LaCurandera

Thanks @Temp, certainly on the radar, but will investigate fully

Thanks all, and particularly @Redoctober for the breakdown. Even if it's just relative, seeing the build cost vs other fixtures etc is really helpful. We're at the start of this journey, so many more questions I'm sure, thanks for your help.

Hi @Russell griffiths, Sorry, not going to start smashing things down too much, but more thinking about prep we could do. Some of it would be useful regardless as to whether we rebuild or renovate, some of it would go anyway. e.g. if it's stripping out wood, we can remove things like unused cupboards etc regardless of the route we go down. I didn't know whether if we were demolishing it would have been wasted effort. So yeah, firmly on board with not counting chickens!

Thanks all, @Dave Jones @Iceverge Good point @ProDave, I do need a shed / workshop in the garden and hadn't thought of that. Good luck with your build @Thorfun

Hi, We've got a 1920s chalet bungalow (currently 1.5 storey). Three main areas of the property: The side extension (1960s) has foundation that are approx. 250mm thick. The rear extension (1980s) has foundations that are approx. 600mm thick into good ground. The main bungalow (1920s) appears to have very unsubstantial flint footings, not more than 150mm thick Ideally, we don't need to build over the extensions, but would like a proper second storey (either timber or brick, not) with pitched roof which would be on the original walls and then extended out the back so would be new there. We're waiting on a call back from a SE early this week, but is there any comment here whether this kind of foundation is ever saveable or workaround for an extension option? Is demolition likely to be the only real option?

Hi, As we go through the process of working out what's the best way forward for our build, I have broadly discounted demolition + new build due to budget if £2000 / sq m (which I know is a generalisation) holds true However, I wanted to check what might be in/out of that kind of round number. I'm excluding all fees (and the plot) separately. Base level (basically an empty, watertight shell) Foundations Services Heat source (boiler, ASHP, UFH etc) Walls Insulation Windows Roof Internal finish to plaster Internal doors Sockets / switches Pluming / electrics to the right rooms (e.g. bathroom) but not fitted to anything (is that first fix?) Second level Skirting / coving Kitchen Ulitity Bathroom(s) Flooring (karndean, carpet etc) Decorating Third level - Optional things like Cabinetry wardrobes Log burner These are my levels, completely made up, but just wanted to get a feel for what might be in/out of the more generalist numbers on assumptions. E.g. I know we can save ££ at the second and third level which budget choices but wouldn't want to scrimp too much on the base as that's much harder to change. Thanks in advance!

Hi, We've dug some trial holes and it seems that the foundations of our bungalow are unlikely to allow us to do a second storey without effort. It's not nailed on and waiting to speak to a SE, but the builder didn't seem positive. Anyway, if we do have to go with a rebuild, are there anythings that help save time (and presumably cost) that we could be getting on with in terms of strip out etc. I confess I don't know if a house is being demolished if it just gets flattened with a dozer, or is there days/weeks of prep before the walls come down? We're still actively pursuing other alternatives, but just wondered is there a good guide somewhere to the stages for site prep? At the moment it's just sat there, and I feel our weekends could be spent doing something on it that saves money later!

Something like this: So you maintain the gallery landing down in to that space, the stairs face the door and you reclaim some wall space for the kitchen and no need to have a door to the snug.

If it's an old staircase, is it quite tall? Is there space underneath it to punch through an opening from the hallway in to the open plan area? Then you could also save the door from the snug to the kitchen. Outside option is to replace the stairs, but in situ, so they return back up to the first floor in the same gap, but return in more of a U shape (so likely in the middle of that area), giving space for a door(s) to the right side (next to utility) and then you could get a near straight through front-to-back line of site from the front door

Thanks @CharlieKLP, I'll take a look.

