Garden or extension - would you sacrifice a large portion?

davilown

So we’re in a dilemma about whether we build a reasonably sized extension or retain the garden.

Garden is currently 7m wide by 12m deep and backs onto a strip of woodland that has a group TPO.

Currently have a dilapidated conservatory on the back of a semidetached house that’s 3m deeps and it needs to go.

Plan is to stay for the next 5 years at least, and the cost of extension should, give or take, bring the house value to the current market value.

Would you sacrifice 4m to provide a much more usable living space and study/spare room?

pinkshoes

How much do you use the garden? Is it sunny?

So the 3m conservatory would be replaced with a 7m extension?

12 m isn't a huge garden anyway and would never have been a football pitch, so you'll still have 8 m and enough space for a BBQ and a table and chairs.

Personally I'd have the extension.

I have a "sun room" on the south facing bit of the garden which eats up a similar portion of the garden, but I spend far more time in the sun room with the doors open than outside! I can sit in it in Winter and it's lovely and warm due to the sun!

(I do have another bit of garden that runs down the length of the house though so about 20m!)

Marvel1

It depends on individual choice, garden person or not.

rexmedorum

Is that garden 12m deep with the current conservatory or in total? Is that 4m loss on top of the current conservatory or not?

It depends on personal preference and house size, if it's a 12m garden of which 3 is currently conservatory but going to 7, that'll leave only 5m which is perhaps a bit small imho

lincroft1710

This one needs careful consideration.


Permanent i.e. brick or block extension? Or "Orangery/sun room" type extension? Cost of whichever? Materials have all increased in price recently. Would you be worried if you did not recoup the amount spent upon sale?


Can you currently happily live in the unextended house?


If "yes" then do you really want to put up with weeks/months of disruption, noise and dust. By not extending you will be saving towards the next house, which could be your forever home.


If "no" then you need to consider an extension and any layout alteration which will work for you and hopefully any subsequent purchaser. Also from getting plans drawn up, Building Regs approval and if needed Planning Permission to finished article could take 12 months.

Doozergirl

We've gone the other way and put a garden room extension at the other end of the garden.  It creates a focal point and it's flexible space for our family.  Study/spare room/cinema room... 

We've done one for friends in London and it  really improves the garden outlook for them.  They love it.  
 

MrsBrush

I would consider a compromise and have a new room built that is across the width of the house and around 10ft deep (just under 3.5m from the back wall of the house) so you don't lose too much garden but you still have a nice sized indoor space. The cost will totally depend on style, materials etc, and you may be able to use permitted development (but obviously comply with building regs). Whatever you do, insulate it well, don't put one of those horrific plastic roofs on (if it is a conservatory) and go with an insulated blue Pilkington glass for the roof instead (if it is a conservatory). We had a log burner installed in our old conservatory and it was amazing in winter. Toasty warm, great view of the garden and the glass reflected back all the lovely christmas lights.

davilown

pinkshoes said:

How much do you use the garden? Is it sunny?

So the 3m conservatory would be replaced with a 7m extension?

12 m isn't a huge garden anyway and would never have been a football pitch, so you'll still have 8 m and enough space for a BBQ and a table and chairs.

Personally I'd have the extension.

I have a "sun room" on the south facing bit of the garden which eats up a similar portion of the garden, but I spend far more time in the sun room with the doors open than outside! I can sit in it in Winter and it's lovely and warm due to the sun!

(I do have another bit of garden that runs down the length of the house though so about 20m!)

The garden is east facing with a large oak in the beast boundary - yep replace the 3x3m deep conservatory with a 4m deep x5m wide extension.

davilown

Thanks everyone for your comments.

it’ll be a 4m deep x 5m wide solid brick/tiled extension with sloping roof (open rafters on the inside with velux windows), leaving almost 8m of garden depth.

I love to mow the lawn and cut a few hedges/trees back but that’s it at the moment with work etc.

We sit out occasionally but do like to sit indoors with the doors open in good weather.

Costing is important - looking at around £40k including a reasonable kitchen. Most of the work once first fix has been completed will be done by me except the plastering and electrics.

we’d love a garden room but we currently only have 2 beds, a pokey kitchen and a small living/dining area (6mx3.1m max). No room for a desk and working from home/spare bed for visitors.

davilown

lincroft1710 said:

This one needs careful consideration.


Permanent i.e. brick or block extension? Or "Orangery/sun room" type extension? Cost of whichever? Materials have all increased in price recently. Would you be worried if you did not recoup the amount spent upon sale?


Can you currently happily live in the unextended house?


If "yes" then do you really want to put up with weeks/months of disruption, noise and dust. By not extending you will be saving towards the next house, which could be your forever home.


If "no" then you need to consider an extension and any layout alteration which will work for you and hopefully any subsequent purchaser. Also from getting plans drawn up, Building Regs approval and if needed Planning Permission to finished article could take 12 months.

Definitely careful consideration - architect has come up with a couple of really good ideas for the downstairs as a whole.
1year is a good estimate, and extension could be watertight prior to opening up to the rest of the house.

zagubov

Here in London, houses and gardens are both usually tiny by the standards of the rest of the UK.
But it'd be a no-brainer to extend the house's floorspace as there's a million uses for indoor rooms. Hardly anybody spends much time gardening.

DG's suggestion is interesting.