Property extension

Mich90elle

I am currently purchasing a property (just waiting to exchange) and recently took a builder round the house with me to start pricing up the work.

The property (3 bed semi) has a single storey extension across the back of the house. It has a really really small box room to the back of the upstairs so I'd look to have a second storey extension put on as soon as possible.

The currently extension was built in the 80's and only had a flat felted roof... Not the best I know.

My builder said that he would have to assume that the current extension doesn't have the appropriate foundations as he couldn't see why someone would pay for the more expensive foundations if they were only building a single storey extension.

I was a bit disheartened to tell the truth. BUT then I received the searches back and it shows that the previous owners had conditional planning permission granted for a second storey.

Does this mean that the extension will have the required foundations to build on top of? Or could the conditions include underpinning? It would make sense that the flat felted roof was intended to be temporary for the second story?

Hope that makes sense, I am clearly NOT a builder so apologies if this is a silly question.

foxy-stoat

The building regulations will not be the same since 1980 for foundations - so you would more than likely have to start again or at very least prove the foundations are ok for a second story and your engineer will also need to agree.

Doozergirl

You either go and see if Building Control at the local council have the inspection records from the build, or you dig a trial hole to see exactly how deep the footings are.

There's no other way to know. Assumptions are going to get nowhere.

dimbo61

Not sure if the current owners will let you dig up the rear extension to check how deep the foundations are !
How big an extension you build will depend on your budget, size of the garden and current size of the property.
You can OVERDEVELOP a property or build a small rear 2 storey extension which adds little value.

Davesnave

dimbo61 wrote: »

Not sure if the current owners will let you dig up the rear extension to check how deep the foundations are !

That wouldn't be necessary as the foundations are viewable from the outside.i.e. by digging alongside them in the garden.

But it's quite an ask, assuming no other way of knowing exists. It's likely the OP will walk away should they turn out to be inadequate, so I don't think the vendor will be up for such disruption unless the house has proved hard to sell. They'll see the OP as too demanding and look for an easier buyer.

Bossypants

It's impossible for any of us here to tell you what foundations were put in, but if you decided to proceed, I strongly advise you to assume that you'll have to start the extension from scratch if you want a second floor. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" is especially applicable to house buying and renovation, in my experience.

AlexMac

A pity your builder didn't finish the sentance...

Mich90elle wrote: »

My builder said that he would have to assume that the current extension doesn't have the appropriate foundations ...

... by saying "and that the added costs of foundations consistent with current regs would be in the range £1,500 -£2,500"... (or whatever)

I assume you're considering spending over £20k plus on the extension , which will add two or three times that to the house's value (or much more in some areas), so is the odd few grand here or there a deal-breaker?

Surely a bigger issue is whether you'll get Planning Approval for a 2-storey extension (as opposed to doing one without an Application, within permitted development rights)? The 1980 approval is an optimistic indicator, but don't bank on it. My Council was approving any old rubbish in the period 1980-2014, but a few neighbours have been shocked by recent refusals as the Planners suddenly seem to have acquired backbone. And my Council's building control insisted on much deeper foundations than even my builder thought necessary for the 2 metre (non-load-bearing) wall and window across what used to be an up and over door in my recent garage conversion. But that only added a few hundred quid.

So maybe ask?

Mutton_Geoff

Many people build up and out when they outgrow their home to save the cost/hassle of moving.

Unless you enjoy doing up properties, wouldn’t it be better to try to find somewhere that was already sorted for your needs?