Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Apr 20, 2015 12:17 pm We're planning to extend and renovate our house and I thought I'd post the proposed plans for others to comment on. We've lived in the house for 15 years and love the location so we don't want to move. The house was built in the 1980's (probably as a kit home) and has a suspended floor 1m above ground. The house is only 7m wide and only the front and back walls are supporting, there are no internal supporting walls. We are trying to achieve an open floor plan living area, a large pantry and master closet, a larger ensuite and renovation of the existing bathroom and ensuite. Existing plan: Proposed plan: Only my husband and myself live in the house so we may use bed 2 as a tv room with a fold-down couch for additional guests. Thoughts? Any comments appreciated. Michelle Renovation Plan - comments? 2Apr 20, 2015 8:52 pm Hi! That's a massive reno you have planned there! I like the look of it but have a couple of thoughts outside the floor plan. How much are you extending meterage wise? On first glance I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one structural wall through the middle (namely where the fireplace currently is!) That could kibosh your whole plan! Have you considered a knockdown rebuild? A cost comparison would be interesting! Re: Renovation Plan - comments? 3Apr 20, 2015 11:58 pm We're extending the house by 4.2m on one end or 29.4 sqm. I had a builder inspect it and he said that it's been built to put all the load on the front and back walls which are not being altered. The house is relatively simple with a gable at each end and cladding on the external walls so the extension involves removing the veranda, extending out following the existing roof line and then reinstating the veranda. The reno is designed so we can start at one end and work through the house in sections with a budget of around 100k. We did consider a KDR but it would have been considerably more expensive. Re: Renovation Plan - comments? 4Apr 22, 2015 7:41 am Which way is north? Will it affect natural light? Are there any views outside? Gardens etc. Any outdoor living areas like bbq, lounges, etc? Have you decluttered yet? That makes a massive difference to a house feeling 'bigger'. Re: Renovation Plan - comments? 5Apr 22, 2015 9:41 am The rear of the house is north. There are no windows on the end of the house which is being extended. The house is in the middle of a 25 acre block so there are nice views in all directions as well as a pool on the north side of the house. Ah decluttering - we do regularly clear out but there's always more that can go. I'm trying to incorporate built - in storage so we can put everything possible away out of sight. Renovation Plan - comments? 6Apr 22, 2015 11:35 am A few ideas... - if you make the verandah deeper on at the rear/north/top of page, that'll reduce natural light in winter and provide less passive solar heat gain. Clear roofing over sections above windows will help provide more light. - if the fireplace was relocated backing onto the wall of the master bedroom it'll provide a LOT of warmth overnight from the stone/brick hearth. Your idea looks like you'd use the same hole in roof for chimney. - I'd move the master bedroom into the corner. It'll allow you to have panoramic corner views from South and West sides in the bedroom. Light from two directions always feels nicer than just one side (esp if it's south facing). Put the WIR between Master & lounge room for better noise isolation (two doors, more distance). Renovation Plan - comments? 7Apr 22, 2015 12:16 pm Whats the size of the island bench? Is the bench top all one height? (more usable when single height). Don't skimp on size or surface material as its your primary bench space. Simply making it 100-200mm longer & deeper will make a very noticeable difference. Re: Renovation Plan - comments? 8Apr 23, 2015 8:05 pm Another idea that friends did.... Combine Bedroom 3 & 4 to make a master bedroom, and turn study into a huge Walk in robe. Update bathroom/laundry. Turn the old Master BR into TV/Guest room. Just an idea... Re: Renovation Plan - comments? 9Apr 26, 2015 12:17 pm Thanks for the replies. We are currently on day 6 without power, landline or mobile after the Hunter Valley storms so I've had difficulty accessing the Internet. The island bench is 2m*1.2m wide. The width is the maximum we can have without a join & the length is the max we can have while maintaining walkways. Thanks for all the ideas. Re: Renovation Plan - comments? 10Apr 28, 2015 12:57 am I think I agree having the bedroom in the corner would be much nicer. Having a window in the dressing room would be nice also since you have no close neighbours. Personally I prefer plain islands in the kitchen so I'd move the sink to the north wall and add a window, and move the cooktop to the back wall. Maybe add a door to the minor bedroom wings to keep the heat in the living area? Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ This is a very tight fit, I'm not sure if you'll be able to achieve what you've described. Would you consider accessing the separate toilet from the laundry? If so maybe… 1 11228 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 5419 Coming back to your old stomping grounds, huh? Renovations on a budget can be quite the journey. It's like giving your house a new lease on life. The twist of not knowing… 1 3457 |