A 3×6 m knock-down house: laying out a room you can really live in
Contents
In short
- A 3×6 m house measures 18 m² on the outside. After the walls, you have about 17 m² to use.
- That suits 1–2 people living there full time, with room for a 5 ft bed, a wardrobe and a desk.
- A bathroom inside takes about 2.5 m², and the drain has to be planned before the house is placed.
- Decide where the door, windows, sockets and air conditioner go before you order.
How much space a 3×6 m house really has
The 3×6 m in a listing is usually the outside size, so the floor inside is smaller than 18 m². With walls 5 cm thick, the inside measures 2.90 × 5.90 m, or about 17.1 m². With walls 7.5 cm thick, it drops to about 16.7 m², and columns in the corners can take a little more.
The width is the main limit. A 2 m bed placed across the room leaves only 0.90 m at its foot. So divide the house into zones along its length, with the sleeping area at one end and the living area at the other. Every plan in this article uses an inside size of 2.90 × 5.90 m. Ask the seller for the real inside size before you use one.
The space to leave around furniture
Furniture sizes alone are not enough. You also need room to walk, open doors and get up from a chair. Use this table as a starting point for your plan.
| Item | Approximate size | Space to leave |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 ft bed | 1.05 × 2.00 m | 0.60 m on the side you get in |
| 5 ft bed | 1.50 × 2.00 m | 0.60 m on each side for two people |
| Hinged wardrobe | 0.60 m deep, 1.00–2.00 m wide | 0.90 m in front |
| Sliding wardrobe | 0.60 m deep, 1.00–2.00 m wide | 0.60 m in front |
| Desk | 0.60 m deep, 1.20 m wide | 0.75 m behind it for the chair |
| Door | 0.80 m wide | Keep the door swing clear |
| Main walkway | None | At least 0.60 m |
Bed and wardrobe sizes come from products on sale in Thailand, checked in November 2026, and vary by model. The 0.60 m walkway is the minimum used by many bedroom layout guides. The space behind the desk is the figure we used for this article.
3 floor plans for a 3×6 m knock-down house
All three are one-bedroom plans drawn to scale. Double lines on a wall are windows, curved lines show how a door swings, and dashed lines are the main walkway. The door and window positions are examples. They differ between models, so adjust the plan to the real drawing.
Plan 1: one person, open room
Putting a 3.5 ft bed in the corner keeps the middle of the room as open as possible. The wardrobe can have hinged doors because it has 1.25 m in front of it. The desk sits under a window for daylight, and the sofa goes at the end near the door. This suits someone who works from home or has the occasional guest.
Plan 2: two people, wardrobe as a divider
Centring a 5 ft bed on the short wall leaves 0.70 m on each side, so both people can get out of bed. A 2 m wardrobe stands across the room, hides the bed from the front door and still leaves a 0.90 m walkway. Choose sliding doors, because there is only 0.70 m in front of it.
The back of the wardrobe faces the living area, so pick one with a tidy back panel, and fix it firmly to the wall so it cannot tip over.
Plan 3: bathroom and small kitchen inside
A 1.30 × 1.90 m bathroom at the end of the house takes about 2.5 m². The kitchen shares a wall with it, so the water supply and drain pipes stay together. The 1 m corner beside the bathroom fits a small wardrobe, but this plan has less storage than the first two, so allow for storage under the bed.
Plan the drain before the house is placed. Read more in Prefab toilets: how they are installed and plumbed and Preparing your site: ground, supports and truck access.
Planning around doors, windows and services
- Door: keep the swing clear, and make sure the door does not hit a wardrobe or the bed.
- Windows: put them on different walls if you can, because air moves through the room better. Keep tall furniture away from them.
- Afternoon sun: a west-facing wall takes the full afternoon sun. If you have the choice, keep windows on that wall small and put the wardrobe against it.
- Air conditioner: mount it on a short wall so the air travels along the room. Avoid blowing straight at the head of the bed, and plan where its drain goes.
- Sockets and switches: decide where the bed and desk go first, then give the seller the socket positions.
- Getting furniture in: the door is about 0.80 m wide, so a large assembled wardrobe may not fit. Choose one that can be built inside the room.
Plan your own layout in 5 steps
- Ask the seller for a drawing that shows the inside size and the door and window positions.
- Draw it on graph paper, with one square for 10 cm, and cut out paper furniture to try different layouts.
- Measure the things you will really use, especially a bed with a frame or headboard, which is often bigger than the mattress.
- Mark the plan at full size on the ground with tape or string, then walk through it to see whether the walkways are too narrow.
- Send the plan to the seller to confirm. Ask whether the door, windows or sockets can move, and what that costs, before you order.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can live in a 3×6 m house?
One or two people is about right for full-time living. Three people need a bunk bed or an extra bed, and there will be little storage left. If you need more space, read Can you join several units into a bigger house?
Will a 6 ft bed fit?
Yes. A 6 ft bed is about 1.80 × 2.00 m. With the headboard on the short wall, you get only 0.55 m on each side, which is too narrow. Put the headboard on the long wall instead, and you have 0.90 m at the foot of the bed.
Can it be split into 2 bedrooms?
Yes, at about 8 m² each. Both rooms need a window, and each needs its own door unless you are happy to walk through one to reach the other. If you also need a bathroom, look at joining two units.
Can I add a bathroom later?
It is usually harder than including it from the start, because supply and drain pipes have to be added. If you are unsure, ask the seller whether pipe routes can be allowed for now, or use a prefab toilet placed apart from the house.