Upstairs ceiling on house

robbiejustice

Hi,

Looking at buying a house that was a bungalow but converted to a 2 storey house 15 years ago. Not sure details as to why but the ceiling height upstairs is very low (6'10" as an estimate). The roof pitch is quite steep so I don't think it was to do with planning. The top of the windows come up to my eye line (I'm 6'). I could live with it but it will bug me over time. Very frustrating they didn't just make it a little bit higher when they did it.

We could vault it but that would be a massive undertaking. Raising the entire roof and then ceiling a few bricks would surely be a huge job too. Making the ceiling a tray type might work but that is more of an American thing. I could replace the windows with bigger ones, not sure what the costs are with that.

Are there any other solutions to raise the ceiling?

Bendy_House

Lots. All of them expensive. So your decision - if you really don't think you can cope with it long-term - is to factor in this significant cost to your offer, which might mean it ain't the house for you.

I'd be interested to hear what suggestions folks have to this.

Any chance of a link to this place so's we can see the layout?

robbiejustice

I need to work out what a reasonable budget might be (with a large margin for error). 

I probably will be able to cope, just annoying. Plus potential buyers in the future will be thinking the same. Doesn't bother my partner but then she's 5'1".

See the link below. The pictures hide very well the fact the drive is on a steep incline. There is access down one side only with enough room for a narrow digger (should be but not checked that yet). 

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/59719882/?search_identifier=d84e0b8feadf76faec05ea6cad6f3beb

TELLIT01

If there is a major issure bugging you before you even purchase the place, it's not likely to become less of an issue once you are in.  Headroom upstairs is low presumably because that is the maximum they could achieve and comply with building regs.  I suspect insulation requirements were less 15 years ago than they are now, so you may find the rooms require more heating than you might expect.  Raising the roof would be a massive undertaking and not something to be undertaken lightly, or whilst the house is occupied.  I would expect the cost to potentially run into 10's of thousands, obviously dependant on the size.

My solution would be to find a property which actually fits your requirements and forget about this one.

grumbler

Why are you thinking about a digger if it's the roof that you are concerned about?

The bungalow was built up and, probably, the existing foundations weren't good enough for supporting higher brick walls.

robbiejustice

grumbler said:

Why are you thinking about a digger if it's the roof that you are concerned about?

Just additional information depending on what work was being done.

Section62

robbiejustice said:

We could vault it but that would be a massive undertaking. Raising the entire roof and then ceiling a few bricks would surely be a huge job too. Making the ceiling a tray type might work but that is more of an American thing. I could replace the windows with bigger ones, not sure what the costs are with that.

If the property was being sold 'in need of refurbishment' - with a price tag to match - then it might be worth giving some consideration to alterations to the ceiling height as part of the refurbishment.

But this property appears to have just been 'done'.  At a guess the vendors are those responsible for the work and will be seeking a sale price to reflect their investment.

It doesn't seem to be a goer.


Aside from the ceiling heights, at least two of the reception rooms seem to have windows (including a picture window in the lounge) that are facing solid brick walls of the neighbouring properties.  The lounge one looks seriously weird to me.

...altogether it makes me start wondering what historic DIY/dodgy building there might be lurking in the structure of the building.  And I'd really want to see what surprises the loft might contain.

I tried to find the planning history, but at the moment I'm getting a server error.  Checking the planning history of the building would be essential IMV - I'm struggling to see the bungalow part, and what has been added on where.

robbiejustice

TELLIT01 said:

If there is a major issure bugging you before you even purchase the place, it's not likely to become less of an issue once you are in.  Headroom upstairs is low presumably because that is the maximum they could achieve and comply with building regs.  I suspect insulation requirements were less 15 years ago than they are now, so you may find the rooms require more heating than you might expect.  Raising the roof would be a massive undertaking and not something to be undertaken lightly, or whilst the house is occupied.  I would expect the cost to potentially run into 10's of thousands, obviously dependant on the size.

My solution would be to find a property which actually fits your requirements and forget about this one.

We've been looking for 4 months with little joy and need to move soon as staying with family and can only stay for so long. Finding a house that meets most of our requirements is a lottery - might come tomorrow but come in 3 years especially with so little coming onto the market at the moment. Obvs could just rent until we find something more suitable but there are cost/suitability issues there.

Anyway, seems doing something about the ceiling is not really feasible.

stuart45

Easiest solution on a cut roof is replace the joists with collars to give you an extra ft.  
However it could well be trussed rafters.

Doozergirl

That looks like the cheapest
renovation ever.    

I wouldn't want to buy it on principle.  The kitchen looks like they threw the units in and left them where they landed.
 

robbiejustice

Section62 said:

robbiejustice said:

We could vault it but that would be a massive undertaking. Raising the entire roof and then ceiling a few bricks would surely be a huge job too. Making the ceiling a tray type might work but that is more of an American thing. I could replace the windows with bigger ones, not sure what the costs are with that.

If the property was being sold 'in need of refurbishment' - with a price tag to match - then it might be worth giving some consideration to alterations to the ceiling height as part of the refurbishment.

But this property appears to have just been 'done'.  At a guess the vendors are those responsible for the work and will be seeking a sale price to reflect their investment.

It doesn't seem to be a goer.


Aside from the ceiling heights, at least two of the reception rooms seem to have windows (including a picture window in the lounge) that are facing solid brick walls of the neighbouring properties.  The lounge one looks seriously weird to me.

...altogether it makes me start wondering what historic DIY/dodgy building there might be lurking in the structure of the building.  And I'd really want to see what surprises the loft might contain.

I tried to find the planning history, but at the moment I'm getting a server error.  Checking the planning history of the building would be essential IMV - I'm struggling to see the bungalow part, and what has been added on where

The plans etc are all available for me to look at, at the house but not done so yet. We have a friend who is a builder who is going to come and have a look at it with me and I would get a full survey done on the place. 

Planning for the work...

https://pa.canterbury.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=ZZZXH3EAID487&activeTab=summary