Extension Potential: Who First?

michaels

When I started I did some very rough sketches in excel (if it can't be done in excel it isn't worth doing) and went along to a 'householder drop in session' at the planning dept to find out if they thought it was along the right lines.

Where you are I am not sure what would be considered acceptable so I might go along and ask about both single and double storey all the way out to the boundary for the full depth on the house in terms of permitted development and likelihood of getting planning permission. One issue may be the no more than 50% of the plot should be developed, not sure if this is a national rule or only applies here.

The advantage of 2-storey if you can do it is it is much more likely to add value if you can add a bedroom (or 2!). How wide is the strip at the side of the house?

michaels

PasturesNew wrote: »

I have tried to find online photos that are similar in the past, in order the "share" without sharing, so to speak. I'll look again.


I've no need for more bedrooms .... but did wonder if I should just "build it anyway", as a "store of money" but it's not space I need. I've got enough floorspace already, it's just the layout's wrong, so in order to fix that I chucked the loo outside and then started thinking about "if you're going to do something, it's a few quid more to do a bit more" - and it grew legs.


Yes, you need a serious amount of extra money to buy a house that's much better than you've got. Trying to get something "a little better" doesn't stack up due to the moving costs.


Yes, that's the trouble with a lean to - nice idea, but probably best left to the self-builder as they do look shoddy.

I'm using the word conservatory to mean: something that's light/bright. I've no desire to have bifold doors or "bring the outside in".... I see them as a security and privacy issue to be honest. I have patio doors already and have a long net curtain over them so I can ponce about inside in my panties without looking up and discovering the mailman's in the back garden looking in.

If I start with, say, a wall that gets the evening sun full on, then it'd be nice to sit there, so it can't be a wall with a window .... and then you replace the wall with glass and it's a conservatory.... hard to nail the right word/look/design really.

If PP for a second storey might be possible it might be worth getting it even if you only build single storey to start with but put footings in for more.

However in terms of max light I can see that you might get away with a conservatory set back slightly from the front property line whereas if you went for 'house' style you would want to keep the look similar to the neighbours so less scope for a huge sunshine window.

I was about to try a downstairs design but I think we need to know the max width before we can suggest.

PasturesNew

michaels wrote: »

When I started I did some very rough sketches in excel (if it can't be done in excel it isn't worth doing) and went along to a 'householder drop in session' at the planning dept to find out if they thought it was along the right lines.

Where you are I am not sure what would be considered acceptable so I might go along and ask about both single and double storey all the way out to the boundary for the full depth on the house in terms of permitted development and likelihood of getting planning permission. One issue may be the no more than 50% of the plot should be developed, not sure if this is a national rule or only applies here.

The advantage of 2-storey if you can do it is it is much more likely to add value if you can add a bedroom (or 2!). How wide is the strip at the side of the house?

I spoke to planning the other week, when next door put in planning permission for a new estate. In passing I mentioned that I wanted a small extension and the words she replied with were "if it's just an extension that enhances your life we don't have a problem with that, but not an additional residence". But I was talking of a single storey extension, 1/3rd of the depth of the house ....

House is 12' wide. Strip is about 8'. So I could do a spacious 3-bed or a more-cramped 4-bed, but I don't think the local market would lap it up .... there was a 4-bed for sale when I bought this, it was the same price as this. Also, 3-4 beds brings into question the parking they'd need, I have one space. I think building big is speculating/risky for who might buy it.

Double storey would also lose me most of the "light advantage" that side strip gets too.

PasturesNew

michaels wrote: »

However in terms of max light I can see that you might get away with a conservatory set back slightly from the front property line whereas if you went for 'house' style you would want to keep the look similar to the neighbours so less scope for a huge sunshine window.

I figure the conservatory bit at the front would start half way along the side, so it'd be about 12-15' back from the front of the house.

All I can see is that I've the potential to build a lot more building than I have a need for.... to no real benefit to myself. I'm not in it for profit, I just don't want to 'make a loss' on what I spend doing it -v- how it enhances it. It's always trickier with smaller budgets, smaller plots on modern estates and not having much wriggle room with budget and no wriggle room for risk.

michaels wrote: »

I was about to try a downstairs design but I think we need to know the max width before we can suggest.

