First House Extension

[ElliotS]

Hi all,

 

Only my second thread so apologies if my knowledge is slim on things.

 

We have pretty much secured our first house and the sale is moving through very quickly (first time buyers, no chain and a friendship with the owner). We have opted for a bungalow which was on a generous plot size in comparison to the house. a little different for a 21 year old but I see the potential to make this a very nice home. I would like some of your experienced opinions on where and how best to utilise the available space. My first thought for real change is that I feel it needs an extension. It isn't a big bungalow by any means but its adequate for me and my partner for now so we have time on our hands to search around for the best option.

 

My thoughts are to extend out the full width of the house back as far as possible and open the current back kitchen wall to create an 'L'  shaped open plan kitchen, diner and new living room (the rear of the house is south facing). This would free up the current living room as a new bedroom, making it a 3 bedroom bungalow which will add value, right? I need your help on how to best go about this. How would the roof design affect the extension, would it have to be a flat roof? My other thought is to extend out the back and leave the 'loft' space above the extension open for a possible loft conversion in the future but again, I don't know if it would be possible because of the roof without it looking out of shape. Also, the current 'sun porch is coming down ASAP.

 

I am open to timber frame extensions etc and I have a lot of family and friends in the building trade which will hopefully bring the cost down.

 

I don't know if its worth noting but we are the end bungalow, the house next door is a 2 storey building.

 

Pictures attached.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read and help.

Edited May 23, 2019 by ElliotS

[the_r_sole]

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Edited September 26, 2019 by the_r_sole

[Mr Punter]

The rear porch is bonkers and you are well shot of it.  With a house of this age you need to be very careful of asbestos, especially if you plan to demolish.

 

Why the sea of tarmac at the back? Is that the only parking?  It would be good to have the back garden feel a bit more private.

[ElliotS]

9 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

The rear porch is bonkers and you are well shot of it.  With a house of this age you need to be very careful of asbestos, especially if you plan to demolish.

 

Why the sea of tarmac at the back? Is that the only parking?  It would be good to have the back garden feel a bit more private.

You are right, which is why its coming down. its literally been thrown on, not even tied into the brickwork.

 

We don't plan to demolish the house, we plan just to extend and make the most of what we currently have. The previous owner had tractors and other machinery so I guess they found it easier to be solid instead of grass etc. Actually behind the tress you see at the back is a huge double garage with more free space behind that leading to the back gate you can see. There is plenty of parking space on the front and a private road at the rear for vehicle access too.

 

We are aware there is a lot of work to be done, this house hasn't been updated since god knows when but it's all part of the fun and reason we took it on.

 

it's one of them you've got to see it to understand it's potential kind of houses. Pictures really don't do it any favours unfortunately.

[Moonshine]

For what its worth, this is what my initial thoughts of doing would be to make it better (not an architect, just a internet random)

• Currently the is not a good connection with the good space to the rear, have the living area to the rear as the extension, have a pitched roof in the extension area and have it open (vaulted ceiling) to make it a big space (my drawing below the kitchen / living room connection is poor.
• Move the bedrooms to the front of the house rearranging internal walls. 
• big issues are what internal walls can you get rid of, and is the shower room movable, as it blocks up a far amount of rear access space.
• You may want to consider leaving space for stairs in the future a loft conversion could happen over the existing house if it is high enough.

 

[ElliotS]

30 minutes ago, Moonshine said:

For what its worth, this is what my initial thoughts of doing would be to make it better (not an architect, just a internet random)

• Currently the is not a good connection with the good space to the rear, have the living area to the rear as the extension, have a pitched roof in the extension area and have it open (vaulted ceiling) to make it a big space (my drawing below the kitchen / living room connection is poor.
• Move the bedrooms to the front of the house rearranging internal walls. 
• big issues are what internal walls can you get rid of, and is the shower room movable, as it blocks up a far amount of rear access space.
• You may want to consider leaving space for stairs in the future a loft conversion could happen over the existing house if it is high enough.

 

Thank you for taking the time to put that together, its an interesting idea.

 

I hadn't considered moving the bathroom because of it being extra work (on a budget very tight for first time buyers). I also hadn't thought about re-arranging internal walls because I don't mind how the current plan is but its worth taking into consideration. I figured that extending back on the currently property (full width) would work out easier and cheaper.

 

What are your thoughts on doing this in timber frame? I plan to render the entire house white (as a few have already done in the street) so the rear would match.

[Moonshine]

2 minutes ago, ElliotS said:

hadn't considered moving the bathroom because of it being extra work

 

I also hadn't thought about re-arranging internal walls

 

tbh i don't know how much extra work this would be and there is a big difference from drawing lines on a computer and actual walls (e.g structural requirements), you are in the best position to know what can and can't be moved, and if you want to.

 

but i think that the bathroom is in such a awkward location, i can't think of anyway that it can be kept in that location with a decent end result.

 

As for timber frame, not a clue, but a white render would modernise the look of the house.

[Ferdinand]

My comments on this thread are:

 

1 - I think you have chosen well. (rightclick->searchbyimage on the floorplan took me - astonishingly - straight to your record on Zoopla). Inexpensive house in a nice village-town. South at the back. Needs reno - classic "unrenovated since grandma house in a nice street".

 

2 - I would concur with the above - live in it for a year doing minimal things. Don't do stuff that would be difficult to reverse if you want to do something different as that will throttle your dreaming. Get to know the area, and work out contacts and what your local ceiling price is (as a measure of what you cold do before the financial limits kick in), and what that buys.

