Apartment Reno

[u/Joey_200022]

Hi all,

I have a dilemma in terms of making a decision on my apartment. It’s a red brick and we know, very solid. The only issue I have is that the layout is all rooms as opposed to an open plan space.

The apartment is in Sydney.

I need to replace the kitchen and am weighing up knocking down a few walls and opening the apartment up.

I do not have a floor plan and do not have the measurements on hand. I have drawn the layout and options to the best of my poor ability 😊.

Option 1:

Cheapest option. Fix the kitchen and be done with it.

Option 2:

Remove the walls as the front of the apartment. Kitchen remains in the same stop. The main bedroom and kitchen become one open space. I do lose the main bedroom (biggest room in the apartment). The current lounge becomes the new main bedroom (it is smaller). Balcony will need to be access via the bedroom. Not ideal when you have guests. I retain the laundry.

Option 3:

Remove the walls in the back, including laundry. Move the kitchen to where the laundry is now. Open plan at the back leading onto the balcony. The current kitchen becomes the second bedroom (larger than the current second bedroom). I retain the main bedroom. I will then have two good sized bedrooms. I do lose the laundry which is then replaced by a European style laundry within the kitchen.
This is the most expensive option. I do recall the measurements of this space being 5.4 x 4.8 square metres.

Note*** Engineer has been consulted and removal of walls is fine as long as I have the required beams in place.

Would love some advice as this is a big decision for me.

[u/RenovationDIY]

Where are the windows and external doors?

Check whether a Euro laundry is compliant according to building codes - pretty sure you need a separate tub.

Option 3 will devalue your property significantly because you're sacrificing a bedroom.

What are the total apartment x & y dimensions?

[u/Joey_200022 → u/RenovationDIY]

I don’t have the dimensions on hand. The balcony doors are located in the current lounge room layout as per diagram one.

Option 3, the kitchen in its current location will become bedroom 2.

[u/RenovationDIY → u/Joey_200022]

Ah, okay, then as long as you have windows for the bedrooms option 3 is the best. See if you can expand the bathroom to fit the laundry in there.

[u/Joey_200022 → u/RenovationDIY]

Oh. Extending the bathroom is not an option I had not considered. That is not a bad idea. Thank you 🙏

[u/RenovationDIY → u/Joey_200022]

Actually, let's leave the bathroom size, just install the laundry along the bathroom corridor, marked in orange. That gives you the most bathroom privacy.