Rear extension with limited garden access

Rear extension with limited garden access

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Zetec-S

Original Poster:

6,259 posts

100 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
Currently looking at a semi detached house which ticks most of our boxes, but ideally would benefit from a single storey extension in the rear garden. However, the only access to the back garden is through the attached garage (single up and over door at the front, then UPVC door at the rear straight into the garden).

Access via a neighbouring garden wouldn't be practical. However, the extension would probably include dividing the garage into storage at the front and living space at the rear, so we would knock through the rear wall of the garage to widen access.

How much of a ball ache would this be? Could you get a mini digger through a garage or would footings, etc, have to be dug out by hand? Then following on I guess the concern would be getting glazing units through without resorting to a crane...

p1stonhead

27,106 posts

174 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
You can get mini diggers small enough to get through single doors. You should be fine.

Unless you have giant glazing units I can’t imagine they can’t be carried through either.

If you’re knocking the back wall of the garage out anyway don’t see any issues really.

Concrete can be pumped and everything else can just be carried.

Zetec-S

Original Poster:

6,259 posts

100 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
Thanks, yes makes sense thumbup

CoupeKid

805 posts

72 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
We live in a townhouse so no access at the side and a narrow alley at the back but we had an extension built.

Most rubble and material went through the ground floor in wheelbarrows but they did get a mini digger in and out through the alley. Concrete was pumped, in a pipe, through the house.

It was a bit of a ball ache, and was priced accordingly, but was done.

sherman

13,812 posts

222 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
You could always crane the mini digger in over the top of the house.

tux850

1,860 posts

96 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
sherman said:
You could always crane the mini digger in over the top of the house.
That'd cost a fortune. Mini diggers that fit through standard doorways are commonplace. Or footings can be dug by hand.

Building works in back gardens with limited/no access is all in a day's work for a builder. Think how many landlocked terraced houses we have in this country that have received extensions out the back.

Edited by tux850 on Monday 21st October 19:09

sherman

13,812 posts

222 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
tux850 said:
sherman said:
You could always crane the mini digger in over the top of the house.
That'd cost a fortune. Mini diggers that fit through standard doorways are commonplace. Or footings can be dug by hand.

Building works in back gardens with limited/no access is all in a day's work for a builder. Think how many landlocked terraced houses we have in this country that have received extensions out the back.

Edited by tux850 on Monday 21st October 19:09
I wasnt being entirely serious hehe

tux850

1,860 posts

96 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
sherman said:
I wasnt being entirely serious hehe
Oh okay! smile

Chrisgr31

13,737 posts

262 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
A neighbour has a mini digger. It broke down in his kitchen. His wife wasnt impressed biggrin

p1stonhead

27,106 posts

174 months

Monday 21st October
quotequote all
Chrisgr31 said:
A neighbour has a mini digger. It broke down in his kitchen. His wife wasnt impressed biggrin
The hydraulic lines exploded in my garden on my builders one and dumped gallons of the stuff all over the patio. My wife was not impressed either!

Zetec-S

Original Poster:

6,259 posts

100 months

Tuesday 22nd October
quotequote all
sherman said:
tux850 said:
sherman said:
You could always crane the mini digger in over the top of the house.
That'd cost a fortune. Mini diggers that fit through standard doorways are commonplace. Or footings can be dug by hand.

Building works in back gardens with limited/no access is all in a day's work for a builder. Think how many landlocked terraced houses we have in this country that have received extensions out the back.

Edited by tux850 on Monday 21st October 19:09
I wasnt being entirely serious hehe
Well I did (half) consider knocking down the whole garage biggrin