 

3 - I would say there is scope for a big transformation should you choose to do it. There may be scope for profit should you choose to have that as an objective, or for a happy medium of what you like plus some free equity.

 

4 - Mine was done from a similar base (except south is at the front) before I bought it. 2 beds, lounge, kitchen, bathroom 1940s-50s grandma-bungalow. They absorbed the driveway into the house and made an internal garage, went back 5m across the full width, put a big front to back gable across 2/3 of it, then put a hipped roof at right angles. Ended up with 4/5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, 800 sqft to 2000 sqft. 

 

The recession meant that in the end he did too much for his return, and he had to cut his price substantially (20%) to sell it, which was - I surmised - a very bitter pill. Having said that, I had to drop mine by 25% to sell that, so it's swings and roundabouts.

 

This maybe suitable for a classic fat-at-the-back modern extension, like every property programme for the last 20 years.

 

You may have potential to do that should you wish, or anything in between. The key there is take the time to reflect and to think first.

 

5 - In your first months I suggest playing the "21 year old ingenue wanting to hear from experience card" with your new neighbours, to learn all about the community and what those with similar experiences did. You may also find out what you could do that will eventually make your house more desirable in the area - long term consideration, but good to think about. There will be much guff, but also much insight and much to read between the lines. Just like BH , but with free tea.

 

6 - Take care of your relationship. Building projects break relationships unless there are similar long term goals driving your dynamic together, not apart. Grand Designs the Street lost one out of ten, and several more suffered and came out stronger with scars. At early 20s it is the nature of things that your life-trend may not yet be set for as long as the building ownership could last. IMO give at least modest consideration to a setup in your project that one party can exit should the worst happen.

 

I was formerly invested in a business where 2 long-term young friends went into it together. 4-5 years was fine, then they took on a better site, and signed a long lease. 6 months later one decided to change career, and left. It happened reasonably amicably, and no one turned bitter. But it was hellishly challenging for 6-12 months afterwards. The unexpected happens.

 

Wishing you all the best.

Ferdinand

 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Ferdinand

[caliwag]

As I've posted before, you could do an extension as ,effectively, a stand alone pavilion with a glazed or partially glazed link. Advantages are many...You can out the work with minimal disruption, create interesting courtyard spaces in between, depending on sun angle, could create sun traps, interesting growing spaces, etc up to your imagination. Architecturally, if that interests you, you could be on a winner...depending on your fancy...build some card models based  around needs and wants. Enjoy Read my book 'Self build home...the last thing you need is an architect' £5 from Amazon

[ElliotS]

Hi all,

 

Back to my old thread here but we are a year on and the house mentioned above has been a dream for us.

 

Now we are looking at an extension, but I wanted an opinion from some of you.

 

I have attached a layout that I think would be nice (not exactly to scale, just a sketch up of an idea i have done.) I have put our current floorplan underneath so that you can see for reference the idea i am going for.

 

There are are a couple of things I'd like to do/keep listed below

• If possible, avoid moving kitchen (back will be knocked out but will create an island type bar with the sink on with an open plan to the new lounge space) although if something really works better, I would do it.
• We need to keep a hair room for my partners business (doesn't need to have windows)
• The house has to become a 3 bed
• The master bedroom (currently room 2) will ideally have an en suite & room 3 which is the lounge at the moment will become a bedroom (if the idea I go with sticks)
• The open plan part is going to be some sort of vaulted ceiling with bi-fold doors onto the garden.

My main concern is that if I go with the design attached, when it comes round to having children, they will have their bedrooms at the front while the master is at the back. Would this be a concern to you guys if you were a) building the extension yourself or b) looking to buy the house with children? It's worth pointing out that we live in a really nice village area, not busy and we have the most fantastic neighbours.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this

 

E

[Ferdinand]

I'll try and comment a bit after  the bike ride.

 

But I love the idea of "avoid moving kitchen". It has cheered me up.

 

I can come down in the morning all bleary eyed and fall into the garden. "Bugger - it's moved to the other side this morning."

 

Very Wallace and Gromit ?. 

 

Wasn't there a Mad Professor on Grand Designs who had a roundhouse on a turntable to follow the sun?

Edited July 2, 2020 by Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

OK. 

 

My general  comments are that it looks good to me - plumbing all close together in the plan for cost control etc,  and

 

1 - Make sure that the hairdressing room is suitable to have a chair for a chaperone (safeguarding) should children be served.

2 -  Alternative use for that room would probably be a utility, so just think about how you would do it with a washing machine, drying machine and drying area / pulley etc. 

3 - You will want an accessible services closet  in the middle somewhere.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Ferdinand

[ElliotS]

2 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

OK. 

 

My general  comments are that it looks good to me - plumbing all close together in the plan for cost control etc,  and

 

1 - Make sure that the hairdressing room is suitable to have a chair for a chaperone (safeguarding) should children be served.

2 -  Alternative use for that room would probably be a utility, so just think about how you would do it with a washing machine, drying machine and drying area / pulley etc. 

3 - You will want an accessible services closet  in the middle somewhere.

 

Ferdinand

 

Thanks for the comments back.

 

I think this is the layout we will go for, next question is how we do the roof/ceiling. Does this type of design lend itself to a vaulted ceiling or would you suggest otherwise? you can see the roof as it is now from the images i posted last year.

 

Cheers,

E

[DevilDamo]

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.

Edited July 2, 2020 by DevilDamo