Thanks @CharlieKLP Agreed on the Snug / Home Office issue. Selfishly I'd like the HO to have greater daylight as it's where I'll be, then the Snug becomes more a cinema room really so less need of daylight. I'm going to play with moving the spaces around. with that area being basically long and thin I was trying to put rooms over there with less daylight requirement. Moving the utility and kitchen makes sense too over there (kitchen skylights etc) and garage proximity too, but I was just reusing the current back door in the utility as the right side has the main rear access, so putting a rear door where the office window it might just mean walking around 2 sides of the property to put bins out etc. Living room - seating only indicative, but yeah, feels like an interview! But it's about 60cm different to our current one so have a reasonable idea of how it'll work in practice. More likely a 3 seater on the "back" wall and a 1.5 on the vertical wall with something (maybe a fireplace or TV) in the bottom right. Do you mean have the downstairs go out further than the upstairs rather than the same as it currently is? I really like your image, very similar to what we imagined of an overhang, maybe a brise soleil and having the same floor height inside and "out". I'm going to have that one for the mood board if that's OK! It would also break up the rear elevation when looking back from the garden. We're leaning towards sliders rather than bifolds, but it's really early and do like that pic. Yes, expecting to go to white/off-white render. Generally, we like period principles, but for modern living. So things like ceiling height, but open plan day-to-day living area like this back room. It's on a road of predominantly 1920-30s 3 bed, bay semis. So we want the front to be in keeping, hence the double height bay at the front with probably a gable end over. Likely be a slate roof etc. No ceder cladding or black windows! The back we're anticipating can be more modern (like your image) and we'd encourage it if it's right. But it's a rather ugly house at the moment, so knock back the pebble dash and render is certainly on the shortlist. Thanks again!

Thanks @Gus Potter, great feedback. Kitchen in the "new" 60s extension - good idea which I'll explore. There are services over that side (currently there's a bathroom roughly where the snug is) although boiler isn't. One consideration is that we are unlikely to go back further in that corner (where office is) as that's right on the boundary already and possibly much extra would be within 45' of a rear window of next door. Hence stepping in the extension. So we'd be taking out that left side wall where the stairs might go up which is internal now, but originally external. I'd tried to work with as many currently walls downstairs being unmodified (or at most doors filled in etc). Maybe being a bit braver would be good, although presumably costly. Aspect, the plot is broadly NE at the front to SW, so the garden gets a lot of sun (see my awful hand-drawn compass on the plan!). Reading BH here I can see potential for issues with the glazing on the back, we'd considered a brise soleil across the back (also for visual interest too) One thing I hadn't considered with the upstairs, is whether it's better for the rooms to sit roughly over the downstairs walls where possible, I'd just kinda plonked them all in. I'm not enamoured with my upstairs as well as how the back would look, and completely get what you mean about a disproportionate landing. TBH the staircase was just the one I found on the planner, so certainly could be improved! On the sightline through to back from the front door, absolutely, it's one of my "must haves" if I can. I put the bathrooms broadly over the utility (which is currently the kitchen) as the boiler is already in there, next to back door (don't have to move), and there's an outside toilet so there is waste on that side of the house too. That right hand external wall will likely be a ~3m wide access with sheds etc, so I think could house an ASHP too and be near services. The side windows for the stairs and the bathrooms could be obscured glass, so thought better to have them on those walls for neighbours etc. Other thoughts are whether to have a porch in that front door area to avoid heat loss and store coats etc. I'm not expecting structural feedback, more just any gotcha's people can see even at this early stage. Plus, I'd really like to see what an architect would consider for it (although working within a budget!) Thanks again.

The shaded area here is basically the core of the original house. The area on the left is all later extension(s) in the 60s.

Thanks @Gus Potter I don't know I can export floorplanner.com with Gridlines, I'll see. But this is the (badly) colour coded version. Red walls are existing Light blue are completely new Pink is roughly the area where the current chimney breast is (that touches 3 rooms downstairs) so would be taken out and new-new added.

