Adding a bedroom

[peak man]

I wonder if I might ask the group's advice.

I live in a very small detached house in the High Peak. It's a converted barn and is effectively a box measuring around 7 metres x 14 metres. It's actually around the same size as most 2-up 2-down terraces, although has a strange extension on the side which houses the stairs and front door, which makes it look larger.

Upstairs is an open plan kitchen/living room. Downstairs are two bedrooms

• a bathroom. Outside is a small garden and off-road drive.

The largest bedroom has an on-suite bathroom which has fallen out of use because of a few plumbing problems (instead I use the main bathroom).

I'm thinking of altering downstairs so it has three bedrooms which, to quote estate agent speak, will be "medium sized" (they'll hold a double bed + a few pieces of furniture at a push). I'll remove the on-suite.

Trouble is that the only way I can make the alterations is to have the door for the new bedroom leading off from one of the current bedrooms.

So my questions are:

1) Bearing in mind this is a small house which best suits a professional couple or, at a push, a young family, will adding a third bedroom increase the value of the house?

2) Will people be put off by having to go through one bedroom to get to another?

3) Will I have to seek planning permission to do all this?

Many thanks in anticipation.

Dave

[Richard Faulkner]

In message , peak man writes

Probably not

Yes - in a big way

Dont know, call the planners and ask.

With the limited info provided - you would be better advised to get the ensuite working with the money you are planning o spend on the conversion.

[Martin]

----- Original Message ----- From: "peak man" Newsgroups: uk.d-i-y Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2004 12:09 PM Subject: Adding a bedroom

Not sure but removing the on-suite will reduce the value.

Yes, and this could be a fire hazard so you will difinitally need a fire escape from that room, what if a fire starts in the room you have to pass through to get out?

I dont think you will need planning permission but you will definitally need Building Regs to cover the fire hazard mentioned above.

[Owain]

"peak man" wrote | I live in a very small detached house in the High Peak. | It's a converted barn and is effectively a box measuring around | 7 metres x 14 metres. It's actually around the same size as most | 2-up 2-down terraces, although has a strange extension on the | side which houses the stairs and front door, which makes it | look larger. | Upstairs is an open plan kitchen/living room. Downstairs are two | bedrooms + a bathroom. Outside is a small garden and off-road drive. | The largest bedroom has an on-suite bathroom which has fallen out of | use because of a few plumbing problems (instead I use the main bathroom). | I'm thinking of altering downstairs so it has three bedrooms which, to | quote estate agent speak, will be "medium sized" (they'll hold a double | bed + a few pieces of furniture at a push). I'll remove the on-suite. | Trouble is that the only way I can make the alterations is to have the | door for the new bedroom leading off from one of the current bedrooms. | So my questions are: | 1) Bearing in mind this is a small house which best suits a professional | couple or, at a push, a young family, will adding a third bedroom increase | the value of the house?

Probably not IMHO. Bear in mind too that a 3-bedroom house will definately want more than one loo/bathroom. Prof. couples would definately be looking for an en-suite whether the property is 2- or 3-bed.

| 2) Will people be put off by having to go through one bedroom to get to | another?

Very very much so, in fact I would say it makes it almost useless as a bedroom.

If the en-suite is on the large side, you might be able to build a sud wall to partition it and open up doorways from the bedroom into the void to give built-in wardrobes, as it sounds as though the existing bedrooms aren't over-generously sized. (Although logically the master bedroom would benefit most, walk-in wardrobes on either bedroom would be beneficial).

Owain

[p00kie]

1. Possibly
2. Probably
3. Unless listed, unlikely.