Converting 3bdr to 4bdr

[TMNT]

Can anybody point me in the right direction

I feel that I could make the lounge into a 4th bdr
thus reducing the living room to 3.9x4.3m

would this be big enough?

property price is approx $170k, me thinks after reno and 4th bdr, $220k-$240k

would it be a simply case of putting in a wall and door? so lets say 1 full day of labour + materials, for arguments sake, $300 materials, $500 labour +$200 misc

 

[westminster]

So bedroom at the front of the house? You only need the bedroom to be 4.3 x 3. Give as much space to lounge as possible

I would knock down the wall between the new living and the kitchen too

It would make a small lounge room and there really isn't enough room for a dining table. It would be 4.5 x 4.3 in my scenario.

Considering it's now a 4 bedroom house I think people would expect an area where they can dine.

 

[western_sydney]

Is there a toilet in the main bathroom? Unfortunate that the kitchen or living space doesn't open directly out to the undercover area.

 

[DaveM]

You could put in a 4th bedroom off the hall (convert bottom of lounge room) but it will make the lounge and dining combined tiny). Fine if you just want to cram in extra bedrooms for student accomodation etc but you also need to consider the ratio of the house to living area... a 4 bedder will be a family with kids property who will not accept a postage stamped combined lounge/dining.

 

[geoffw]

If you up bifold doors in, in conjunction with a wall, you could make it flexible. It could be a bedroom, extra living area, or cinema room. Some tenants won't want the extra bedroom but would be glad of the extra living area.

An extra bedroom may attract tenants with more kids and you may not want that.

It depends on where the property is and the type of tenants who would be looking. It may be that you are better off leaving it as is. It's no good making it so that you can rent it out for more but not be able to attract tenants easily.

 

[TMNT]

thanks everyone, im happy to post the link if anybody wants to have a look at it since its going to auction,

same thoughts as everyone else
its an area with a lot of investor occupiers

im thinking the partition option is good,

im just trying to get everyones opinion, if it was permanent, is a 4bdr with small lounge no dining better then a 3bdr with large lounge that they can use as a dining

im not sure how you would open up the wall between the kitchen and lounge, even if you knocked that bit of the wall down, youd only get 2m max, which isnt much

 

[DaveM]

Quarter walls with bifolds is a good compromise like geoffw suggested. Put them 3m from the front of the house, you could also punch a door through to the hallway while you are at it which gives you the ultimate flexibility as it firstly opens up the lounge room if used as a large lounge/dining, and provides a sepearate entrance for bedroom 4 if the bifolds are permanently closed up.

 

[westminster]

thanks everyone, im happy to post the link if anybody wants to have a look at it since its going to auction,

im not sure how you would open up the wall between the kitchen and lounge, even if you knocked that bit of the wall down, youd only get 2m max, which isnt much

Those 2m are pretty critical if you are halving the living areas

 

[TMNT]

cheers everybody,

I like the thinking

I was thinking, seal off with bifold doors, install a door in the loungeside OR entrance side????

do you know how much these bifolds cost? and would it be bifolds from floor to ceiling? obviously if there was a gap up the top, not much security, and would you go permanenet or semi permanent

remove the 2m odd from kitchen, and possibly install a door to the laundry,

would you guys suggest to remove the wall of the toilet to open the laundry up?

 

[wylie]

Link to the actual photos would be good. I'm thinking why not enclose the undercover entertainment area and make that kitchen/living... but easier to judge if we can see the house.

What is the line between the undercover area and the carport? Is it a wall?

I agree with those who say that a four bedroom house needs a large liviung area, or two living areas, not a tiny single living area, so offering four bedrooms and only one bathroom and a tiny living area will not appeal to as many potential renters as three bedrooms and a good sized living area.

 

[nhg]

I like the bifolds idea.

On another note. That undercover entertainment area. Any chance of turning it into an independent living area (granny flat). Put up a couple of solid walls and a wet area (it's next to kitchen and bathroom already).

