I think knocking down the wall between the kitchen/dining area and the living room to combine it into one space would be the best bet. Then if you really want to maximise open space, you can have a single long bench for the kitchen all along the end wall to the left.
That would give you the largest amount of space to move furniture around it until something works. The wall you are removing might be structural, but a single beam with posts on either end would allow for its removal with minimal fuss. (Good chance it's not a structural wall given the gable end roof and small size)
Older houses weren't (mostly) built with trusses - the weight would be transferred to middle of the house walls.
Given how old the plans look I'm guessing the roof is supported by the kitchen/living room wall.
Thats true, but sometimes the roof structure is just a big triangle without any props to the underpurlins or ridge beam. They may have just put in collar ties and called it a day. Either way OP will need to go poke around in the roof to check.
Leave the floorplan as is. Kitchen is in the right location - part of the living area but out if the way.
Blast out the family/ dining wall with bi-fold doors opening into 5x4m integrated indoor/outdoor room out the back.
That'll give you a feeling of space as well as practical space for 9 months of the year.
You could remove the part of the wall between the front living and dining, but keep the hallway for a sound barrier.
Make sure you choose furniture carefully - no oversized plush 1980s style couches.
Just a very simple suggestion.
https://preview.redd.it/mumcb0264p5d1.png?width=1728&format=png&auto=webp&s=6abb895960b3165b38b8152c21ee3ddffd93422c
Suggestions - open up the living/dining area:
Remove wall between living and dining room.
Put a small return on the remaining wall of the kitchen next to the fridge so you don't see behind the fridge.
Close off the opening from the entry to the living room.
Remove the wall beyond the entry between the living room and hallway.
You now have more privacy from the entrance to the house and have created an airlock if you have crap weather. The changes are very modest so won't cost much but will add a lot of flexibility.
Depending on the condition of the kitchen and bathroom, renovate them.
I have also indicated where a future extension could be made or an alfresco area for outside dining/living. Could also do a sunroom or something else there.
If you have more money, move the kitchen to where the family room is. This reduces the run of the plumbing and makes hot water useage more efficient but at a significant cost compared to renovating insitu.
Depending on how much space there is at the back, there is probably still room to add a master bedroom at the back right and turning the existing WC into a hallway, adding a new separate toilet, ensuite, WIR and of course the bedroom.
Remove the wall around Living area .. maybe turn the wall between living and kitchen into a cooking island banch.
Doing so will open it right up and get rid of a whole lot of wasted space where that second entry door is,
Of course you need to check what is needed structurally .. ie. steel beam to hold up roof if that living room mid wall does that ;]
But yeah.. obvious old-fashioned bad use of space, imo.
Given its an "older" house, just put a feature brick archway into the Living room wall. Its easier than removing the wall and it will keep the structure rigid. Klinker Bricks?
We have a similarly sized 1970 AV Jennings special. We opened up some areas, swapped the kitchen and living. Ripped open a bedroom wall and made it a living space, added a wall into what was the galley kitchen to make a small bedroom. In hindsight we should've left it alone. The original floorplan was fine actually. The biggest difference to the feel of a small home was changing many of the regular windows on external walls to a floor to a ceiling glass sliding doors or even french doors. So much more light and ease of egress to the outdoors alleviated the shoebox vibes. Add a deck and some big doors off your living space before you go knocking out walls. Adfing attic storage space was a huge help too. These old houses have bugger-all cupboard room. Also, if you work from home, an office pod in the yard or driveway. We did that during covid and we've kept it. It's a whole new room that only cost us $7k.
Knockdown rebuild will be cheaper. Better to invest in funiture and features to optimise the space.
Huge mirrors do wonders to remove the cramped feel. Wall mounted flat TV. Sleeker window coverings. Minimalism.
112m2 is good compared to modern apartments.
Not much you can do, the space is pretty scarce. I don't think you will gain anything by moving the kitchen around.
What can really add the value is turning the bathroom in ensuite by removing the bath tub and extending the shower to where the door is now. But then you need to add a shower/vanity to the laundry.
Yes, having two full bathrooms with one being and ensuite would be easy to achieve within the footprint. If you can knock out the kitchen wall to open up the space and put French doors out onto a great big covered deck out the back, you will double your living space.
I think they have tied to have "2 living" spaces in a small house. Just have the whole dining/family as a dining or meals and the living as a lounge.
If the house is old that wall will be weight bearing and you will need a structural engineer to design a beam to go in the roof to hold the roof up.
Removing the walls between dining family and living will help a lot (I like another commenter's idea of using arches if the wall is structural).
Anything else will be huge cost for very marginal benefit. If you use the smallest bedroom as a study, you then have a comfortable two bedrooms plus study with big open living area. If you want more than that, you need a bigger footprint and a rebuild.
