Part demolition - Short Version

[G and J]

14 minutes ago, ElliotS said:

I would do but my council (cheshire East) don't offer it for individual projects, only on applications for larger projects basically for developers

Crumbs, I assumed pre apps were universal.   I believe pre apps were an attempt to regularise and frankly, reduce the ‘would you’ enquiries that planners used to discuss.   So if they’ve not done that then surely they should talk to you about what they will allow.  
 

There’s a lot of knowledge on here.  You could share location and pictures and get the folks to comment on what the planners would go for.

[ElliotS]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

It’s ok your engineer saying upgrade the foundations,have you looked into the cost of this. 
as far as I know the standard price is about £1000 per linear m for underpinning. 

Im asked him to give me a call, ill see what the details are. Would building up in timber frame help with structural side of things? Logically its less weight on the foundations and so work required might be reduced?

[Russell griffiths]

13 minutes ago, ElliotS said:

Im asked him to give me a call, ill see what the details are. Would building up in timber frame help with structural side of things? Logically its less weight on the foundations and so work required might be reduced?

90% of whatever you do will be timber, if your considering putting a second storey on in brick, then 100% you would be better off taking it down. 

[ElliotS]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

90% of whatever you do will be timber, if your considering putting a second storey on in brick, then 100% you would be better off taking it down. 

Makes sense. I guess i will be able to achieve better thermal insulation with timber frame too.

[Ferdinand]

On 29/11/2024 at 08:58, ElliotS said:

I would do but my council (cheshire East) don't offer it for individual projects, only on applications for larger projects basically for developers

 

If you want advice in those circs, then you need someone who knows the Council better than the Council knows the Council.

My suggestion is to go to your best established locally-based estate agent, who have been there for a decade or three, and talk to their in-house MRICS or planning bod. You ideally want the hoary old git or git-ess with the grey stubble, Columbo the Detective coat, and 4 unwashed coffee cups on the desk.

Go in with your questions in your head for a general chat about your project and make them curious, and you may get an opinion on the spot. Or spend a relatively small amount of money on a 90 minute meeting and an opinion - making clear that you are looking for an informed opinion not advice over which you can sue if he is wrong. (The latter will cost much more.)

Could also be done by email once you have made the contact.

A tell tale that you have the right person is that they know several key planning officers, and their foibles, by name.

It may be that you could get decent advice for a company that specialise in such projects, as they will know what usually works.

HTH.

[G and J]

7 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

A tell tale that you have the right person is that they know several key planning officers, and their foibles, by name.

You could be describing our architect, and our experience with planning has been, perhaps partly as a direct result, a pleasant one.  
 

We did the actual house design ourselves, with a very carefully thought out aesthetic balancing our desires with what would look right in the street.  Then that was drawn up and packaged by our architect, and I’m convinced that our application was received in a better light for coming from them than it would have been from us as individuals.  
 

So the usefulness of the hoary old whatsit role you describe I agree with, and I’d suggest that there are multiple sources of said experience.  

[Ferdinand]

On 02/12/2024 at 06:03, G and J said:

You could be describing our architect, and our experience with planning has been, perhaps partly as a direct result, a pleasant one.  
 

We did the actual house design ourselves, with a very carefully thought out aesthetic balancing our desires with what would look right in the street.  Then that was drawn up and packaged by our architect, and I’m convinced that our application was received in a better light for coming from them than it would have been from us as individuals.  
 

So the usefulness of the hoary old whatsit role you describe I agree with, and I’d suggest that there are multiple sources of said experience.  

Absolutely. Upstairs in the office at our ancient estate agent is the MRICS chap who has been doing all the local property auctions for 2 or 3 decades. I haven't needed him very often, but when I need things RIGHT, and maybe a little slow and a little expensive, he delivers ... eventually.

Equally when I needed a housing estate application going through having inherited some land, and there was going to be a NIMBY plague suddenly interested in fox-watching, I got the consultant from the front page of the local paper from the report where a previous slomewhat similar application had been recommended, then had a political know from committee, then won on Appeal.

Let's hear it for hoary old gits and gitesses !

[ElliotS]

So I had my house valued yesterday and it smashed my expected value of 450k and came in at a nice value of 600K which i was totally shocked about. I asked the estate agent what he would value it at with the upstairs addition and he said he wouldnt sell it for less than 700k with that addition in todays market. My initial thought when hearing the value was to sell up and move on but the more Im thinking, the more im returning back to getting upstairs done. When factoring the fees involved in moving house and stamp duty, im a nice little chunk of the way towards the additional floor. Im thinking the comfort ill gain outweighs what it will be worth after ive done the work. If i extend upwards then ill have no reason to move on until either the kids have grown up or an unmissable opportunity arrises to build on a plot by which point i guess the house value would of increased to cover the cost of work done. I paid 150k for the house so a nice little bit of equity in it even after the cost of work ive already done.

 

ive started my investigation work in the meantime for someone with good knowledge of the area to see what comes up, failing that, i think i stand in a good position to apply for full planning anyway. Myself nor the architect can see any obvious reason the council would refuse. I just have to get past the comments from the houses that are nowhere near mine but feel they have to stick their nose in as if they are some kind of HO president. That caused me more stress than anything when my extension was done as they outright lied to the council about what i was doing which led to a knock on the door from an enforcement officer.

[Jilly]

46 minutes ago, ElliotS said:

So I had my house valued yesterday and it smashed my expected value of 450k and came in at a nice value of 600K which i was totally shocked about. I asked the estate agent what he would value it at with the upstairs addition and he said he wouldnt sell it for less than 700k with that addition in todays market. My initial thought when hearing the value was to sell up and move on but the more Im thinking, the more im returning back to getting upstairs done. When factoring the fees involved in moving house and stamp duty, im a nice little chunk of the way towards the additional floor. Im thinking the comfort ill gain outweighs what it will be worth after ive done the work. If i extend upwards then ill have no reason to move on until either the kids have grown up or an unmissable opportunity arrises to build on a plot by which point i guess the house value would of increased to cover the cost of work done. I paid 150k for the house so a nice little bit of equity in it even after the cost of work ive already done.

 

ive started my investigation work in the meantime for someone with good knowledge of the area to see what comes up, failing that, i think i stand in a good position to apply for full planning anyway. Myself nor the architect can see any obvious reason the council would refuse. I just have to get past the comments from the houses that are nowhere near mine but feel they have to stick their nose in as if they are some kind of HO president. That caused me more stress than anything when my extension was done as they outright lied to the council about what i was doing which led to a knock on the door from an enforcement officer.

If you are not wedded to the house, if adding upstairs will only add £50k I would think seriously about moving as I can’t see how the changes you are proposing will be only £50k. 

Moving stress is less imo, than planning permission and building work with kids. 
Don’t forget estate agents are prone to overvaluing to get your business. 

 

Edited December 3 by Jilly

[mjc55]

4 hours ago, Jilly said:

Don’t forget estate agents are prone to overvaluing to get your business. 

 

This is very moot.  I am sure it is not always the case but I would be wary of the valuation.