Room design

[Beezerk]

Do the drains run anywhere in the void to the right of the kitchen and above the lounge, by any chance (im assuming it's a patio)? Where is the bathroom in relation to the downstairs?

I don’t think so, it’s a gravelled area at the minute where I store my bike. The bathroom is sort of above the bottom half of the dining room, why?

 

[Bratty]

Not sure, I know the old patio doors let a bit of cold air in, the kitchen is very cold, really don’t know why.
The main front door is on the left of the kitchen btw not at the bottom of the hallway.

Is it a 1970s house perchance?
Up to date boiler and pipes or older kit?

 

[Bratty]

I don’t think so, it’s a gravelled area at the minute where I store my bike. The bathroom is sort of above the bottom half of the dining room, why?

If there's no drains, you could put an extension on and square the house off. Them the world's your lobster!
I was trying to get you a utility room and downstairs toilet for your brand new kitchen, but trying to work out where plumbing and soil pipes were. ?

 

[Beezerk]

Think it’s 50s but I could be wrong, boiler is older, a gravity fed system as the water pressure isn’t great.

 

[Beezerk]

If there's no drains, you could put an extension on and square the house off. Them the world's your lobster!
I was trying to get you a utility room and downstairs toilet for your brand new kitchen, but trying to work out where plumbing and soil pipes were. ?

Yea we have considered that but we couldn’t afford it right now, the kitchen could be a utility room/entrance room if we move it to the dining room.
I do know the mains water to the house runs up the wall on the left of the dining room, the boiler is in the cupboard in the kitchen diagram.

 

[Bratty]

Think it’s 50s but I could be wrong, boiler is older, a gravity fed system as the water pressure isn’t great.

Often, an inefficient, older boiler struggles to heat an older house. And I've known older houses not have anywhere near the right or sufficient wall insulation, which can cause cold spots.

 

[Beezerk]

Edit, there’s a small storage room at the top of the hallway sort of under the stairs that isn’t really shown in the plan, getting plumbing there would be a challenge though lol.

 

[Bratty]

Edit, there’s a small storage room at the top of the hallway sort of under the stairs that isn’t really shown in the plan, getting plumbing there would be a challenge though lol.

Are the floors concrete? If not, it's possible to get plumbing, but it may need to be a saniflow unit rather than a full on toilet under the stairs.

 

[Beezerk]

Are the floors concrete? If not, it's possible to get plumbing, but it may need to be a saniflow unit rather than a full on toilet under the stairs.

I’ve got no idea, I’d have to lift up some floor/carpet and report back.
Btw my mate is a plumber, sure he’d do some work for mates rates ?

 

[Bratty]

Get him to start with a new boiler! ?

 

[Beezerk]

Get him to start with a new boiler! ?

We had British Gas in before Xmas to give us a quote, as soon as he saw the tank in the loft he dropped his @rse and made his excuse

 

[rulefan]

We had British Gas in before Xmas to give us a quote, as soon as he saw the tank in the loft he dropped his @rse and made his excuse

Which tank? The hot water or cold water header?

 

[Beezerk]

Which tank? The hot water or cold water header?

Cold header I think. It’s an old immersion tank that is now working as the supply to the boiler…as far as I know ?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The dining room plan is simple, strip it, get the stupid Artex dealt with, new French doors, flooring etc, furnish it. What we’ve noticed over the last few weeks is it’s a lot colder than our current living room hence our change of plan. Also the dining room would make a stunning massive kitchen, the current kitchen which is a bit tired and in need of replacing could be turned into something else.

Serious scope creep going on ?

 

[jim8flog]

Think it’s 50s but I could be wrong, boiler is older, a gravity fed system as the water pressure isn’t great.

I have not read through all the posts about the boiler

If it is a very old boiler a modern boiler will save loads on the gas bill. I saved about 30% a year and the new one paid for itself in next to no time (and that was before the horrendous prices we currently have).

British Gas - I found their quotes way above local plumbing companies and in the end a local guy did it for a third of what they quoted.

 

[Beezerk]

Are the floors concrete? If not, it's possible to get plumbing, but it may need to be a saniflow unit rather than a full on toilet under the stairs.

Had a little bit of carpet up in the living room, I could only see what looked like a brick and maybe some concrete next to it. I also did the highly technical jump up and down test, definitely not wood underneath ?

 

[Bratty]

Had a little bit of carpet up in the living room, I could only see what looked like a brick and maybe some concrete next to it. I also did the highly technical jump up and down test, definitely not wood underneath ?

Love it! ? Hope you didn't ruin weekend golf by jarring your knees?!?
If it's a solid floor, then it's more expensive to get pipes across the house. You could go up and over the ceiling, but then that's lifting carpets and floorboards upstairs to do it. May as well just put an extension on! ?