12'

There are no load bearing walls within the property whatsoever. None.

My plan is: remove the loo and all its walls. That creates a walk way from front door through the loo into the kitchen. Block up current kitchen door. Keep all kitchen stuff where it is. Run worktop/pan drawers where blocked up kitchen door is in new plan. That then lets light come through that gap.

I have mulled keeping one loo wall (the one between the loo and the stairs as it is now), perchance to use it as the framework for cupboards and/or a narrow breakfast bar style seating area.... not sure. The loo benefits from a window to the side at this point, so again, light gain. I currently have a brilliantly sunny loo which is of no use/benefit whatsoever.

All water/drains seem to go out either side of the front door, there's a drain cover right outside. There's another drain that feeds into that I bet, that just carries water from the gutters. I figure that runs down the side of house from the back garden to the front door. But I don't know/not looked.
Keep the living room door, so I can shut off everything else in the house. No point spending money jiggering about with taking that wall down and maybe jiggering the stairs.... I figure.

LydiaJ

If you only want to build a single storey extension you may not need PP. There's a miniguide on the planning portal site that tells you what you can do as "permitted development" without PP. Ignore the first two slides, though - they're about "designated areas", which means national parks and similar, and I'm pretty sure you're not in one of those.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/extensions/miniguide

victor2

Do you definitely need planning permission? The planning portal gives information on what can be done without it. We were able to extend without planning permission, just building regs.
Be warned if you're building over or within 3 metres of a "public" sewer pipe (i.e. one shared with your neighbour). Responsibility of those has been forced upon the water authorities. As we were building over one, we had to get a camera scan done before and after the work to get permission from our water authority and show no damage was done by the work. Our foundations had to go down below and around the sewer pipe as well.

Callie22

Pastures, I'm not sure where you're based but I noticed your location is SW UK. If you're anywhere near Swindon then the National Self Build and Renovation Centre are running some free 'talk to an architect' sessions where you can go and discuss your projects - OH got an email today so I'm not sure of the details but if you go online I'm sure they'll be on the website. It might be a useful way of getting some rough ideas/prices before you get someone round - and the Centre itself is actually quite interesting if you're thinking about a building project. It's free entry too.

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

...

Permitted development is often removed for new builds, it's in the small print. Mine's got it removed.

victor2 wrote: »

Do you definitely need planning permission? The planning portal gives information on what can be done without it. We were able to extend without planning permission, just building regs.
Be warned if you're building over or within 3 metres of a "public" sewer pipe (i.e. one shared with your neighbour). Responsibility of those has been forced upon the water authorities. As we were building over one, we had to get a camera scan done before and after the work to get permission from our water authority and show no damage was done by the work. Our foundations had to go down below and around the sewer pipe as well.

Yes, need it. No permitted development here. I think the pipe/drain is just mine, not public. That's one of the things the little man will be able to instantly spot/realise. I do have a full set of drawings (that I don't understand at all) that were supplied when the house was new which the last owner passed to me. Never looked though. Never expected to extend at all to be honest.

PasturesNew

Callie22 wrote: »

Pastures, I'm not sure where you're based but I noticed your location is SW UK. If you're anywhere near Swindon then the National Self Build and Renovation Centre are running some free 'talk to an architect' sessions where you can go and discuss your projects - OH got an email today so I'm not sure of the details but if you go online I'm sure they'll be on the website. It might be a useful way of getting some rough ideas/prices before you get someone round - and the Centre itself is actually quite interesting if you're thinking about a building project. It's free entry too.

Thanks. Nowhere near Swindon. I'm at the seaside

I've just googled to see where Swindon is (no idea) .... oh, I'd call that "left of London"
It's a long way away, 2 hours' driving. But thanks for alerting me.

EssexExile

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've just googled to see where Swindon is (no idea) .... oh, I'd call that "left of London"

You're holding the map upside down.