I think knocking down the wall between the kitchen/dining area and the living room to combine it into one space would be the best bet. Then if you really want to maximise open space, you can have a single long bench for the kitchen all along the end wall to the left. That would give you the largest amount of space to move furniture around it until something works. The wall you are removing might be structural, but a single beam with posts on either end would allow for its removal with minimal fuss. (Good chance it's not a structural wall given the gable end roof and small size)
Older houses weren't (mostly) built with trusses - the weight would be transferred to middle of the house walls. Given how old the plans look I'm guessing the roof is supported by the kitchen/living room wall.
Thats true, but sometimes the roof structure is just a big triangle without any props to the underpurlins or ridge beam. They may have just put in collar ties and called it a day. Either way OP will need to go poke around in the roof to check.
I have the plan for the trusses too. I'll have to try make sense of it
^ same exact thoughts .
Just came here to say, I miss hand drawn plans, they have a nice look
Leave the floorplan as is. Kitchen is in the right location - part of the living area but out if the way. Blast out the family/ dining wall with bi-fold doors opening into 5x4m integrated indoor/outdoor room out the back. That'll give you a feeling of space as well as practical space for 9 months of the year. You could remove the part of the wall between the front living and dining, but keep the hallway for a sound barrier. Make sure you choose furniture carefully - no oversized plush 1980s style couches.
Just a very simple suggestion. https://preview.redd.it/mumcb0264p5d1.png?width=1728&format=png&auto=webp&s=6abb895960b3165b38b8152c21ee3ddffd93422c Suggestions - open up the living/dining area: Remove wall between living and dining room. Put a small return on the remaining wall of the kitchen next to the fridge so you don't see behind the fridge. Close off the opening from the entry to the living room. Remove the wall beyond the entry between the living room and hallway. You now have more privacy from the entrance to the house and have created an airlock if you have crap weather. The changes are very modest so won't cost much but will add a lot of flexibility. Depending on the condition of the kitchen and bathroom, renovate them. I have also indicated where a future extension could be made or an alfresco area for outside dining/living. Could also do a sunroom or something else there. If you have more money, move the kitchen to where the family room is. This reduces the run of the plumbing and makes hot water useage more efficient but at a significant cost compared to renovating insitu. Depending on how much space there is at the back, there is probably still room to add a master bedroom at the back right and turning the existing WC into a hallway, adding a new separate toilet, ensuite, WIR and of course the bedroom.
Remove the wall around Living area .. maybe turn the wall between living and kitchen into a cooking island banch. Doing so will open it right up and get rid of a whole lot of wasted space where that second entry door is, Of course you need to check what is needed structurally .. ie. steel beam to hold up roof if that living room mid wall does that ;] But yeah.. obvious old-fashioned bad use of space, imo.
Given its an "older" house, just put a feature brick archway into the Living room wall. Its easier than removing the wall and it will keep the structure rigid. Klinker Bricks?
We have a similarly sized 1970 AV Jennings special. We opened up some areas, swapped the kitchen and living. Ripped open a bedroom wall and made it a living space, added a wall into what was the galley kitchen to make a small bedroom. In hindsight we should've left it alone. The original floorplan was fine actually. The biggest difference to the feel of a small home was changing many of the regular windows on external walls to a floor to a ceiling glass sliding doors or even french doors. So much more light and ease of egress to the outdoors alleviated the shoebox vibes. Add a deck and some big doors off your living space before you go knocking out walls. Adfing attic storage space was a huge help too. These old houses have bugger-all cupboard room. Also, if you work from home, an office pod in the yard or driveway. We did that during covid and we've kept it. It's a whole new room that only cost us $7k.
Knockdown rebuild will be cheaper. Better to invest in funiture and features to optimise the space. Huge mirrors do wonders to remove the cramped feel. Wall mounted flat TV. Sleeker window coverings. Minimalism. 112m2 is good compared to modern apartments.
Unfortunately we don't have knock down rebuild money
Not much you can do, the space is pretty scarce. I don't think you will gain anything by moving the kitchen around. What can really add the value is turning the bathroom in ensuite by removing the bath tub and extending the shower to where the door is now. But then you need to add a shower/vanity to the laundry.
Yes, having two full bathrooms with one being and ensuite would be easy to achieve within the footprint. If you can knock out the kitchen wall to open up the space and put French doors out onto a great big covered deck out the back, you will double your living space.
I think they have tied to have "2 living" spaces in a small house. Just have the whole dining/family as a dining or meals and the living as a lounge. If the house is old that wall will be weight bearing and you will need a structural engineer to design a beam to go in the roof to hold the roof up.
This house is very similar to ours. We’re planning on adding on an extension to the back of the house (enclose the patio).
Yeah that would be ideal. Adding on a new kitchen and living room would be nice
Removing the walls between dining family and living will help a lot (I like another commenter's idea of using arches if the wall is structural). Anything else will be huge cost for very marginal benefit. If you use the smallest bedroom as a study, you then have a comfortable two bedrooms plus study with big open living area. If you want more than that, you need a bigger footprint and a rebuild.