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meagan_treadway

Struggling with 70's ranch floorplan redesign. Help!

last month
last modified: last month

We live in my husband's grandparent's home [1970s ranch] and remodeled the basement about 5 years back (finished it off and upgraded original utilities). Now we're looking to remodel the main floor to match. It has plenty of floor space, just in a poorly laid out format. However, with the current configuration, I am struggling to figure out a creative use of space that maintains a decent flow and open floor plan. We have two staircases and a fire place that cannot budge. However, we are considering enclosing a screened-in porch on the back of the house and a portion of the covered front porch to add to the square footage of the main floor.


The blank slate we have to work from is pictured here. Apologies dimensions are not included in the image. But here are some for reference:

- Across the back of the house

> Left exterior wall to the back screen porch: 36'5"

> Width of screen porch: 18'

> Depth of the screen porch: 10'

> From screen porch to right exterior wall: 25'5"

- From back of house to front of house down right exterior wall: 40'8"

- Across the front of the house on the right 'wing': 25'11"

- Distance across the front of the house between the garage and the right 'wing': 30'6"

- Distance across the garage on the front of the house: 23'5"

- Distance between the stairs and the back of the house: 10'2.5"

- Distance from the left exterior wall to the back wall of the garage/stairs: 22'6.5"

- Distance from the front exterior wall to the back exterior wall of the house in the main living space (not including the screen porch): 27'4"

Feel free to move that wall next to the stairs in the garage.

Right now, the main floor is a 3 bedroom/2 bath. I'm trying to figure out a way to make it 4 bedroom and at least 2 bath because I'd like our 3 kids to each have their own room. My preference is for split bedrooms (kids on one side of the house and us on the other for privacy).

I would love to see what ideas others have!

Edit: This is the house as it currently stands. I have already been in conversation with contractors to know we can include both the front overhang porch and back screened porch as interior space. I value optimistic responses. Progress was never made by immediately starting projects with all the reasons why they won't work.

Comments (18)

  • last month

    Here is an image with the measurements. BTW Your assumption of using the screen porch as interior space is not a given. Can that space have plumbing in it? If you are in a cold climate that may not be possible. You did not label any windows or entry doors. You do not show where the existing bathrooms and kitchen is now. You say you redid the basement so I am sure you will not want to move plumbing and drainage and ruin your basement renovation. The idea of moving the interior house wall by the garage is most likely not going to happen unless you are considering making the existing garage an interior space? You should sell and buy a house that suits you since this type of renovation will most likely out price the house itself.


  • last month

    You absolutely can remove a fireplace; you just need to repair the ceiling and roof. If it "can't budge" because you love it where it is, that's a different story.

    How old are the kids? Can one of them move downstairs? I think our kids (twins) were about 5 when we shuffled bedrooms so they were on a separate floor from us.


  • last month

    I was not able to get a rough plan together this morning but here is a very rough idea of the location of rooms to consider. The back porch could be part of the kitchen or a powder room, laundry, mudroom combination. IF you still need a formal dining room it could be possible once you look into using the back porch as part of the kitchen. Too many variables at the moment but it does have the kids bedrooms separate from the Master Suite.


  • PRO
    last month

    Lorraine is probably right about selling, but there's not enough information here to be sure. Writing out the dimensions and not putting them on the plan will put most people off. But mostly we don't know WHAT IT IS YOU NEED AND WANT!

  • PRO
    last month

    All you listed needs to be put on the floor plan which needs to be to scale then we do not need to read a book to figure out the spsces . Not a bad idea to name them too. Post here in jpeg in a comment.

  • PRO
    last month

    You do not "Just remove a wood burning fireplace" It is more than fix the roof and ceiling. A lot more.....................

  • PRO
    last month
    last modified: last month

    Best advice:

    "You should sell and buy a house that suits you since this type of renovation will most likely out price the house itself."

    Second best:

    Knock down all the house, but one wall, which if you are lucky, will make it a renovation vs. new build, and will be far less restricted in every way.

    Find a place to rent for the duration.

    Third best:

    A really generous bank, and the rental. : ) for alternate living during what will be nothing less than a nightmare you' not want to live through.

  • PRO
    last month

    You have load bearing walls that have to be structurally supported in order to remove them. 70's homes are a patchwork of changing joist direction too, in order to maximize room sizes. Removing walls is NOT a given here, and will be darn expensive. You will also need to completely rebuild the porch, do a new roof, plus structural alterations, in order to add more space and remove the chimney. Chimneys support joists.


    This is a money pit. WIth little upside to spending that money, unless you live in a HCOL.

  • last month

    Have you considered an addition for a primary suite? My nephew reconfigured a hallway and bathroom to accomodate a new wing on the house. They will have a nice big private suite with a large closet and bath.

  • last month

    Jan we did take out a wood fireplace, so I'm pretty sure it's possible. Like the OP's house, it was not on an outside wall. It wasn't easy, but we got it done.

  • last month

    Have you considered adding on a second floor? Either a master suite or two bedrooms for two kids. If two bedrooms for two kids, you now can have an office in the fifth bedroom.

  • 13 days ago

    Here is an offered suggestion. What are folks' thoughts on this remodel. What do you like/dislike?



  • 12 days ago

    I like the new plan. I feel the mudroom and laundry could be one space unless you want them as two separate spaces. Maybe this would also be a good area for a powder room as the main bathroom is in the private bedroom space so a bathroom for guests would be nice. I do not like the washer/dryer in an alcove and would maybe move it to the other wall with a countertop and use the space where it is now as storage cabinets. It walks well and I do not see much wasted space. I may be tempted to remove some of the windows in the new living area so you have walls for cabinets and TV etc unless the basement you had already finished includes a family room for TV and this is a formal living room. If you are going to spend all this money why is the fireplace in the middle of nowhere? Move it to the living room. Lastly the master bedroom closet is too small and frankly the shower is too big.

  • 12 days ago

    A kitchen relying on adjacent rooms for light will be quite dark. Also, with the revised plan , will you be able to vent the stove adequately?

  • 6 days ago

    @Lorraine Leroux It is a preexisting fireplace made from stone taken from the fields around the house (farming family). And, yes, we do have a family room in the basement already so upstairs would be more of a sitting room. I appreciate the comments about the relative size of the shower vs closet and am looking at how I can shuffle that area.

  • PRO
    5 days ago

    Porches are not living space so they would need to be demolished and proper footings poured so like additions and who ever tells you otherwise is an idiot. How old are the kids ? My 2 oldest shared the bigger bedroom for a long time . They grow up and leave home and then you are stuck with spaces not needed .Removing a FP can be a huge expense depending on the FP Have thought tha maybe a different house could be the answer .I honestly like the old layout much better than the new planned one Put the oldest kid in the basement with a proper bathroom and then rearrange how you use the spaces on the main floor Removing walls is tricky and often not what you expected in how the space works You have a FR now in the basement so why not use that space for a bigger kitchen and dining room then a nice large LR . My advice is talk to agood interior designer to see what is possible without actually building a new house which really is what you are doing . In one home we owned we actually put the master in the basement did a nice walk out to a small deck and hot tub and gained a nice living spce on the main cost 1/4 of what an actual addition would have cost and the bonus that bedroom was awesome in the summer

  • PRO
    5 days ago

    Playing pretend rearranging spaces like they are Lego blocks is fun. Reality of the structural and costs interferes with that fun. But that is the very first thing that needs to be considered. Most people's budgets cannot deal with the amount of money that would be needed to do all of those structural changes. The house wouldn't be worth the expenditure, almost anywhere. The house would be considered a teardown and new build.