Catch 22

When we started this whole renovation diy stuff we had originally intended to just clean up each room and update the decor. Since then we've been formulating other ideas on how to really improve the dung heap.

One thing we've discussed is to extend the front room by removing the dividing wall between it and the hallway. Basically creating an open plan living area. At the moment the hallway is pretty much wasted space that's too narrow for much use. We've checked and the wall has nothing above it and isn't supporting anything. (don't panic, we would get this double checked by a structural engineer before bashing it down.) We have another domino problem with this plan. If we knock down the wall we will have to also redo the rest of the hall by replacing the flooring, replastering the walls and ceiling, and moving the electric meter and consumer unit. Why is nothing simple?

We've also been thinking of developing the loft as a bedroom suite as there is about 25m² of usable space up there.

The layouts of some of the other houses in the terrace have given us even more ideas to consider. Here is where the catch 22 comes in. We have to leave the rooms that are most in need of work until last, but they need doing first. But if we do them first, we will just have to rip that work out in a few years and do it again.

We'd like to move the kitchen to the back of the house where the bathroom and utility room are now. From what we know this would have been the original kitchen's location. That would free up the existing kitchen to be a dining room. That would mean putting the bathroom in the current guest room. Most of the other houses in the terrace have this layout and are classed as 2 bedroom with 2 receptions. For some strange reason ours and the one next door are the only 3 bedroom houses in the terrace.

So if we do all the changes we want we actually have to start by developing the loft as we would need to use our current bedroom as the guest room. The existing guest room becomes the bathroom / laundry closet. The current bathroom + utility room becomes the kitchen, and lastly the kitchen becomes a dining room.

What's the problem you ask? Well its going to take several years to save the cash to do the loft. In the mean time the existing bathroom is going to need some major work as its doubtful the fittings will last that long. There is quite a bit of water damage in the wall dividing it from the utility room so. The kitchen needs the oven and hob replacing, and the counters are quite minging. The spare room / guest room will need work as it really is pile of dung.

The big question is, do we patch things and keep them going as is until we start the 'great room shuffle'? By that I mean do the 'lick of paint' and get cheap replacement appliances & fixtures that will keep us going for 5 years or so.

Or do we renovate the rooms properly the first time and forget about moving things around?