 

[Tashyboy]

To be honest Beezerk, as it is I see a major refurb coming on. Unfortunately when the house was built in the 50’s it was state of the art. Roll that on 70 years and utility rooms, offices, extra parking required are now seen as the norm. They were never factored in Because they never had to be. Looking at your floor plans remind me of mIssis Ts grannies old house. The two rooms you have as dining and lounge, back in the olden days they had an everyday room and a “best room”. Only usually used on a Sunday, Christmas and special occasions. Over the sands of time, A previous owner has chosen a lounge and a dining room and that seems to of stuck. Worked in the past but is it ideal now. I think not.
Me, the downstairs cupboard would be gone, if the dining room stays as it is I would open up the dining area into the kitchen, as in knock down the wall and have a brekkie bar there. I would take out the dining room window and get some patio doors in there, bang in a good bit more light With access to the patio. With that you make the decision as to whether you have your dining room open to the kitchen or you have the lounge into the kitchen and then create a “ Snug” where the lounge now is and incorporate a work area for Missis B And the dining area.
One of the things about a dining room, they’re brilliant when entertaining, but unfortunately more and more folk eat their dinners on a tray in front of the box. So a large room becomes dormant for most of the year. So can that space be better used.
All the other things re electrics, Boiler, plumbing etc are secondary to what you want and decide to do. They are all do able but they have to fit around what you see long term Re knocking downstairs about.
One last thing, where the in laws live, there is nine avenues of terraced housing built over 100 years ago for the local pit. If you imagine the Lavvy was at the bottom of the back yard. Now there is none as they are incorporated in the house. Every house has been knocked about. Have you any neighbours who have been through the same process that your looking at doing that you could have a look at for ideas. But also problems they encountered. ?

 

[Beezerk]

To be honest Beezerk, as it is I see a major refurb coming on. Unfortunately when the house was built in the 50’s it was state of the art. Roll that on 70 years and utility rooms, offices, extra parking required are now seen as the norm. They were never factored in Because they never had to be. Looking at your floor plans remind me of mIssis Ts grannies old house. The two rooms you have as dining and lounge, back in the olden days they had an everyday room and a “best room”. Only usually used on a Sunday, Christmas and special occasions. Over the sands of time, A previous owner has chosen a lounge and a dining room and that seems to of stuck. Worked in the past but is it ideal now. I think not.
Me, the downstairs cupboard would be gone, if the dining room stays as it is I would open up the dining area into the kitchen, as in knock down the wall and have a brekkie bar there. I would take out the dining room window and get some patio doors in there, bang in a good bit more light With access to the patio. With that you make the decision as to whether you have your dining room open to the kitchen or you have the lounge into the kitchen and then create a “ Snug” where the lounge now is and incorporate a work area for Missis B And the dining area.
One of the things about a dining room, they’re brilliant when entertaining, but unfortunately more and more folk eat their dinners on a tray in front of the box. So a large room becomes dormant for most of the year. So can that space be better used.
All the other things re electrics, Boiler, plumbing etc are secondary to what you want and decide to do. They are all do able but they have to fit around what you see long term Re knocking downstairs about.
One last thing, where the in laws live, there is nine avenues of terraced housing built over 100 years ago for the local pit. If you imagine the Lavvy was at the bottom of the back yard. Now there is none as they are incorporated in the house. Every house has been knocked about. Have you any neighbours who have been through the same process that your looking at doing that you could have a look at for ideas. But also problems they encountered. ?

By dining room window, do you mean the one at the bottom of the diagram? Those are already patio doors ?
they lead on to the decking/bbq area.
Discussed it with the missus again last night, we are swaying towards keeping the current living room as that but moving the door, then turn the kitchen into a utility/entrance room and the dining room into a massive kitchen with an island etc.
Our current kitchen is ok but it’s very iggeldy piggeldy, like it was an after thought, for instance we had to buy separate fridge and freezer as there’s nowhere for a proper tall fridge freezer.

A bit of history about the house, apparently it was an old police station or police living quarters, something on those lines anyway, I can’t find any old photos of it though.

 

[Fade and Die]

By dining room window, do you mean the one at the bottom of the diagram? Those are already patio doors ?
they lead on to the decking/bbq area.
Discussed it with the missus again last night, we are swaying towards keeping the current living room as that but moving the door, then turn the kitchen into a utility/entrance room and the dining room into a massive kitchen with an island etc.
Our current kitchen is ok but it’s very iggeldy piggeldy, like it was an after thought, for instance we had to buy separate fridge and freezer as there’s nowhere for a proper tall fridge freezer.

A bit of history about the house, apparently it was an old police station or police living quarters, something on those lines anyway, I can’t find any old photos of it though.

I know you was thinking about getting a log burner a while ago, did you get any quotes? I finally got mine installed last Nov and it’s been wonderful. Could you get one installed then get rid of the Rad? Make a feature of the chimney wall with Brick Slips. It will be a real focal point of the room.