Many older estates had plenty of visitors, and they sometimes required rest and privacy. For those guests, a cottage or two were often placed in the more secluded areas of the estate. They could stay for a week or a month without being part of the hustle and bustle of the big house, but they could also join the family whenever they felt the need for company. Many older estates have been broken up, and expanding the guest cottage for a modern home is often a boon for those looking for a unique house.
It might seem that guest cottages would be small with only a bedroom and sitting room. This could be the case on some estates where guests were not encouraged to linger, but there are cottages that have three or four bedrooms and their own kitchens. These are often the ones that people purchase with an eye for making them a true home.
No matter how many bedrooms this type of dwelling had, entertaining a large number of guests was never part of the plan. There might be a small living or sitting room, and the bedrooms tend to be very small as well. Only one bath may be present, and the kitchen would be more of a place to eat food brought from the main house than preparing it from scratch. All of these factors are reasons the dwelling needs to be enlarged, but keeping the charm is also important.
A larger cottage with four bedrooms might be turned into a two bedroom house. The kitchen, dining room, and the living room would all be expanded. An additional bath might be added to create a master suite, or a half bath could be put in for visitors. All of these are part of expanding a small dwelling to create a home for the modern family.
