Losing Dining Room for Bedroom

[Snickers]

I have a ground floor 1 bedroom flat converted from victoiran semi-detached house.

I would like to make this 2 bedrooms.

The layout is HALLWAY, with LOUNGE at front, then Bedroom, the hall leads into dining room which leads to kitchen which leads to lobby and then tiolet and bathroom.

I would like to make the dining from the kitchen, the kitchen the bathroom and then create lobby and bathroom into 2nd bedroom.

Is this likey to add or lose value to the flat?

 

[Steve]

draw a plan in MS paint and host it as a jpeg on imageshack, and we'll let you know.

 

[Snickers]

whats imageshack?[/img]

 

[Steve]

www.imageshack.us

post your pictures there and then copy one of the links it gives you, and put it in a reply on this forum.

 

[Snickers]

 

[Snickers]

hope thats clear...well clear ish

 

[Snickers]

does my plan make any sense?

 

[Static]

Is it freehold or leasehold?
Its likely to cost more money that it will add.
What about partitioning off the dining room and extend the hallway down to the kitchen, then make the remainder of the dining room a bedroom...if it has a window in there.
A large 1 bed flat costs the same as a small 2 bedroom flat.

 

[Snickers]

its leasehold, although have spoke to freeholder, and his happy for any changes.
That does make more sense , and will still be good size bedrrom and will have the window, ' thank you'

Having to rent room out, which would be front room as bedroom, but as its largest room in house, not 100% happy in losing it.

There is also the possiblity of opening up between the bedroom and lounge (where stairs go upstairs to flat above to create a 2nd tiolet or storage cupboard)

 

[Static]

What are you trying to do? get the largest resale value or put flat onto rental market? If its to get rented out whats your target rental market?
Students will sleep in small box rooms, whereas families and buisiness people want larger rooms.

 

[Snickers]

just renting a room, i still will live there, but as busted my bank balance to get it i will have to rent a room, so either make lounge the bedroom or create dining room into bedroom (per your suggestion) to cover the cost of mortgage. Will be to young professional like myself

So wanting to rent room out while there which will have biggest impact on value of property long term.

The longue is 14ft5 by 12ft 7, so not bad size.
the dining room is 12ft 11 by 11 ft, so would be about 12ft by 8ish if partiioned off.

so it is either make longue temp bedroom to rent out or convert dining room to bedroom if it adds value

 

[Static]

Or, if kitchen is big enough - ie kitchen-diner size, split the dining room, move into the lounge and rent out the other 2 bedrooms. Then when you sell move back into your old bedroom.
11x8' is a sellable size for a doubel room.

 

[Snickers]

not big enough, im afraid, kictchen is 11ft by 5ft 6, so quite narrow.

but your idea is ideal regarding dining room into bedroom.

Will solve my problem, and hopefully add a little bit of value.

the only other issue there may be, where the hallway would go, there is a chinmey breast there.

Not sure could do anything to this without affecting upstairs flat?

 

[Static]

You could remove the ground floor section of the chimney and place a steel beam just below the first floor to support the load from above. Course you would need party wall notices done, but if you are on good terms with your upstairs neighbour its not normally a problem.
I asked about lease/freehold because you really should check the wording of your lease, it may contain clauses about number of bedroom allowed and sub-letting.
If you want to let the new bedroom you should keep the large lounge as it will make life more bareable and you can charge a larger rent.

Your other cheapest option is make the lounge a bedroom and the dinning room a lounge.

 

[Snickers]

does mention subletting as well on lease, the freeholder lives in Aus, so wont be any checks but would have to expalin second bedroom, which will be easy enough

Upstairs and next door, wall is wall adjustent to house next door, oh dear oh dear.

may be easier doing original plan, and living with smaller lounge.

really does depend if making dining room a bedroom will pay for itself, with extra costs of chimney etc.....