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When renovating should I have 2 small living areas or 1 big area?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Please vote what options your would prefer.

Currently, I`m thinking about renovating and remodelling my 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2 car garage and at the moment 2 living area( Rumpus downstairs and a formal lounge room upstairs) 2 story family home. This renovation would incorporate both verandahs that are 2m deep and 8.5 long. The new, remodelled living space would be open planned. The house was built in the early 1980`s that has a back and front veranda on the 2nd level, 7m long lounge room, formal dining room (currently used as a bedroom) kitchen and meal area. These areas excluding the 2 verandah areas = 64sm approx and including the back and front verandah, this space is 98sm approx. The problem when drawing up the possible plans is: I can fit one large living room (lounge room), a large meal area, a large kitchen + a single sized bedroom ( instead of the formal dining room as a fourth bedroom) and an average sized outdoor entertaining area in the 98sm of space been remodeled.

Or

Another idea is to have an average sized all of the above however by doing this I can fit another living area making the total lounge rooms or living areas 3 throughout the house.

Or

In the allocated area I'm getting remodelled, have a large kitchen, lounge, meals and another living area but no outdoor living area on this level. To get to the only entertaining area from the possible open plan living area on the 2nd story you need to walk down the stairs and then through a rumpus room to get to the large paved polycarbonate roofed area equalling 55sm.

Or

All the options above may be to expensive as the average cost to renovate is $2000 per square metre this would equal around $200,000, may be more depending on the cost to make the verandahs the same height as the existing 2 story floor and push out and close in the verandahs. So in saying this the cheapest way as my family will probably only be living in this house for another 3 to 7 years at max isn't push out the verandahs but just remodel the 64sm to open plan.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Existing Ground Floor

Existing 2nd story floor plan

Below are the possible designs of the 2nd story

Existing front of house and interior

Average room sizes but 3 living areas in total

Larger room sizes but 2 living areas in total

Large room sizes, 3 living areas with no up stairs entertaining area

Just remodel the existing 64sm of lounge, kitchen, meals and bed without incorporating the 2 verandahs

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Comments (3)

Nick Morgan
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
0
Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
1/ since you're only going to live there for another few years I wouldn't bother with the balconies.

2/ I'd do minimal renovation inside to improve flow if required.

Just be wary that you might be over investing in the house when it's not worth that much.

also the arches are quite nice..I'd leave them as is.
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Vy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
just had a look at your existing plans for the second storey..

1/ I'd make it all open plan ..

First I'd move your bed 4 downstairs into the theatre room..reason ? bathroom is existing down there..you can turn it into a master suite..bathroom..study as retreat.

which then leave you all that room ..bed 4 ..kitchen ..meals..lounge..foyer to just be one huge living area..

from that living area you can pop in a stacker door/bi folds to lead to your screen verandah.

Personally I'd get rid of the screens and open it right up with banisters so you can have fresh air flowing in.

You can do the same with the front as well to make it one huge area without much changes.
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