Extending my house to the side?

dimbo61

This all depends on the size of your Plot !
How much space you have at the side of your driveway.
How wide could you build your two storey extension ?
The layout of your current home.
Downstairs shower room with a toilet and sink.
Big kitchen, extra bedroom with ensuite bathroom.
Location, demand for bigger houses, garden front and rear etc
Costs involved in doing the work and can you get planning permission?
How are you going to pay for this ?

aneary

The main question is how long do you plan on living there?

If it is another 5-10 years then you need to consider resale value.

If it's for 10+ then do what works for you as a family.

HouseMouse

Can't comment on the added value part, but would to point out that if you extend right up to your side boundary then how would people access the back garden for maintenance etc?

I would never buy a property that doesn't have direct access to the rear. Do you want wheelbarrow loads of rubbish carted through your lounge if you decide to landscape the garden?

I'm on an estate that was mostly built in the late 1960's and the LA have historically allowed side extensions right up to the boundary on many properties. Usually there is a gap of about 12-18 inches (Not a metre - though regulations may have changed recently) left between properties so they are still technically detached houses, but of course the gap isn't wide enough to allow access. There is no direct way to get into the gardens from the rear. Some people have got involved in disputes about "right of access" from adjacent gardens when access was needed for repairs/maintenance.

One of my neighbours has a flying extension. He built a first floor extension but left the ground floor access to the rear garden. It looks quite nice but of course this only gives him an extra bedroom/bathroom, not a kitchen/diner.

NaughtiusMaximus

HouseMouse wrote: »

One of my neighbours has a flying extension. He built a first floor extension but left the ground floor access to the rear garden. It looks quite nice but of course this only gives him an extra bedroom/bathroom, not a kitchen/diner.

There's no reason why this type of extension couldn't also provide a modest side extension to the kitchen. If the available width is 10 feet you could easily have a 3ft wide side passage, 7ft ground floor with a full width bedroom above.

Cakeguts

It may not add any value if it means that the house is too expensive for the road that it is in.