Reno advice needed - 1st investment property

Hi,

Just exchanged the contracts on my first investment property. Will get possession on about 16th DEC :)

Went over to the house today and measured up so I could plan my reno's HAVE A LOOK BELOW TO SEE WHAT I CAME UP WITH - PLEASE COMMENT & TELL ME HOW TO IMPROVE THIS DESIGN>>>>

My Goals:
> Increase Value / Build Equity
> Increase Potential Rental Income
> Time Frame 4-6wks

Reno Finishing Quality:
> Med-High

My Concerns:
> Bedrooms are small
> Have to move the front door to the side by approx 30cm to allow 3 Bedrooms.
> Not much storage room, i.e no Linen cupboard, there will be a cupboard behind the door in the kitchen, I guess that can be for linen?
> The laundry room is outside/downstairs under the proposed living areas at back of house, is large room with plenty space for storage. But its outside! is this detrimental for renting?

Budget: $40K
> Plan do almost everything myself except Plumbing & Electrical
> Some asbestos may need to be removed
> Also there is a fair bit of plastering work to be done, so ill probably look to fix the sheets but contract the pros to Set & Finish it.
> Get flat packed Kitchen from Bunnings?



NOTE:
> The existing layout is in grey on the left hand side.

PKlD
 
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The main problem I have is the size of the rooms have shrunk and I hate hallways as they are a waste of space.
Would it be better to leave the existing living room as it is,except of course turn it into a bedroom and access to the porch through that door?
Do you really need a toilet near the kitchen,could this not be utilized into a pantry and the area next to it is for the laundry if tenants want?
 
Hi, hate to say it but you will have difficulty renting a place with a main bedroom 2.7 X 2.9. I'm assuming that includes the wardrobe so it's not long enough to fit in a queen size bed. They are 210 long and that's only the mattress and the wardrobe is at least 60cm deep, leaving 20cm between the bed and the wardobe (if anything). Where do they put the dresser?

I would not do that. You could move the kitchen to the dining room and knock the wall out between the ounge kitchen?

The toilet is weird. Take out the nib wall beside the toilet and turn it 90 degrees. Block up the bnack door then you have a decent wall to put a long cupboard (1.8?).

Your budget will also be less than half.

You could also (if you move the kitchen) remove the nib wall from the kitchen and study. If you move the bathroom door then you have nother area outside the bathroom for a cupboard for linen etc. A bit more work but doable. Put in a cavity slider to save space in the bathroom.

That's what I'd do anyway. Good luck.
 
Unless your targeting students, I'd keep it as a 2 bedda.
It's just too small to turn into a comfortable 3 bed without extending, or major structural modifications
Is there a laundry?
 
I'd like yo add that two kids rooms being small is ok
But the main bedroom has yo be a bit bigger for the parents

Especially with no ensuite or bir
 
Hi onloop,

Firstly,I agree with all the op's comments.

Your current layout would need less work that what your proposing to do.

How much rent do you expect to gain after reno?

Existing plan:With the current layout,maybe knock out the wall between the kitchen and living room and have an open plan.
As well as knocking out that wall,maybe get rid of the toilet and extend the kitchen.
Plenty of room in study for toilet and laundry.
Turn dining room into bedroom 3.
Maybe add sliding doors in living room for access to carport.

Altered plan:

Toilet next to the kitchen?Yuk!

If you were to go down this route,i'd extend bathroom to toilet.

Get rid of the laundry in the kitchen and add laundry to bathroom.

Have a straight line ktchen up against the bathroom with double door opening onto balcony.

Laundry currently under proposed living area,maybe that could be turned into another bedroom?



My 2 cents,

Cheers Spades.
 
Hi, hate to say it but you will have difficulty renting a place with a main bedroom 2.7 X 2.9. I'm assuming that includes the wardrobe so it's not long enough to fit in a queen size bed. They are 210 long and that's only the mattress and the wardrobe is at least 60cm deep, leaving 20cm between the bed and the wardobe (if anything). Where do they put the dresser?

Hi Travelbug, thanks for your input. Please note the measurements shown for each bedroom DOES NOT include the ROBE (robe is 600mm deep). The dimensions shown are the usable floor space only.

Does that make a difference in your mind? or still too small?

The drawing is to scale & the 'purple rectangle' is a bed at 2.1m long X 1.7m Wide. This is the size of our 'largish' timber queen bed frame.

ALSO: the ceilings are 3m high if that helps make it FEEL bigger?

P.S. that toilet is weird!! :confused: but figure didnt want to spend money moving it around so maybe just leave it?
 
The main problem I have is the size of the rooms have shrunk and I hate hallways as they are a waste of space.
Would it be better to leave the existing living room as it is,except of course turn it into a bedroom and access to the porch through that door?
Do you really need a toilet near the kitchen,could this not be utilized into a pantry and the area next to it is for the laundry if tenants want?