Hi, These are only my ideas so far. We're in the process of appointing an architect and don't think I'd actually show these to them at first so we got their own ideas - but offering here for feedback. Bit of background Yes, starting again would be easier, but doing this "feels" like it could be in specific phases that are both within our budget and also discrete. Phase 1 would be the two storey extension in the rear, stairs and door move, first floor and roof. We don't have to touch the extension on the left side, and can do that (including pitching the roof) at a later phase. I've tried to move doors to where there are windows (e.g. front door has current lintel there, kitchen window (in wrong place on original plans) becomes door in to utility. We're digging holes this week to see if putting a second storey + roof is even possible on current foundations, so will need SE etc I guess. I know anything's solvable with enough steel, but that's £ First is the current layout, External image for context My own (so not costed, SE or via Architect, just making it up so far!) I have no idea if we can build a proper second storey + roof on the foundations (finding out soon) but we want to convert. It's basically taking out the middle chimeny stack of the house, squaring off walls and then putting a ~4m, two storey extension on the back. To the left of the house is an old extension, currently flat roof but will (in time) go to pitched for Velux for Snug etc To the right the old stores and outside toilet would likely need to go for access to the back with building work, and probably not replaced (other than a gate) Moving stairs so front door is nearer middle of the house, larger hall. Adding internal door to garage, downstairs wet room. Upstairs feels unimaginative, but just wanted to check the floorspace could have the double bedrooms, family bath and ensuite. Also worried that back of the house would be slab front to the garden, so would consider making it slightly less deep than downstairs to have a pitched room or some interest on the back wall. All dimensions are off estate agent plans so it's approx at best.

Thanks @SuperPav, floorplans.com is exactly what I was after. Mainly for "if I put a wall here, what dimensions am I left with" or "how big is a bed in there" etc. Will put some ideas in another thread.

Thanks @Susie @SteamyTea @SuperPav Appreciate the help. I’m not looking for “real” plans just more than scratches on paper and things like putting beds in rooms and getting an ideal for spacing. I’ll check out the recommendations

Hi, We're in early stages of working out what might be possible and so far I've been using paper and pen and tracing over a print out of the Rightmove layout from the estate agent. Are there any recommendations for software I can do for planning / drawing that isn't professional grade and more drag/drop? Mac or Windows is fine. I'm hoping there's basically an Ikea kitchen planner equivalent for houses! I've seen Planup, but that has the "not for commercial use" watermark over everything. I would prefer software to pen & paper as I can't get scale for thickness of walls etc. Also, are there websites that give indicative or template layouts to crib ideas off. At the moment I've trawling Rightmove to see other house and screenshotting layouts for ideas, but there's nothing that can define dimensions etc so it's a crap shoot as to whether it'll be relevant or fit. I was thinking there might be somewhere where you say you need 200/300 sq and if it's wide front, long and thin and then if gives some previous layouts as a starter for 10. Does that exist? Thanks in advance!

We have Aasgard sheds. Nothing's ever been taken from them, so I guess counts as secure. Do like them.

Thanks @ProDave If we go down the renovation route I can see some easy stages we could do to spread the cost over longer time. eg I’d want planning permission to change some flat roofs to pitched, but it’s entirely atheistic so could do without it now and do it in 3 years after we move in if that’s the case.

Thanks @Zak Sthat’s a great example to see

Thanks all for the welcome, and will certainly be spending a lot of time on here! Great to hear thoughts on renovation vs build. The architects we’ve briefly spoken to have said go for rebuild, but at £1500-£2000 sq m I can‘t see us having the funds to do what you could on the plot. Ultimately, we hope this is a forever home, or at least a home we choose to move out of, rather than a must move to get more space etc. Next step is spending money with an architect, so will see what they say (once we pick one!).

Hi all, Been lurking here for quite a while, and thank you for all the help I’ve read already. Last year we purchased a 1.5 storey chalet bungalow (not sure what’s it really called!), 14m x 45m plot. 160sq m currently. Main issue is that the 1st floor is within a tent roof (don’t know the right term, but all corners finish at a central chimney) so really affects the headroom. We’re in the process of digging some holes around the existing foundations to see if a full 2nd storey plus roof will be possible. Really hope so, not sure we have the budget for a build as we could much more easily phase a renovation. Will be asking for much help I’m sure, few things such as: What order to appoint architect for the design / Structural engineer for the foundations or Builder for ideas of costs. In that how much does being RIBA matter for the architect as we’ve seen some significant developments on planning applications that aren’t from RIBA practices. I understand that planning is granted for 3 years. But if you’re phasing the building of things that are in the submission, but quite easy to separate (eg adding a garage that might be a year after from initial build), is that still ok? Is there a timescale you have to hit the granted plan? Where the best bits of a build are to save money (except labour). Ie is it better to skimp on cheaper kitchen as you’ll replace in 10 years anyway? Where have major renovations had buyers remorse on more optional spend? There’ll be many more hand will likely ask these in the right forums too), look forward to being part of the community