Knock down and start again

jolester

Hi,

I have searched this board and only found one post from 2014 asking a similar ish question to mine

We are in the process of buying our next property and we are hoping that extending it will be no issue as it is set in it's own 3 acre plot, not listed and all the surrounding houses have had extensions already done to them.

This is an older cottage which we were originally planning on just extending and modernising inside but from looking through the Grand Designs site last night we've decided we do actually prefer more contemporary, individual architecturally designed properties (there will be nothing around us that would offer this kind of property within our budget and with the land which is more important to us than the design of the house)

So, our ponderings are now as to whether completely knocking down and rebuilding the house to a preferred external design is something that is "the norm" as in do planning departments generally allow it and is it something that we would have to change our mortgage to do?

Any advice appreciated as to whether we should pop this pipe dream into a box and close the lid or is it worth exploring further

Thank you

Head_The_Ball

I suggest that you contact your local planning department and ask them.

They should know the local rules and regulations better than anyone on here.

Davesnave

They are more amenable to this if the design is considered to be of particular architectural merit, or especially in keeping with the landscape, but these are value judgements, not easy to define in straightforward, everyday terms.

Perhaps a meeting with a local planning consultant would be a good first move.

jolester

Davesnave wrote: »

They are more amenable to this if the design is considered to be of particular architectural merit, or especially in keeping with the landscape, but these are value judgements, not easy to define in straightforward, everyday terms.

Perhaps a meeting with a local planning consultant would be a good first move.

I wouldn't say it would be in keeping with the landscape... think that planning consultant meeting is the way forward - any ideas whether or not it would affect mortgage at all ?

Doozergirl

I with planning consultant rather than planning office at this point. It's likely to be complex and you need to take proper advice tailored to you taking the local plan into consideration. The planning office can't start helping you to size out what might be acceptable.

Doozergirl

Yes, you will need a self build mortgage. No way will a regular mortgage be allowed for a house that is going to disappear :eek:

jolester

Doozergirl wrote: »

Yes, you will need a self build mortgage. No way will a regular mortgage be allowed for a house that is going to disappear :eek:

Lol, thanks for the definitive answer ! It's stressful enough sorting a normal mortgage ... I think that has definitely made me decide to close the lid on the rebuild box !

Thank you !

Owain_Moneysaver

Knocking down and rebuilding is the only way to obtain a plot in many areas. It can make a lot of sense as you end up with a house that is designed to flow as one building, rather than a mishmash of extensions, and built to modern building regs and your personal requirements.

In many case though there's be a limit on how much bigger the new house can be compared to the existing.

If the plot is big enough and suitably arranged for access you might be able to build your new house in the back garden before demolishing the old cottage.

jolester

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Knocking down and rebuilding is the only way to obtain a plot in many areas. It can make a lot of sense as you end up with a house that is designed to flow as one building, rather than a mishmash of extensions, and built to modern building regs and your personal requirements.

In many case though there's be a limit on how much bigger the new house can be compared to the existing.

If the plot is big enough and suitably arranged for access you might be able to build your new house in the back garden before demolishing the old cottage.

Thanks for your post, the house itself isn't tiny, just a standard 3 bed cottage, I don't think it's "old" old, just older than our property! we'd like to knock the living room and dining room into one living room, add an extension to the back of this as a new dining room, knock the utility into the kitchen to make it bigger, add a new utility then extend the upstairs to match the below footprint...

Though there is room to build another house elsewhere on the land the current house is standing in the ideal spot as there is a very large pool at one end of the land and we wouldn't want the house too close to this - or to take up all this grass, there is a driveway which can hold about 15 cars which we wouldn't want to grass over or move elsewhere

parking_question_chap

Contact you local planning department, they might offer a pre application advice service. You pay a fee and you give them some sketches andd they tell you if it would likely get permission or not.

Dont meet with a "consultant", meet with the people who will actually be making the decision, you could easily draw up some sketches and get some in principle advice.

If its a total non starter then you will have saved money getting professional drawing done. If it could be looked at favourably then go straight to an architect and get the plans drawn up.

Doozergirl

Talking to a consultant doesn't mean drawings. It means proper advice.

If I had listened to planning officers I would not have planning permission for a new dwelling.