Your thoughts ? Adding value to 1930's built Tudor

[Hypnotic Cat]

Hi forum,
I'm looking at the possibility of purchasing a 3 BR place built around 1930, on about 600m2. Looks pretty good structurally but interior looks like it hasn't been updated since about 1975. Smelly old axminster throughout (wooden boards underneath), kitchen is 35+ yrs old and needs to be replaced. Bathroom is functional but will need updating later.

What would be your suggestions for adding value?

Also I have some concern about the 2 BR and 3BR study layout, the way they are linked together making it difficult to use as 2 separate bedrooms.

I'm interested to see if you think the same as me or have different ideas.

thanks in advance

 

[DaveM]

Voila, your awkward 2.5 bedroom 1 living area house is now a 3br 2 living area house.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mlnqzbri1ar5go4/floorplan_hypnotic.gif

 

[travelbug]

That's a great idea Dave.

if you wanted a quick cheap fix you could enter bed 3 through the laundry and block up the other door. Not ideal but cheap and easy. Depends how much you want to spend.

 

[Hypnotic Cat]

Voila, your awkward 2.5 bedroom 1 living area house is now a 3br 2 living area house.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mlnqzbri1ar5go4/floorplan_hypnotic.gif

Hey Dave,
Thanks that's a good suggestion!
And thanks travelbug for your idea.
thanks again

 

[westminster]

I'm guessing bed 3 is called a study because it doesn't have a window and therefore isn't allowed to be a bedroom.

I'd do like Dave suggested and open that room right up and make a nice open plan area.

You could leave the kitchen where it is and open it up to the dining room and the new living area.

Turn the front lounge into a master bedroom and the old master into bed 3.

I wonder if there is some scope to turn the laundry into a bathroom/laundry combo so it's now a 3 bed 2 bath

 

[Tulamalula]

Turn the bedroom 3/study into the dining room, and the existing dining room becomes the third bedroom. Cost less as yo'd be keeping the kitchen where it is and won't have to replumb.

Where's the property? Looks like it has good bones.

 

[boxdog]

Absolutely recommend leaving the kitchen where it is to avoid replumbing. If you find that 4br houses in the area command enough extra, why not turn the study into the family/lounge area, drop off the wall between the kitchen and that, and then the front lounge into the master bedroom AND the room between into bedroom #4?

 

[DaveM]

Replumbing a house on piers/dwarf walls isnt expensive at all. Certainly not enough to compromise a layout over. Slab is a different matter.

 

[wylie]

DaveM has done a great job of giving you three good sized bedrooms and two living areas.

If this was my house I'd go even further to DaveM's plan and swap the formal lounge and bedroom 3. That way you could remove all the walls separating what is bed 3/kitchen/family in his drawing to make one huge open plan living area (if this is your aim). It also means if you ever add a deck or further living area to the rear of the house, all your living spills out to this new area.

I'd also look at swapping the toilet in the laundry and make that a shower and put the toilet backing onto bed 2 in the laundry. That gives you two bathrooms and the washing machine/dryer/tub could back onto the wall with the door to give you drying room.

Of course, all this comes at a cost, but this is what I'd do if I was living there.

DaveM... I'd love to know how you did that drawing, what programme? I want to draw up a house and would love to put it to the forum for similar ideas.

 

[wylie]

Replumbing a house on piers/dwarf walls isnt expensive at all. Certainly not enough to compromise a layout over. Slab is a different matter.

Agree with this too. If it is on stumps (which it sounds like it is with the mention of timber floors beneath the carpet) then moving the plumbing is not a big cost, especially if you can make it work better.

 

[esdarch]

I do not prefer Dave plan which have been separated 3 beds to 3 corners of the house, a formal living is waste space and blend the noisy/ quiet zones.


I'll convert lounge to a Bed 3, kitchen at wall between existing lounge/dining facing backyard. Existing Bed 2/3 + Laundry reorganises to an Ensuite. Therefore you have you open living/ kitchen connect to private open space at backyard and can add decking/ sunroom etc later. Also the quiet zone (Beds) separates from the active one (Living/Kitchen).

 

[Hypnotic Cat]

Hi,
Thanks for some really great suggestions there everyone. One thing I should mention is this property has no backyard to speak of - just a back verandah about 2.5m wide - as the land was sub-divided and another property built on the back.

However, the remaining block still has over 600m2, a lot of it being at the front of the property and about a 9m strip on the left side. (pic attached)

This would mean any decking, pergola or extension area would have to be on the Bed 2 side of the house, somewhat limiting the extension options.

 

[Angel]

I would put a deck on the northern side behind the carport, off the living room and kitchen. You can make a garden on the southern side. Or put a deck on both sides. Put a covered deck on the "sunniest in Summer" side to shade the walls and keep house a bit cooler.

That little arrow pointing to north makes all the difference.

 

[Hypnotic Cat]

That little arrow pointing to north makes all the difference.

Thanks Angel,
Yes I agree, knowing the north aspect makes a big difference, especially in winter when the sun is at a low angle. My last home had the majority of windows in the living spaces facing north. It made the house very bright and much warmer in winter.