Seeing as the MBR has closets already I'd lose the wall between the laundry and closet.

Any pics of the house?

Ian

Can you give us more info? What part of the country are located? Is your neighborhood a young family or empty nester neighborhood? How formal/casual is the look you want? How many people in your household?

Off hand, I think you should really look at flow and space planning in greater detail once you settle on each room. For example, your kitchen layout could be vastly improved to be more functional and flow better. I think you don't have enough space around your island to walk, and that the layout could be improved. I think your table area looks cramped as well.

I really like how the new layout has a sight line from the front door to the back yard.

I think the front entry could be improved by adding a coat closet and some interesting built-ins.

Does your house have a basement too, or is that it? If no basement, then planning for storage might be required as well.

Also, which direction does each wall face, and how sunny/shady is your yard? That makes a difference in the screen porch idea.

Hi, thanks for looking!

Attached below is a link to lots of pictures.

I'm located in Raleigh, NC. The house is in an old family neighborhood that is gradually converting to younger families due to the location. Lots of houses being renovated.

The front of the house faces SouthEast.

In the area underneath the stairwell, there is a coat closet/area for vacuum cleaner on one side; on the other side is a tiny pantry, about 12" deep.

I am fixing up the property for either resale or rental, target market is Mom, Dad, 2 kids.

Do you think I should skip the island? Maybe a pennisula/bar instead?

Thanks a bunch!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Fixer Pics

Being a stay at home mom with 4 children and a husband, I would HATE to walk up and down stairs all day carrying loads of laundry. Its not only a pain, but it is also very dangerous.

I would opt to keep the smaller upstairs bedroom and use a portion of the screened in porch/sunroom as the laundry area. Having an upstairs laundry room could also cause more noise which could be a hassle for napping babies/toddlers.

I would target more for a larger family than just mom, dad, 2 kids. Its a large house, and these days people are having larger families at younger ages.

I would also try to extend the kitchen a bit. Its a nice size with plenty of cabinet/counter space, but it looks a bit closed with the half square shape. Double doors on the closed dining room and maybe an open window(no glass) in one of the walls would open it up a bit, and could be useful for putting things on.

Im no designer, but looking at the pictures, thats what I would do if I bought the house for myself.

You sound like a very careful planner and researcher. Good for you! You have also already identified that this is to be an income property of some sort, either as a flip or a rental. Has the economic downturn affected your target market? What is your bottom line return? And more importantly...your budget? Do you have a realistic contingency fund for those unpleasant little reno surprises?

One of the most important things to remember will be that you are NOT designing for yourself. Moving walls, plumbing and electrical are very expensive. But how much of that is really necessary here? You have a pleasant, conventional colonial as it is with a floor plan that may be somewhat dated but is certainly workable.

Having said that, I would suggest only minimal structural changes, directing your efforts (and money!) instead towards modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms, the fixtures and the finishes. In other words, the "funnest" stuff.

The only structural changes that I would advise are:
1) Move the laundry centre from the kitchen to the room that you designated as the office. Let's rename it as the utility room, since it appears that you have no basement and only a small garage. The washer and work sink would tap into the already existing plumbing of the adjoining bathroom. Incorporate a new pantry and other storage area in this room as well, maybe by re-purposing the old kitchen cabinets. A folding/sewing/craft area could be made from the old kitchen counter top placed under the window.

2) Demo the little closets from the kitchen previously used for the w/d and the pantry. The passage between the kitchen and the DR would now be wider without sacrificing any kitchen wall space. In fact, do not knock down any walls. Gut the rest of the room from floor to ceiling and start again using attractive stock cabinets, lighting etc.

I do think that the "L" shape as you drew it would work well. I also have some added suggestions. I would forgo any upper cabinets on the "L" in favour of a bank of cabinets and built-in microwave on the wall with the fridge. I would centre the stove on the short arm of the "L", topping it with a architectural type of exhaust fan. An island would have been nice but you have to have 3' clearance in all directions to avoid traffic congestion. Doesn't work here. A peninsula is not really necessary either since you have a long stretch of counter space and there is both a kitchen table and a dining room table only a few paces away.

3) I would be tempted to convert the jut-out back to the original screen porch - it does look rather like an unhappy after thought, both from inside the house and on the exterior. Don't you have bugs in NC? Especially if you decide to extend that awkwardly shaped back deck for the kids to play on. It would ultimately depend on the structure itself, whether it is worthwhile saving. Remember, it's NOT for you - you deserve the biggest bang for your buck.

That's it - no more structural changes. And you have some wonderful wood flooring and trim already in place. Strip away all the wall paper, the panelled half-walls, kitchen linoleum, undesirable bathroom fittings and worn carpeting.

Then, start to fluff. Aim for the average consumers' taste - clean, welcoming, predictable. Repaint all the rooms in the same neutral tone throughout the house. Don't remove the brick in the FR (a horrendous job) but paint it the same colour as the walls. Add a substantial mantle piece. The flooring should also flow together seamlessly from room to room. The new bathroom cabinetry ideally would reference that in the new kitchen. Of course,stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops are what everyone want.

With that, I'm done. Take what suggestions you fancy and leave the rest. Just remember the mantra - it's NOT for me, it's NOT for me...

Great feedback!

Adriennemb, I hadn't even considered putting the laundry area in the downstairs bedroom. Great idea. Goes to show how another set of eyes helps! I'll go and measure it better and see what plans I can come up with.

Yes, the name of the game completely is minimal cost. Electricians and plumber's fees can add up very very fast!

More later, after I measure some more tonight.

SailorGal