Critique my floor plan

[Oz07]

Working with an existing footprint so want to keep the same size. 7.25 deep x 10.25 wide after dry lining internally. 

 

Want to keep front elevation symmetrical although not particularly fussed on elevation till I get floor plan sorted. Keeping option of 2nd floor open although highly unlikely will be used. 

 

Kitchen diner 3.2m x 8.4m

Utility 3.2 x 1.8

Lounge 4.5 x 3.9

Office 3.5 x 2.8

 

B1 4.5 x 3.6

B2 3.6 x 3.5

B3 3.6 x 3.2

B4 2.4 x 2.5

 

Rear is south, probably have big central doors in middle of that kitchen diner. Utility / plant room on opposite side of kitchen not ideal but dont actually go in there that much in current house for cooking related tasks. More to put washing on or get dog lead etc. Would likely jack and Jill downstairs cloakroom and put a shower in then would likely use b4 as study and gf study as b4. Handy for elderly relatives and keep guests out the way. Maybe need a pocket door?

 

I'm pretty pleased with it at end of the day I think there's only so much you can do with a 1600 odd sq ft box. Had planned to show robes in planning drawings for vat reclaim. Will likely exclude gf shower so planners don't think I'm going for 5 bed. Any other planning tips that you should show in drawings so can claim back?

[Mr Punter]

Where we are you have to have an accessible ground floor WC with outward opening door that can be made into a shower room.  Probably 1.6m x 1.8m.

 

Better not to have the kitchen open to the stairs, so add a door.

[-rick-]

Some initial thoughts:

 

1. I don't like the blue area. Was thinking you could move the bathroom over a bit to avoid it but then realised you might have regs problems with the door directly at the top of the stairs. Not actually sure pushing the door back as you've done is good enough for regs.

2. Doors to the bathrooms seem awkward, especially the en-suite. Guess a pocket door makes it work but maybe better layout options available.

3. Feel like there might be some better layout options overall but still thinking.

 

[Oz07]

16 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

Where we are you have to have an accessible ground floor WC with outward opening door that can be made into a shower room.  Probably 1.6m x 1.8m.

 

Better not to have the kitchen open to the stairs, so add a door.

Here its just gf cloaks unless things have changed.

Yeh I would deffo have a glazed door there at end of hall, possibly a pair as I like the thought of keeping understairs open for spacious feel. Nice view from front door to garden then. 

[-rick-]

20 minutes ago, -rick- said:

3. Feel like there might be some better layout options overall but still thinking.

 

Along these lines. Putting the stairs on the other side of the corridor might open up some flexibility as well.

 

Edit: Personally, I'm quite keen on clustering bathrooms for ease of service routing, but even if that isn't a concern an arrangement similar to this provides the master with a buffer from noises from the shared bathroom and removes all bathroom noise from the bedroom adjoining the master.

 

Btw, it's not entirely clear which room is which, the measurements didn't make sense to me.

 

Edited February 28 by -rick-

[Oz07]

18 minutes ago, -rick- said:

Some initial thoughts:

 

1. I don't like the blue area. Was thinking you could move the bathroom over a bit to avoid it but then realised you might have regs problems with the door directly at the top of the stairs. Not actually sure pushing the door back as you've done is good enough for regs.

2. Doors to the bathrooms seem awkward, especially the en-suite. Guess a pocket door makes it work but maybe better layout options available.

3. Feel like there might be some better layout options overall but still thinking.

 

Yeh blue area probably absorbed into robes so not an issue. Or I could pinch 600 odd mm of bed 2, split in in half and have half robes for b2 and half for b3. Evens out the bedroom sizes then. 

 

Ensuite door not great but keep in mind could be 686mm if swinging. There is 800mm between that bed and wall. Tbf pocket door prob a better option as I never shut any door when i shower or use the bathroom anyway. Door would just be in the way when open

[Oz07]

3 minutes ago, -rick- said:

 

Along these lines. Putting the stairs on the other side of the corridor might open up some flexibility as well.

 

B1 feels a bit boxed in there 

[-rick-]

Just now, Oz07 said:

There is 800mm between that bed and wall.

 

The cupboards are on your plan to the right which might make this area pretty awkward.

 

Personally I would go for larger doors if you want to market the property. Some people would be put off by small seeming ones.

[Oz07]

Would uvc actually be better in ac or plant room? Guessing plant room but not much else to do with that space. Getting ahead of myself not but ufh manifold better in plant room?

