Advice on house built on sloping plot - back is on pillars

jojo2004

Hey all,

First post on this board...

We're FTB, been looking in London for a while :eek:

We like this place, but need some advice:

The conservatory is on 'stilts' - leading out to decking and steps down to garden. Back wall of the house (i.e. kitchen & dining room back wall) is to ground level, but as the plot slopes from the front of the house downwards, there is a cellar under the back part of the house, shaped like a wedge, in the empty space left.

Questions:

1. Is this likely to cause subsidence/structural probs?
2. If we wanted to replace the conservatory with a proper single-storey extension, stepped down from the rear wall of the house, is this do-able and sensible? Since the kitchen is weeny, we wanted to take out the back wall, and have the extension across the same width as the conservatory - possibly also remove the wall from kitchen to dining room to create a huge kitchen diner. Thoughts?
3. Has anyone an idea of cost? I know that's a huge ask without seeing the place, but if anyone has any ideas of whether we're talking £5k, £20k, £50k, £100k (:eek:) etc, that would be amazing.

Merci ta!

go_cat

Your link isn't working . Is it on rightmove?

savingmummy

This one? http://www.acorn.ltd.uk/property_for_sale.asp?location=Sydenham%20Park%20Road%20SE26&strFileRef=143274

jojo2004

That's the one savingsmummy! Ta. x

Edit: link in OP now fixed.

dimbo61

With your plans you need professional advice from builders, surveyors, and the local council planning department if any of your ideas could even happen.
What would this work cost ?
What is the price ceiling for 4 bed homes in the area ?
Will the work you plan on doing be in keeping with the style of the existing property ?

jojo2004

Hi Dimbo,

We were hoping to get advice before making an offer and getting a survey done - been burned twice on that (hence out of pocket!)

Obv know we'd have to speak to council etc if/when we bought before doing work.

No idea on cost - that's part of what I'm asking! Ceiling price on 4 beds in area - hard to say. London has micro-postcodes, so two streets away can be half the price. No other 4 beds comparable on this street.
Yes, we'd be in keeping with character and style of property.

DVardysShadow

jojo2004 wrote: »

Questions:

1. Is this likely to cause subsidence/structural probs?
2. If we wanted to replace the conservatory with a proper single-storey extension, stepped down from the rear wall of the house, is this do-able and sensible? Since the kitchen is weeny, we wanted to take out the back wall, and have the extension across the same width as the conservatory - possibly also remove the wall from kitchen to dining room to create a huge kitchen diner. Thoughts?
3. Has anyone an idea of cost? I know that's a huge ask without seeing the place, but if anyone has any ideas of whether we're talking £5k, £20k, £50k, £100k (:eek:) etc, that would be amazing.

Merci ta!

1. Get a structural survey and ask your surveyor to comment. There is nothing wrong with the principle, there may or may not be a lot wrong with this particular house, which the forum cannot meaningfully comment on.
2. I imagine you would be more likely than not to get Planning or find that it is a permitted development [assuming that what is there would not be a Planning violation in the first place. Beware that if you ask the council about the specific property, you may make it impossible to get Indemnity Insurance. [Don't discuss indemnity insurance here now that you have linked to the property]. As for your proposals, I suggest you stick to removing no more than 1 wall.
3. £k20 to £k50 is my guess.

jojo2004

Thanks DVS

I was really hoping to get advice PRE-structural survey! We've had two of those already on other houses, and not been able to then buy the house, so we're already out of pocket! I'm aware that the house's condition is paramount, but I'm interested in:

a) whether building with a cellar/void and the rear of the house supported on pillars like this is usual, and

b) does this limit the possibility of putting an extension on.

On the planning issue - if the extension had the exact footprint of the conservatory, doesn't that make it more likely to go through? It's a like-for-like replacement in terms of size and volume after all!

House-hunting makes my head hurt.

DVardysShadow

Any house with a 'suspended floor' will have a void underneath. As for the pillars, as I read what you say, these are supporting the conservatory only and the 2 storey wall is solid to the ground. None of this is a showstopper in principle for what you propose. The special issues for this house are with the conservatory which you intend to rebuild anyway. Just expect to be starting with new foundations for that.

Seriously, you are not going to get any specific pre survey advice relating to the particular house other than generalities.

jojo2004

Ta, DVS! Just needed to know that it isn't outside the bounds of possibility...

I think we're going to have to bite the bullet and go for a survey. Eeek!

Thanks all.