I've been looking at the big home builders, Metricon, Carlisle ect.. and all of the larger 5 bedroom designs have unusually small kids bedrooms because they stuff the floorplan with ensuites and walk in robes in each room and use half the upstairs for a master suite with huge retreat in addition to the kids retreat. Is there any cookie cutter home builder that prioritises larger bedrooms and communal bathrooms instead?
Home Builder with Larger Bedroom Designs
LTNTomer on 20/12/2021 - 07:42
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Apparently everyone loves sardine can sized houses and bedroom where you can hardly fit a single bed in there. Like you - I dont get it either.
Why would you sell a 4BR house when you can sell a 6BR house where new immigrants think small single rooms are still spacious compared to what is available where they came from.
There is no way on earth with many of these modern houses you could divide a bedroom into 2 usable rooms. You still need to fit at least a single bed in them.. go chuckle at them at some of those display home sites..
I remembered looking at Terrace houses in London and they are all 3BR (1 big double, 2x small double) and 2 Lounge rooms. One call up and it has 4BR but no obvious extension. Turns out the big double (3.5m x 4m) got sliced in two to create 4BR.
I built my home with Metricon and got them to knock down a wall between 2 bedrooms to make it 1 larger bedroom instead of 2 small bedrooms.
Is there any cookie cutter home builder…
There’s your problem. The market has decided that ridiculously sized en-suite and master bedroom along with butlers pantry are must haves. Then they also try to stuff as many rooms as possible into the house so on paper it looks bigger. This comes at the cost of tiny kids/guest rooms.
Unless you can get a cookie cutter designer tonscale up a portion of the house to make bigger bedrooms, you’ll have to go custom. Might mean a drafter to your spec, or an architect. If it’s what you want, you’ll pay for t, but tell probably be worth it in the long run. $20k sounds like a lot, but when it’s a $400k build it changes the equation.
Double vanities, large soaking tubs (which take AGES to fill up), huge (frameless) showers so water gets everywhere,
My MIL very proudly tells how she changed one of the rooms on her new place and the builder was so impressed that they made it part of their standard build. That's because she suggested a way to split a functional room into a tiny non-functional room and add an ensuite/walk-in to another bedroom. No wonder the builder likes it, but its not very practical
Our current home was 4br with 4WIR when we moved in. I converted 2WIR to an extra bedroom. All rooms are still large and have built in robes in stead. The extra bedroom got converted to a media room with a study/computer nook from its WIR
I've built 2 houses to my own design because I just couldn't find a volume builder with a floorplan to my liking. (15 years apart mind you).
Don't get sucked into thinking a custom house is more expensive than a volume builder. Maybe slightly, say 5% more but you get a house with a layout that's perfect for your lifestyle & desires.Just find a local builder. They'll have contacts to draftspeople, engineers etc & their quality will exceed that of the cookiecutter volume guys. 1 dodgy build can break them.
I just knocked up a design using a ruler & pencil initially, then found some freeware software to draw it up and make adjustments over time. I asked for quotes from around 10 local builders, some of which were happy to take it on and quote me.
Are you fully happy with your builds? Happy to recommend a builder if you are in Melbourne?
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Can you please tell what freeware software you used to draw up the design ?
It was that long ago I actually can't remember but I have a vague recollection it was from a mob called Expert Software. Home Design 3D? It was a Win 3.1 or maybe Win 95 based software.
Can't tell your a Melb builder. I'm on NSW Central Coast.
Yep - fully happy with the builds. The first house I did back in 1994. Latest was 2010. Have been living in same ever since. Very happy.
If it's fully customized, I'd say 10% more at least.
I had the same issue. Master bedroom and bathroom on most designs is large enough to house a family of 4, with tiny kids bedrooms and WIRs which are a complete waste of space as far as I am concerned.
Things like WIRs and massive master bathrooms and separate dressing rooms are what appeal to many aspirational people desiring "luxury" on limited budgets
Some of the smaller volume builders will modify the design as long as there are not major structural changed needed. When I built I was able to enlarge the kids rooms substantially by making the common area smaller and removing WIRs and dead space, for minimal extra cost. Just ask!
Thanks guys, it looks like a custom local builder is the way to go. Really don't understand much of the waste of space upstairs. Even downstairs there are some silly plans out there. I hate when there isn't a powder room but a 'shared' ensuite with a guest bedroom.
I hate when there isn't a powder room but a 'shared' ensuite with a guest bedroom.
I built my own place to my own liking without such a shared ensuite but now in hindsight I see what a good idea it can be if you often have guests staying overnight. (Unlike the extra shower I put in the laundry so I can have a wash after working in the yard - that's hardly ever been used as a shower. Sometimes ideas sound good / bad on paper but living with them can be a different issue.)
Simonds will make the rooms bigger if you ask. Be prepared for the extra add-ons. The default was one double power point and two LED lights per bedroom. I went with at least two double power points and four LEDs. Install ethernet wiring while the frame is going up to all TVs, desktop computers, router and Wi-Fi access points, CCTV, doorbell. Higher ceilings and eves are extra too.
i agree - always get extra power points and 2 data points in every room and a router/switch at the NBN point.
2.7m -4m ceilings or greater are great - must have as well any higher and you need a pretty long ladder to clean
data points?
why no wifi?Data points are still useful for PC and also high quality 4k streaming is sometimes more fullproof with Ethernet.
When building a new property it is recommended to use both and easier to install now. Wi-Fi is great but Wi-Fi interference can still happen and Wi-Fi speeds are not guaranteed. None of those problems occur with ethernet. OP can hard wire the things I already mentioned and game consoles, NAS and servers if they use them.
@Twix: yep!
Also, you can connect mesh system to the data point so you can optimise wifi around the around the house.
Connect the TV as well
Plus one for extra power points. At least double on every wall where furniture will fit. You never know when you’ll want a new bookshelf or study desk and have a double socket nearby means you can easily add a lamp or charger.
When renovating I even put a double in the walk in robe, was easy as there was a point on the other side of the wall. Haven’t used it yet, but it’s there.
Volume builders do allow you to make changes to the floorplan, e.g. moving walls, removing WIR's, etc.
Also if with a volume builder, see if it's cheaper to go with a larger floorplan (eg OzBargainHouse 40sq vs OzbargainHouse 36sq) and reducing the size instead of increasing the floorplan sizes. I've heard it's cheaper to remove walls/house dimensions than having them design and build for a larger than 'standard' design.
Plenty of people who will design and build a house to your specs… but you will pay shit loads more for it.
Apparently everyone loves sardine can sized houses and bedroom where you can hardly fit a single bed in there. Like you - I dont get it either.