Interior layout change

Owain_Moneysaver

Section106 wrote: »

Looking at the floorplans side-by-side, it looks like the wall between bedrooms 1 and 4 is the original rear external wall of the property. The gap containing the folding door between the two rooms is probably where the original window was, hence it being wider than a standard doorway. That wall would have supported the original roof, and probably still plays a major part in supporting the revised roof arrangement.

There's a part sloping ceiling which agrees with that thinking, and a slight bump in the LHS wall in the middle bedroom too.

Amending that lintel in what is now the middle of a built property with very limited side access (you can get a lintel along the alley, but not across it to insert sideways into the building) is not going to be easy.

I think OP needs to remeasure that wall very carefully and assume no further openings could be made without disproportionate expense.

Owain_Moneysaver

If you don't mind a less extravagant en-suite shower room with a row of storage cupboards outside something along these lines might work



and rehang the existing door. You could then probably remove the bedroom wardrobes.

Section106

Lozzers84 wrote: »

Did not notice there was anything wrong with the roof... So thanks for pointing that out... In the event we do proceed will definitely ask some questions about that.

It isn't necessarily that there is something wrong with it, just that roof valleys can be a maintenance issue. The apparent step in it might be to aid drainage and avoid ponding, or it could be due to different heights of wall/roof underneath.

The primary concern for me would be the inability to access it from your side due to the position of the conservatory. Even with scaffolding you would still access to the neighbour's garden.

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

If you don't mind a less extravagant en-suite shower room with a row of storage cupboards outside something along these lines might work...

Although not shown on the floorplan, there appears to be a chimney breast lurking behind the shelving units (a corner is visible above the bag with "rhubarb" written on it). The floorplan for the neighbour's house shows a chimney breast in this position on the first floor, but not the ground floor. (ETA: the photos for next door do show a ground floor chimney breast)

Something else for the OP to check is whether there is still a chimney breast on the ground floor (in what would probably have been the dining room). If not, the next question is what is holding up the one on the first floor, if that really is what it is.

Owain_Moneysaver

Oh dear, yes.

It appears that the council do not make their Building Control applications available online; obtaining copies of all applications for both halves of the semi should be a priority. If the drawings are to hand it may help the structural engineer see what has been (and was supposed to have been) done.

This property definately needs a MIStructE structural engineer's survey though. (That's not a structural survey by a RICS surveyor.)

Cakeguts

That house is in the "wrong" part of Croxley Green so you are going to have to be very careful that you don't spend more money on it than you can ever get back for that road. That road will have a top price. I think you can already tell that it isn't in a prime area by the fact that it is cheap but big for the area. That is fine you get more space for you money but it isn't so good if you spend a lot on it because you may not get it all back when you sell.

Cakeguts

The kitchen being in the middle of the house has only got one very small window in it. It will be dark because the window looks out on the wall of the house next door. So a dark kitchen and nothing you can do about it.

FTBlalala

Oh I'm an idiot... On first read I thought you'd do this. Might be another option at least?



I would use bedroom 3, put a wall up between 1 & 4. Red bit could be a walk in closet type space, light blue a small ensuite (or all red and blue bit as ensuite) and then extend the original bathroom (dark blue bit). Sorry for the super crude drawing! This has minimal walls to put up and two doorways.

Just a thought but I have no proper experience so it could be completely stupid so ignore me if so!


- 16.58 update * Just saw the posts near the beginning said about this, valid point about the window. Sorry!