Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Jun 16, 2012 11:48 pm Hi everyone, I have just found this forum, and am really hoping some of you very clever people can help us out. We have been planning, replanning, going ahead/ not going ahead, with our renovation plans, for 10 years. All we really wanted to do was nock down the old lean to laundry, and replace it with new laundry and second (small) bathroom.
Well, after talking to 3 architects and 4 different building companies , we have been convinced that the $ involved just to do that little bit (12m2), would make it a very expensive $per m2 renovation, and for "just a bit extra, we could add on a family room........... Given that we are a 5 bedroom house, with large yard and pool, but with a very small formal lounge and formal dining room, we decided they are probably right...not that we feel we need the extra room, but from a resale perspective.....it does make sense. It is a home for a biggish family. http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t418/conniefrancis68/?action=view¤t=IMAG0696.jpg We have a couple of problems...the house has already been extended into an L shape at the back, and currently has a pergola filling in the L, which overlooks the pool, which has another pergola which the kitchen looks out into. If we take the house all the way out, level with the kitchen, it means we have to completely refence the pool, and that means theres really is not enough space for access/walway. pLUS, refencing will be another bucketload of money we dont want to spend. I came up with the idea of the little inverted section, where our bifold doors could go. It means then we only need to add a gate and 1 fence panel, in line with the rest of the house, and it will be legal...and our view over the pool wont be obstructed by a fence. This way we still have easy acess to the pergola which will remain outside the kitchen. But if anyone has any ideas that we haven't already thought of, PLEASE tell me! Problem #2. Currently we have a spiral staircase in the corner of the kitchen, leading to 2 bedrooms upstairs. We have wanted to replace these for years, so now that we are extending the room, we will now have space. the 2 options suggested by the architect was up along the inside of the kithen wall, with return, and using the under stair storage as pantry cupboards, etc. see plan #1 http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t418/conniefrancis68/?action=view¤t=IMAG0696.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1058.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ft418%2Fconniefrancis68%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMAG0693.jpg The second option (plan #2) is putting the stairs in the small guest room, with the stairs would then poke through the wall into the kitchen..from the kitchen you would only see the return. Under stairs becomes storage for clothing, etc, and a bed could still fit along the external wall. It would be a very small room, but it really is only for the occassional guest, or could be a small study nook, etc. http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t418/conniefrancis68/?action=view¤t=IMAG0696.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1058.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ft418%2Fconniefrancis68%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMAG0694.jpg The 3rd problem relates to the position of the laundry and bathroom. We ere originally going to do an "all in one", as we dont believe we have space for the etra door to access them. Our original idea is on plan #3, across the end of the loungeroom wall (that wall faces west, so gets afternoon sun...thought the laundry could act as a bit of a buffer. This plan also gives us external access to the toilet from the poool area. But it means walking right through the middle of the family room to use all facilities. http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t418/conniefrancis68/?action=view¤t=IMAG0696.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1058.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ft418%2Fconniefrancis68%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMAG0695.jpg Plan 1 and 2 mean we have to walk through the bathroom to access the laundry..again , not ideal. The difference between the 2 is wether we recessed the toilet into the passage way or not?? Hope that some of this makes sense??? Its really doing my head in now!!! But finance is approved, and we have to make up our minds! . Re: Opinions/Suggestions on our planned extension 3Jun 17, 2012 10:38 pm In regards to your problem #2: I'd put the stairs in the kitchen wall, rather than taking up space in the guest room. The guest room would be practically unusable, and wouldn't qualify as a bedroom. As for #3, I don't think you've left enough room for the laundry. It seems like the depth of the laundry is 2m. This doesn't give much room for a tub, washing machine, and dryer (and also the door to the toilet). I'd be putting the toilet in with the shower - seems like you're wasting space for doors. If the depth is 2m, that is plenty for a shower and toilet next to each other (on the wall common with the other bathroom). If you've got an external door into the laundry, then you don't need another into the toilet. Hi, We have a single story MacDonald Jones house, on a waffle pod slab with steel frame. Are we able to build a second story extension? Other info is we are 900mm from… 0 8443 Hello Josh, This is Irving from PRIMA, we are a manufacturer of the staircase, railings, kitchen cabinets, windows, doors from China. If you have requirement to purchase… 0 5454 I would say both styles you have pictured are steel. The lower chord of the first pic would be a massive lump if made using timber considering the size of the rafters. If… 1 6138 |