have had a few people to look at it. Its a 'hipped' roof and nobody seems convinced it would work that well to convert (stairs would need to go through the box room wall making it too small). Also, in an estate of approx 200 houses, I can't see anyone who has converted even with a dormer/roof conversion

Thats left me thinking of what we could do to get another bedroom. I was thinking of:

1. converting the main bathroom into a bedroom.
2. relocate the main bathroom between the master/2nd bedroom by merging the hot press/ensuite and maybe a couple sq foot of the 2nd bedroom. I would need to move hot water cylinder to attic and move wardrobes in 2nd bedroom to other wall. We would definitely lose our hoppers (not really used) and probably the en suite too.

Has anyone ever come across this before? Is it a stupid idea?

Wheety

I can't help you with bigger options but as inch counts would you consider a combi boiler? We have one and there is no need for a hot water cylinder/hot press. You could put the boiler in the attic and that would free up some room.

Dardania

Wheety wrote: »

I can't help you with bigger options but as inch counts would you consider a combi boiler? We have one and there is no need for a hot water cylinder/hot press. You could put the boiler in the attic and that would free up some room.

Co,bi boilers are great at alleviating the space used up by a hotpress, but don't forget that you'd need to find somewhere to store the stuff in the hot press too..

Have you considered:
- converting the front sitting room (presuming you have this if it's a standard 3 bed semi) intp a bedroom.
- rearranging the living pace to the rear downstairs, perhaps with an extension similar to your neighbours?

Could be an opportunity to put in a utility room or similar if you don't have, which would be handy with a growing family.
And also, it would be easy to convert back to a sitting room as the family move out in years (decades) to come

OP, moving a bathroom can be a pig of a job when considering soil stacks, digging up floor if neccessary...

Dudda

I don't like the sound of what you're proposing. Do you have plans of the house? If it was recently built you might be able to get them from the local planning website.
Without seeing any plans it's impossible to say what will and won't work. Moving all that around could end up with a tiny box room that will be too small and an undersized family bathroom for your needs. You could easily end up in a worse position having spent a lot of money.

I'd strongly recommend booking one hour with a local architect who can go through all your options and give advice.

Sometimes you can get an hour with an architect very cheap eg http://www.simonopendoor.ie/ and could be the best money you've spent. Bring the plans, lots of photos, pictures of buildings you like, etc.

They'll look at all options for example it might be an option to extend a single storey out the back which could be a sitting room allowing an existing sitting room to be a bedroom or something.

Caolan

Thanks for the responses everyone.

A combi boiler sounds like it would solve the relocation the the cylinder problem if we do relocate the main bathroom.

As for layout- we would be looking to also do a ground floor extension at the back of the house to incorporate an enlarged kitchen/living space. This would give us a separate living room and then kitchen/living area separate.

Someone mentioned putting a bedroom downstairs - to be honest its not something I'm comfortable with to have one of the kids downstairs with their bedroom beside the living room(s), plus the idea of building a ground floor extension is that we have additional living space so sa the kids get older they have their own space.

Its getting a bedroom somewhere thats the problem hence my question about renovating the upstairs and moving bathroom. I suspected I might need to speak to an architect, but was just wondering if anyone had heard of someone reusing a bathroom as a bedroom etc before.