DevilDamo

That sounds about right to me. You mention it seems a lot but a lot compared to what? Just bear in mind the build cost could be in the region of £40k so the fees quoted are only 4.6% of the build cost. Are any Planning drawings/applications required... PD or PP?

You’ll need Planning as it’ll exceed 3sq.m. As mentioned, it will not require Building Regulations if you’re retaining the original front door. Assuming the existing house is cavity, then it’s best practice to connect the new cavity to the existing along with physically lapping the new and existing external DPC’s.

If the bottom of the openings exceed 1.1m then yes, they’re too high to be used as escape windows. If that is the case and assuming there is scope to adjust their position, that would be cheaper than having to provide fire doors to ‘all’ doors that lead onto the staircase, including W.C.’s and Bathrooms.

Pre-application does have its pro’s and con’s. The LPA’a get out clause is their final statement, which is something along the lines of... ”This advice is that of the informal opinion of the Planning Officer and does not represent the formal decision of the Council.” In other words, positive pre-app advice may not result in a positive outcome. I’ve had experience of both situations... positive pre-app but formal refusal and then negative pre-app but formal approval. LPA’s do like to encourage applicants to engage in Pre-application advice prior to the formal submission of an application as it does help iron out any major issues or policy concerns.

Are you replacing the porch on a like for like basis, including its size? If so, how big is it as it looks to exceed 3sq.m in external footprint so Planning may actually come into to? If you’re retaining the original front door, you’d be exempt from BR’s so can build and insulate it how you like. If you are going for a 75mm cavity (although 100mm is current regs for comparable purposes), you’d end up fully filling it. A partial fill cavity normally requires a 50mm clear cavity so would only have 25mm of rigid insulation. Partial filling is also a bit of a backward way of building a cavity wall and is something the majority of old school builders do not like.

Not that it makes any difference, but there would appear to be a few PD rules you’d fail to meet anyway so there is in your case no PD fall back position should the LPA raise concerns via a formal application.

Not necessarily as the two are completely un-related. The LPA should not raise any issues in terms of overlooking as it’s not normally considered for front gardens especially if the majority forms a driveway. They may obviously raise other policy concerns.

The only time they would is if ‘at least’ one of the first floor Bedrooms could not provide an escape window. This is quite common for Bedrooms with side facing windows that are restricted with an overlooking/privacy Planning condition.

What’s the relevance of the 7m? Is that your LPA’s residential design guidance? Overlooking is normally considered when looking into neighbours’ gardens and is usually the rear.

Building Control will check the drawings in more detail so let them worry about the BR requirements if you aren’t too sure. You are converting a very big space and it’s that which is going to take the bulk of the cost. Moving some things internally are going to have very little of any effect on the overall build costs. What is the reason for the fire doors or is it because one or both of the first floor Bedrooms do not have or meet the escape window requirements?

Not sure if it helps, but the headroom can be reduced to 1.9m for a new loft stair. Assuming a small dormer window to just achieve the required headroom is not possible, could you look to install a rooflight as that will provide you some additional height within the recess of the rooflight itself? If you’re going down the route of upgrading the rafters to meet u-values, etc... you’d normally bolt the new rafters to the side of the existing and therefore probably eliminating the need for the purlin. But even without it, the increased rather sizes and insulation requirements may end up brining you back to square one.

When you talk about the roof/ceiling, are you referring to the new rear extension? If so, yes it could be vaulted either with a hipped roof to match existing or gable ended. I personally prefer vaulted roofs where the rooms they served is used as one. In other words, not having an open plan Kitchen of which half would have a flat ceiling and the other half vaulted. Starts messing with my OCD as to where you then position islands/breakfast bars and breakfast/dining tables, etc... Btw, habitable rooms would need to provide adequate ventilation via an openable window and trickle vents. So the ‘hair room’ would need a window unless you were to call it a Coats cupboard prior to BR sign off and change it to what you want post BR sign off.