I did think about this, but is it weird not having a front door? Or having a front door that leads to b/room, anyone coming to the house will knock on your bedroom door?

Toilet is already there, so figure don't spend coin modifying it?? I also think two toilets is nice.

The pantry in kitchen should be enough? big 1000x1000 corner unit?
 
Unless your targeting students, I'd keep it as a 2 bedda.
It's just too small to turn into a comfortable 3 bed without extending, or major structural modifications
Is there a laundry?

Yes, there is a large laundry underneath house (under where the proposed living room is) but it is outside. however is In lockable room with window & full size door etc.
 
Hi SPADES (and others commentators) thanks for your time & input. I really appreciate this.


Hi onloop,

Firstly,I agree with all the op's comments.

Your current layout would need less work that what your proposing to do.

How much rent do you expect to gain after reno?

Its current rental return as a 2BED is $350pw. I estimate at least $450 as 3bd & open plan with new bathroom & kitchen

Existing plan:With the current layout,maybe knock out the wall between the kitchen and living room and have an open plan.
As well as knocking out that wall,maybe get rid of the toilet and extend the kitchen.
Plenty of room in study for toilet and laundry.
Turn dining room into bedroom 3.
Maybe add sliding doors in living room for access to carport.

Yes, ill try this it seems like it might work.



Altered plan:

Toilet next to the kitchen?Yuk!

If you were to go down this route,i'd extend bathroom to toilet.

Get rid of the laundry in the kitchen and add laundry to bathroom.

Have a straight line ktchen up against the bathroom with double door opening onto balcony.

Laundry currently under proposed living area,maybe that could be turned into another bedroom?

The toilet is already there & technically it's not opening into the kitchen as there is another door, but i agree its a bit weird, however I would think having two toilets is beneficial for rental properties and it cost nothing to leave it??

What do you mean when you say "get rid of laundry in the kitchen"? Can you please comment further?

Unfortunately the ceiling in the downstairs area is too low for a bedroom, but seems ok for laundry.
 
I like what you are trying to do with the back of the house and the deck.


Could you keep your proposed design, but move the front door to the side where the toilet is - you could take out the toilet and create an entry area with a side storage cupboard.

Remove some of the proposed hallway at the front - built in robe for the front left bedroom moved to this space - hallway starting where the bedroom doors are. This would make the usable space in the master bedroom a bit bigger, and also possibly allow access through a cavity slider into the bathroom - two way bathroom.


I like the idea of bifold doors out to the deck - could make the living area look bigger.
 
I think making the dining into a bedroom closes it off too much and the toilet area is very small. Can't see how a kitchen would fit.

By weird toilet I mean a waste of space. It wouldn't cost much to just turn it sideways, and remove the small side wall. That way you have a big area that is at the moment unutilised because of the 3 doors.

Having 2 bedrooms and a study is OK I think.

Yes having the extra 600ml on the end is good but still nowhere for a dressing table or dawers.

Is still like my idea best (of course). ;)
 
OK so made some changes..... i tried putting bedroom where the proposed lounge was but just didn't work nicely...

WITH THIS LAYOUT THE ROOMS ARE BIGGER NOW, however the configuration is basically the same.

NOTE:
> now i don't have to relocate the front door, it saves money.
> But do need to knock down a structual wall and install beam, this will allow longer room.
> bathroom at front of house is a bit weird???
> hallway is kinky.... :p

THOUGHTS?

S_9g
 
I think you are going to spend a lot of money (most walls are either being removed or moved) to achieve very little.

In the end you'll have 2 smaller bedrooms and a room a little bigger than the study you already have. There is a lot of wasted space used in the hallway.

You could put a single bed in the study if need be.

For very little outlay you could move the kitchen to the dining room, Open up the lounge to where the kitchen is now. That will be a nice lounge dining.
Also what I suggested with the toilet area making that usefull.

The area I mentioned by moving the bathroom door is wrong (bedroom door in the way).

I'm guessing you have your heart set on having the living area at the back? But will it achieve the extra rent and equity? First impression walking in- bathroom and long hallway, small bedrooms.
 
How about you just knock out the wall in between the living and kitchen and have the kitchen down the wall. I agree that to walk in the front door and the first thing you see is the kitchen, but it will open this space up significantly.

Which ones are the load bearing walls. This could determine which walls you knock down and which ones you don't.

You are looking for this project to be a buy-reno-hold (equity gain and increased rent) or buy-reno-sell.

What city is it in??
 
What about doing as suggested and opening up the lounge/kitchen, but also moving the bathroom to where the dining currently is. Might give you a large room at the back.
 
Buy-reno-hold.

Want/Need to build max equity.

Block is 822sqm.

Planning to build GF or another house in back yard and subdivide.

Suburb: Highfields (Newcastle)
 
>tried to keep as many walls as possible.
>tried to maximize bedroom size

NOTE:
>red wall is load bearing
>blue walls indicated use of existing walls


3Ofq
 
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