would like a new gable room, but door to it would be form existing room.

justaquestion

Hi,

I know this is not the ideal solution but have any of you done similar?
I have a semi detached house, and would like to build an extra room at free gable side

The only option I have is to have the door into new build from an existing room, which is a small one bed bedroom, but which we use for clothes dryer, storage and other stuff that a family needs. (we do need this room or a similar space, not an option to move it out to shed)

Now we could turn the bathroom on that side into a corridor and have access to new build that way, moving the bathroom to behind the new room, but as we only did up bathroom a few years ago, spending £3k and I am not great believer in turning existing space into a corridor.

So I have to compromise and it seems the logical thing to do is just have the entrance from new room from existing small bedroom.

From my enquiries it does seem that a so called inside room like what I am planning, that building control are not too keen on an idea like this, so might have to add it in plans to them as a dressing room to the existing small bedroom.

I could always move the storage things later on into the new room and use existing small bedroom as a proper bedroom.

Opinions appreciated.
Many thanks

Doozergirl

Just remove the existing doorway to the small room and with either double cabinet doors or a new stud wall and traditional door create a corridor from part of it.

If you have to walk the line anyway it's already a corridor that can't be blocked, it just needs some decent joinery to turn it into a corridor with brilliant storage.

Or you knock that room into the new one and make a big one.

Owain_Moneysaver

You can either form a passage from the hall through the existing bedroom, making a utility room and a protected corridor leading to the new bedroom, or fit the new bedroom with an escape window or door to the outside. The principal concern about an internal room is means of escape from fire.

justaquestion

Thanks a lot for replies.

Good points about access to a corridor for fire safery reason.

So my revised plan now, as I definitely don't want to make existing bedroom smaller with a corridor to new room, would be to keep existing bedroom as it is, just use it as a one bed room, and move all the storage stuff into new room. I have been advised that when applying to planning, building control etc to submit the new room as a dressing room or something along these lines, I would imagine to meet fire regulations as stated above. Thoughts on this appreciated?

On a separate matter what would be a reasonable amount to pay an architect to get plans drawn up? Its a development of similar houses and existing plans I believe would probably be readily available to the architects in this area for the unmodified house. After all if he had the existing plans it would be just a matter of adding the new room extension.

I would have thought £500-600 would be a fair price but have been quoted £1000 for plans only.

Thanks for any advice.

Doozergirl

£500-600 is too cheap. There will not be dwg files for the architect to work from. That work is the property of someone else and the architect cannot pass it off as their own. It would have to be paid for anyway.

Whatever is designed, it should meet with building regulations to keep you *safe*.

There will be a design solution that is suitable and maintains the value of the property, which is a concern when you're trying to bodge something onto the side of a house.

Employ a professional and take their advice rather than the advice of someone who thinks that your health and safety isn't important.

Ozzuk

Do you plan to sell in a few years? Without seeing a plan it's hard to tell, but if you are building a new room that could end up just as a dressing room then you are unlikely to get your money back, and anything that impacts the classification of the little bedroom will likely devalue the house.

Andy_L

justaquestion wrote: »

From my enquiries it does seem that a so called inside room like what I am planning, that building control are not too keen on an idea like this, so might have to add it in plans to them as a dressing room to the existing small bedroom.

Inner rooms are allowed if, as you say, its a dressing room or if:
1. its a utility room (eg "clothes dryer, storage and other stuff that a family needs")
2. its <4.5m above ground level and the window complies with the regs for acting as a fire escape

justaquestion

Thanks again for the helpful replies.

I don't think I will ever move from here so that is a plus as regards never selling.

The room will be probably be at most 12X10 feet at most. I put the details into

http://www.whatprice.co.uk/costs/extension-costs.php#axzz5eqJnjUaN

picking the area I live in for calculation.

And its coming back with a building price of £13500 inc vat.

With cost of plans say at £1000 +planning and building control £500 + foundations and any ground work say £1500 (which I would expect builder to factor in in his quote) + £2000 for work to driveway to make room for cars etc I get a estimate cost of £18500.

Does this sort of sound about right?
Thanks yet again.

suki1964

justaquestion wrote: »

Thanks again for the helpful replies.

I don't think I will ever move from here so that is a plus as regards never selling.

The room will be probably be at most 12X10 feet at most. I put the details into

http://www.whatprice.co.uk/costs/extension-costs.php#axzz5eqJnjUaN

picking the area I live in for calculation.

And its coming back with a building price of £13500 inc vat.

With cost of plans say at £1000 +planning and building control £500 + foundations and any ground work say £1500 (which I would expect builder to factor in in his quote) + £2000 for work to driveway to make room for cars etc I get a estimate cost of £18500.

Does this sort of sound about right?
Thanks yet again.

As long as your ground is sound

We had to pile an extension very recently. Plans and building regs were 1K, cost us 4k just for the foundations

We had costed a 4x4m extension ( self build ) at 5k, we are at 9K

Luckily its built for that and its just decoration that needs doing now

justaquestion

suki1964 wrote: »

As long as your ground is sound

We had to pile an extension very recently. Plans and building regs were 1K, cost us 4k just for the foundations

We had costed a 4x4m extension ( self build ) at 5k, we are at 9K

Luckily its built for that and its just decoration that needs doing now

That is an amazing price. Did you do a lot of the work yourself (you must have) or just project manage it?

Well have got an updated quote, build alone for £15k, they say that it works out at roughly £125 a sq foot.

justaquestion

Awwww plans, plans, plans.....how they change sometimes...

I was speaking to a relative of mine, and he give me a good pep talk about not destroying the character of house, or do something that looks more like an eyesore form either outside or in. Also if I did go ahead to make sure that it is really worthwhile.

If I was to totally take the above advice then a total extension on free side of bungalow would cost maybe £50k, so don't want to go down that route.

So I am seriously thinking over everything that what he said and what I now want to do.

I also had an architect out as well, who was good at outlining options for me, but have ruled out most due to being a very big job or costing too much.

So what I am thinking now is as one person in development has done, is to enlarge small front bedroom at free gable side, extending it outwards over the existing driveway. This would mean knocking through 10ft of gable wall.

Does this sound practicable, I would think this might need a beam of some description to support where gable is broken through? But I would like this to be hidden if needed, so not obvious.

All thoughts gratefully appreciated.