That is good. We achieved 4.1 for a detached traditionally built large chalet bungalow yesterday. Edit: Although 3,500sq.ft is quite large for a chalet bungalow hence the ‘large’ comment.

The erection of or a change of use to form an annexe that is deemed to be along the lines of a self-contained unit would require formal Planning approval. It would also require Building Regulations approval as it’d be seen to contain sleeping accommodation. Some LPA’s are quite strict about annexes. Some say absolutely no because they know people could look to let them separated to the main dwelling house while others would (if approved) condition it as such that its use is ancillary to the main dwelling house. There has also been occasions where LPA’s want to absolutely make sure these units cannot be let or sold separation by asking the applicants to agree and enter into a legal agreement.

It’s normally the ground conditions that dictate the ground floor construction as opposed to the amount of reduced/dig, which ultimately comes down to cost. Well that is the case down here in the south.

That will sure benefit many clients.

The size of HMO’s in particular their Bedrooms would normally be dealt with by the Council’s Housing department so they can issue the licences. They wouldn’t issue a licence for a sub-standard HMO... unless of course they weren’t told about any changes to the licence where people would try and squeeze in one or two more Bedrooms. As with flats and assuming they go through the formal Planning process, then the LPA can adopt the Government’s Space Standards document... https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524531/160519_Nationally_Described_Space_Standard____Final_Web_version.pdf

I’m assuming replacement windows are also to be included within that budget? If so, I do think you’re going to struggle to get all of it for that figure. If new windows are to be included, I’d suggest obtaining quotes for those first so you can see what money there is left over to tidy up the aesthetics. Instead of rendering over brickwork, you could just paint them which is a very cheap alternative. Another option is to clad the walls but you now start increasing costs substantially. Any finish you do apply over the brickwork (apart from painting) would have to be thought about before the windows incase you need extended cills. Is this your forever home? Are you looking to carry out the changes to then sell in the near future as you may not recuperate the costs?

Something similar to the attached? Obviously taking into account the headroom or clearance required under the stair soffit in order to access the rear area(s).

Having only just seen this and read through some of the posts, is the issue the headroom from about the 3rd/4th riser? If so, could you not push the staircase further back into the room so it clears the headroom which will take you to a landing and then turning left or right up to the first floor... if that makes sense?

I’d be interested to see how you’d design the space above a ‘single’ garage in order to make it feasible and practical. As others have already mentioned, a double garage could be do-able although that is still small but a single garage!?! How would the first floor be accessed... from the existing house or if it’s detached, via an external staircase? Stair headroom may be an issue as well as the potential works to upgrade and strengthen the existing garage so another floor can be added. Have you considered converting and/or extending the existing garage as you’d straight away save on the structural, stair/access and headroom issues?

What is your ‘limited’ budget? The most sensible thing would be to render over brickwork at ground floor level, rendered timber frame or dark tile/slate hung dormers, maybe grey aluminium windows and then a similar contrasting roof tile or slate. It’s quite common, is modern and very effective. Obviously the image below is showing individual dormers as opposed to one large dormer, but a similar look can still be achieved.

You’re wanting to construct a disabled complaint mobile log cabin but will be looking to install what I can make out is a temporary ramp for those disabled persons that need it? I assume this has nothing to do with Building Regulations and you are just wanting to cover all bases/scenarios?

To give you a little more depth in the porch, the wall between the Porch and Hall does not need to be a cavity wall. You could therefore loose approx. 200mm from the porch side of that wall and have it just as an internal block wall. This is assuming the door between the Porch and Hall would be an internal and not external type/quality door.

Not knowing where you’re located, I’d ask your architect to check and make sure the W.C. complies with AD M as it looks too tight for me. As you come up the stairs to the Landing, why is the stud wall to the Master Bedroom shown on the line of the return handrail and not the stair string like the other side? Doesn’t appear to serve any real purpose apart from having a small void down to the floor below and a very slightly wider ‘openness’ feel to the stair. As the doors to the front Bedrooms have been pulled down and glass balustrading introduced, this could then do away with that gap.