Whom to ask if a house for sale can be extended

pieroabcd

Bedroom 1 is the end of terrace, while on the opposute side there's another house. I'm wondering if the reason for the recess is to prevent the other house  from receiving less light

seradane

pieroabcd said:

I mean to extend bedroom 3. I really don't understand what's the purpose of having a "bedroom" as small as that

There's a "bedroom" in my house that's half that size... 

user1977

seradane said:

pieroabcd said:

I mean to extend bedroom 3. I really don't understand what's the purpose of having a "bedroom" as small as that

There's a "bedroom" in my house that's half that size... 

Yes, it's not really all that small, especially for the smallest in a 3 bed.

Section62

pieroabcd said:

Whom should I ask to evaluate if it's possible to close the recess? A surveyor, or an engineneer or someone else?

The type of roof the house and any existing 'extensions' have, along with all the points already made, will affect the feasibility of your plan.

Section62

Mac_70_ said:

...if it's twelve inches then only planning holding you back. 

Building control will also take a view on the suitability of the foundations.

By modern standards twelve inches sounds rather low for a two-storey building.  The actual depth, width and thickness required will depend on the ground conditions, type of construction, and other 'features' such as nearby trees etc.

Mac_70_

Section62 said:

Mac_70_ said:

...if it's twelve inches then only planning holding you back. 

Building control will also take a view on the suitability of the foundations.

By modern standards twelve inches sounds rather low for a two-storey building.  The actual depth, width and thickness required will depend on the ground conditions, type of construction, and other 'features' such as nearby trees etc.

Modern standards for good clay, a minimum depth of concrete is twelve inches for single and two storey now. As i said it use to be nine for single storey.  

The OP would be better phoning there local building control, they will know the area, and advise on the minimum depth.

gingercordial

pieroabcd said:

I mean to extend bedroom 3. I really don't understand what's the purpose of having a "bedroom" as small as that

It's fine for a single bed or bunk beds, for younger children. Bear in mind people in the 1930s had lower expectations of bedroom space.  My mother and her younger sister shared a smaller bedroom than that, in bunk beds which had to go across the window to fit, all through their childhood in the 1950s/60s until they left home.  Their three brothers shared the medium bedroom.

The third bedroom in my house now (also 1930s) is smaller than that, and it's a great little home office, but the family we bought it from were using it as a single bedroom.

Anyway, to help with your question: are the surrounding houses of similar style, and if so can you use the satellite view on Google Maps to work out if anyone else has done the same?  Likewise check the council's planning portal - you should be able to go back several years for that street to see if anyone has either been given or denied permission for this, as I'm sure you won't be the first person to think of it.  

FreeBear

pieroabcd said: Bedroom 1 is the end of terrace, while on the opposute side there's another house. I'm wondering if the reason for the recess is to prevent the other house  from receiving less light

OK. That may mean you can not extend out in the manner you were thinking - I'd suggest reading up on the 45° rule to make sure any plans wouldn't obstruct light for your neighbours.

hazyjo

Blimey, I'd class anything over 8' in both directions as a double!

Not sure where in the country you are and at what price level you're looking for that to be classed as small, but the majority of people would be more than happy with that. Have you actually viewed the property? You may be pleasantly surprised!

pieroabcd

hazyjo said:

Blimey, I'd class anything over 8' in both directions as a double!

Not sure where in the country you are and at what price level you're looking for that to be classed as small, but the majority of people would be more than happy with that. Have you actually viewed the property? You may be pleasantly surprised!

I'm in London, and very seriously disappointed by the quality and size of the houses that I've seen so far.
As for the garden, i think that the best use that I could make of it is to build on it. I like to live inside, not outside.
I'll never understand the excitement for the green.
I have a big garden where i'm renting now, but guess what? never gone.

I've seen the property in person, of course. The EA was kind enough to contact the seller to ask if what I had in mind is likely to be accepted by the Council. The seller was equally kind to say that it's very unlikely, so I think I'll have to search something else.

Maybe buying something that needs renovations from the start is not a good idea, after all, especially for a foreigher like me that doesn't know the regulations and wouldn't have a way to check if the works have been done properly.