[-rick-]

1 minute ago, Oz07 said:

B1 feels a bit boxed in there 

 

Yeh it's not perfect but my thought was not to steal space from the room, just reorient the space. I'm not doing this with a ruler so very handwavy. There is likely room to optimise space use between the two bathrooms if they back onto each other, etc.

[-rick-]

4 minutes ago, Oz07 said:

Would uvc actually be better in ac or plant room? Guessing plant room but not much else to do with that space. Getting ahead of myself not but ufh manifold better in plant room?

 

Ideally UVC should be optimally placed for short pipe runs to the bathrooms/kitchen. Wherever that is (up or downstairs doesn't matter).

 

I'm sure others will disagree with me but UFH manifold should be central and if that's not where the plant room is so be it. Can be built into a cupboard/bump-out/etc. Does need to be accessible but can be remote from other plant (unless you want to do lots of zoning or other complexity which this forum advocates against).

Edited February 28 by -rick-

[Oz07]

7 minutes ago, -rick- said:

 

Ideally UVC should be optimally placed for short pipe runs to the bathrooms/kitchen. Wherever that is (up or downstairs doesn't matter).

 

I'm sure others will disagree with me but UFH manifold should be central and if that's not where the plant room is so be it. Can be built into a cupboard/bump-out/etc. Does need to be accessible but can be remote from other plant (unless you want to do lots of zoning or other complexity which this forum advocates against).

Reason I ask about ufh manifold is because gf cloaks is a bit long. If I squeeze the length 3 or 400mm I could gain a good central cupboard accessed off halfway behind shower. Basically ensuite and gf cloaks is carbon copy then can just order 2 of everything. 

[LDNRennovation]

Have you considered splitting the house so kitchen dining runs front to back instead of along the back? 

[Oz07]

5 hours ago, LDNRennovation said:

Have you considered splitting the house so kitchen dining runs front to back instead of along the back? 

I have actually but decided against it. What's the benefit?

[DownSouth]

It’d be brighter with windows on 3 aspects wouldn’t it? 

[LDNRennovation]

I don’t like the idea of a jack and Jill downstairs cloakroom sorry 😂 

[Iceverge]

Where's North please? 

 

Am I correct in assuming this is a complete new build from the ground up or are you reusing foundations? 

 

Do you have any neighbors that you will be in danger of overlooking? 

 

[LDNRennovation]

On 06/03/2026 at 17:44, Oz07 said:

I have actually but decided against it. What's the benefit?

The rear aspect to the garden can be from the lounge and kitchen dining for the garden, and you also can see if people are arriving at your house to the front from the kitchen area, it’s just nicer to be able to do that in a house imo. If you think about it, you spend more time sitting in a lounge looking to the garden, not dining and cooking.

 

you want your lounge on the back, not the front.
 

where you have the WC/Shower is a bit wasted to be honest, not a fan of that. I’d rather just commit to a proper bathroom than mess about with a nothing room with a toilet and 2 doors. Everyone can use the bathroom rather than no one ever. Bathrooms are expensive, make the most of them.

 

so yes, you come in the front door, put your coat in the cupboard, then use the WC.  Kitchen on the left, lounge straight on. It just makes sense to me that’s how people use a house. 

Edited 20 hours ago by LDNRennovation

[ProDave]

I offer our floor plans, as your house is almost the same size and shape as ours.

 

Context.  North is up.   Front of house is north facing so at the top of the plans, garden is to the south and West mainly with good views to both.

 

We have an addition of a single storey sun room at the back and a single garage on the east end of the house with a room above it.

 

Things we particularly like.  The double aspect kitchen diner as noted before in this thread.  That opens to the sun room at the back.

 

The Lounge looks out over the garden to the back / south.

 

The double doors from both main rooms to the entrance hall that when open make it almost one large space.

 

Almost no space wasted with corridors and a simple un cluttered layout.

 

There were some minor changes to the bathroom / en suite at actual build but only minor.

 

 

 

 

[Oz07]

16 hours ago, LDNRennovation said:

I don’t like the idea of a jack and Jill downstairs cloakroom sorry 😂 

We have occasional visitors who would really appreciate not needing to use the stairs. I was thinking you need a gf cloaks anyway, for the sake of a shower and an extra door it becomes an accessible ensuite. Probably be used as a kids room most of the time

[Oz07]

14 hours ago, Iceverge said:

Where's North please? 