I'm assuming it's concrete slab.

 

[westminster]

cheers everybody,

I like the thinking

I was thinking, seal off with bifold doors, install a door in the loungeside OR entrance side????

do you know how much these bifolds cost? and would it be bifolds from floor to ceiling? obviously if there was a gap up the top, not much security, and would you go permanenet or semi permanent

remove the 2m odd from kitchen, and possibly install a door to the laundry,

would you guys suggest to remove the wall of the toilet to open the laundry up?

Another option:
If you kept it as a 3 bedroom but changed the layout you could make the bedroom in the front of the lounge then knock the wall out between the living and the study turning that into a living/meals. Then create a sliding door to the entertainment area from the old study area.
I doubt it would create much value though.

I'd love to see the link to the property to get a feel for it.

Instead of bifold I'd probably go cavity slider

 

[geoffw]

I have cavity sliders in my PPOR and I wouldn't do it again- that's why I went bifold in the IP. They come off the tracks, or the tracks bend, and you have maintenance.

They do however give you more usable wall space.

I wouldn't go to the ceiling. Normal door height is fine IMO.

 

[TMNT]

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-norlane-112806815

Here is the link everyone,

With regards to those cavity or bifold doors, wouldn't you actually get no privacy if you could hear over the top?

I have stayed at loft like places and everybody can hear what you get up to!

 

[DaveM]

Looking at that living room and the house in general, my gut tells me that its going to be too small as a 4 bedder.

To add value, westminster's suggestion of moving BR3 to the lounge room at front, and making the top half + old BR3 as living/dining leading out to the rear deck. Probably wouldnt really add enough rental value to make it worthwhile.

On another note. That undercover entertainment area. Any chance of turning it into an independent living area (granny flat). Put up a couple of solid walls and a wet area (it's next to kitchen and bathroom already).

I'm assuming it's concrete slab.

From the photos, its a decked floor and a pergola roof, which are nowhere near building code for a granny flat. You would need to fire proof the two dwellings, and the third bedroom/study would no longer be classed as a bedroom without a window.

 

[westminster]

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-norlane-112806815

Here is the link everyone,

With regards to those cavity or bifold doors, wouldn't you actually get no privacy if you could hear over the top?

I have stayed at loft like places and everybody can hear what you get up to!

I think they mean you will have wall above - i.e. put in a normal heigh door frame with stud wall above.

From the link it is crying out for a door from study to outside area. It's so unusable as it is.

I suspect that the air con system would need to be moved as well.

My gut feeling says it's not the right property to make a 4 bedder.

If I was to take a 5 minute stab at Norlane I would pick this one

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-norlane-111882391

I would carve off a block at the rear and sell it off - guessing $80k as I see some others for sale.

Little spruce up of the other house and continue to rent it out.

 

[TMNT]

I think they mean you will have wall above - i.e. put in a normal heigh door frame with stud wall above.

From the link it is crying out for a door from study to outside area. It's so unusable as it is.

I suspect that the air con system would need to be moved as well.

My gut feeling says it's not the right property to make a 4 bedder.

If I was to take a 5 minute stab at Norlane I would pick this one

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-norlane-111882391

I would carve off a block at the rear and sell it off - guessing $80k as I see some others for sale.

Little spruce up of the other house and continue to rent it out.

Hi Westminster

How do you tell if the block is subdivide able to sell the rear block, near maps is no longer free

 

[westminster]

Hi Westminster

How do you tell if the block is subdivide able to sell the rear block, near maps is no longer free

It was a big guess

Sorry this is where you have to do your homework. As I saw some people had sold off rear blocks and some listings stated duplex potential I guessed that there are some blocks with appropriate zoning to subdivide.

If the front house is placed well (googlemaps seemed to indicate it was) then I would talk to council and find out the zoning of the area.

Talk to Stacey Survey (on here) as they are a local Vic company and can probably estimate and do the work if you find it's a good option