 

Am I correct in assuming this is a complete new build from the ground up or are you reusing foundations? 

 

Do you have any neighbors that you will be in danger of overlooking? 

 

North is front, rear is south. Plot is a garden split from corner house. To the west is blank gable of neighbouring house. To east is host dwelling but strangely only 1 first floor window facing and not main bedroom. Host dwelling has been basterdised. Permission already granted for this footprint hence me wanting to keep the same even though resubmitting planning. Existing west elevation has double garage which used to serve host dwelling. Will try to keep that adjacent to new build. Possibly replace front corners of brickwork to match new build. Planners may be ok with 1no small obscure window to ensuite on first floor. To the front is tall privet hedge and then houses over the road. Will likely have driveway gate so no unexpected walk up visitors front elevation. To the rear is garden then fence, no overlooking to South. 

 

to be honest I copied a bit of the gf layout we are currently living in and current house works for us. Apart from utility on opposite end of kitchen which does seem odd. Current utility gets no use for cooking activities though. Current gf cloaks is under stairs. God knows how they managed that its a modern house. Probably does comply but only just. 

[Oz07]

51 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I offer our floor plans, as your house is almost the same size and shape as ours.

 

Context.  North is up.   Front of house is north facing so at the top of the plans, garden is to the south and West mainly with good views to both.

 

We have an addition of a single storey sun room at the back and a single garage on the east end of the house with a room above it.

 

Things we particularly like.  The double aspect kitchen diner as noted before in this thread.  That opens to the sun room at the back.

 

The Lounge looks out over the garden to the back / south.

 

The double doors from both main rooms to the entrance hall that when open make it almost one large space.

 

Almost no space wasted with corridors and a simple un cluttered layout.

 

There were some minor changes to the bathroom / en suite at actual build but only minor.

 

 

 

 

Yours looks longer but thinner @ProDave? Can't quite zoom in on sizes maybe 13x7 overall? Works well. Im trying to keep the same footprint as existing planning as I get the impression from planners they will make my life easier. Existing plans are 1.5 storey but informal chat with planners indicate they would be open to 2 storey. I just cba with the detailing and insulation on 1.5 storey now. I just want a simple truss roof with an airtight membrane and 4 or 500mm of insulation above. No intermediate supporting ff walls etc. Did have ideas of potential 2nd floor but unnecessary. 

[ProDave]

23 minutes ago, Oz07 said:

Yours looks longer but thinner @ProDave? Can't quite zoom in on sizes maybe 13x7 overall? Works well. Im trying to keep the same footprint as existing planning as I get the impression from planners they will make my life easier. Existing plans are 1.5 storey but informal chat with planners indicate they would be open to 2 storey. I just cba with the detailing and insulation on 1.5 storey now. I just want a simple truss roof with an airtight membrane and 4 or 500mm of insulation above. No intermediate supporting ff walls etc. Did have ideas of potential 2nd floor but unnecessary. 

Ours is 11M by 7M internal so not that different.

 

Requirements vary, we did not need or want a GF bedroom for instance.

 

Ours is 1.5 storey, you would not be allowed anything else here.  It is a cut roof supported from a ridge beam.  The ridge beam gets intermediate support from the walls either side of the stair well, the only supporting internal walls.  Cut roof from a ridge beam gives no intrusions to the upstairs layout unlike attic trusses and dormers.  And detailing it as a warm roof all the insulation and air tight layers are encapsulated above the ceiling making it easy to detail and get good.

[Oz07]

6 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Ours is 11M by 7M internal so not that different.

 

Requirements vary, we did not need or want a GF bedroom for instance.

 

Ours is 1.5 storey, you would not be allowed anything else here.  It is a cut roof supported from a ridge beam.  The ridge beam gets intermediate support from the walls either side of the stair well, the only supporting internal walls.  Cut roof from a ridge beam gives no intrusions to the upstairs layout unlike attic trusses and dormers.  And detailing it as a warm roof all the insulation and air tight layers are encapsulated above the ceiling making it easy to detail and get good.

Even with that garage and bedroom above included in 11m?

 

Yeh I used a ridge beam before it was actually a 1.2m deep square truss which spanned the walls then mono trusses off either side. They do work well but I just dont want that this time. 

[-rick-]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Almost no space wasted with corridors and a simple un cluttered layout.

 

This is a good goal and I think that is an area that could be improved in the original design. Especially upstairs.

 

If accessibility is a concern then the squarer bathroom is better than a long thin one.