The process of an extension

[Herman Toothrot]

So never having had any major building work done. Whats the process? I can describe with basic drawing what I want. Do I then need to find an engineer or architech to do "proper" drawings, I then need to submit them to the local planning place and find a builder to do the work?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

see the above thread for what i'm wanting.

Edited by Herman Toothrot on Wednesday 13th May 15:37

[jamesG20V6]

Herman,
There is no single answer to this one, it depends on what you want from it really and the site.
I'm an architect. Give me a yell if i can be of any help / you would like some advice.

[e-mail]

[Herman Toothrot]

jamesG20V6 said:

Herman,
There is no single answer to this one, it depends on what you want from it really and the site.
I'm an architect. Give me a yell if i can be of any help / you would like some advice.

[e-mail]

Thanks James

I guess one of the most important things will be determining if I can build on top of the back wall of the existing garage that seperates garage from Kitchen, who would be the person to decide this?

Heres a couple of pics of the site, I highlighted where the wall that would need to be built on is and where I'd access the new upstairs from, its the upstairs landing so would all work quite well I think, the new room would be one big bedroom with on-suite, you can see the current waste pipe running down the house as the existing bathrooms on the otherside of the wall so services should be easy. One thing I was also considering would be going into the existing roof space with and the new roof space at the same time to create another bedroom, could put dorma windows on the front to create extra headroom, they also would not over look any houses just road so I'd not have though been an issue?





Doing this with a double garaged sized extension would add a big extra master bedroom with ensuite and an L shaped narrow bedroom in the loft. So adding a fair bit to the house, the downstairs is already big enough with the whole of the bottom of the original house as living room & seperate dining room and the existing extended kitchen so balancing out the top and some seems a good idea. It should certainly add a lot of value, cheapest 4 decent sized bedroom houses i've seen in the village advertised have been a good £100K more than what we paid for ours.

Edited by Herman Toothrot on Wednesday 13th May 18:58

[cjs]

I would sketch out a plan and go with that and the pictures to your local planning authority. They can give you some advice on what you will be allowed to do. For instance you may not be allowed to come out to the edge of your boundary, you may have to leave 1M. They will probably insist on a pitched roof and may ask for this to be stepped.

I went and spoke to my local planning and they were very helpful, saved a load of time messing about. I am now doing my own drawings and planning, this is saving me around £1K. If I get planning approval I will then get proper drawings done for the building regs.

[B17NNS]

First stage would be to get a good idea in your head of what you want, draw it out on some paper to scale. Play about with the layout until you are completely happy.

Next stage would be to commission an architect. Very knowledgeable chaps usually. They should immediately have a feel for whether or not you will get planning permission as they work with the planners on a regular basis and know what they like/don't like and what they approve of and don't. They should also point out any errors in your design and maybe suggest different/better ways of fulfilling your brief.

Your architect will then produce an accurate set of planning drawings. These will take into account the actual practical elements like ensuring it can be constructed as cheaply and simply as possible whilst fulfilling your brief.

Architect will then act as your agent and submit your drawings for planning permission.

Hopefully this will be approved and then it's onto the next stage.

Building Regulations will want to ensure that the building is constructed to all of the appropriate standards. Again your architect should handle these and would more than likely do a full plans application. They will detail on your drawings what insulation should be used, size of beams, that kind of thing.

Hopefully now you have planning permission and building regulations approval and a decent set of drawings. Builders should now be able to provide accurate estimates.

[Herman Toothrot]

Cheers Great info

[King of Dings]

Dust like you've never seen.
Strangers in your house from 7-6 for six months
Banging worse than a metal fan on full volume
Doesn't feel like home anymore
Builders with massive difference of opinion about what is accepable standard / quality

Apart from that OK. One piece of advice I wish someone had given me....

Get builders to specify a finish date, after which there are penalty clauses for finishing late. And consider a project manager, expensive but worth it.

[Herman Toothrot]

King of Dings said:

Dust like you've never seen.
Strangers in your house from 7-6 for six months

This is something I just don't get, why on earth should something like this take so long? My last house I moved into was the first on a development to be completed, row opposite of nine 3 and 4 bed houses hadn't started being built. Days is all it took for the shell of each house to go up, no houses at all to finished fitted kitchens, bathrooms, floored, tiled etc in about 4 months.

[andye30m3]

As other's have said look at getting an architect. I would do this prior to 100% making up your mind on what you want as they may come up with things you have not thought of.

I'd try and find someone who is looking at the project from the same point of view as yourself. I'm applying for planning permission for a couple who had quotes from another local practise, they simply wanted a cost effective way of providing additional space where as all the other practise talked about was getting all of their windows facing the church 2 doors down.

Looking at you second picture have you got enough space to go into the roof, the pitch looks quite low.

Best of luck with the project it's always nice to have something built for yourself exactly how you want it.

[B17NNS]

King of Dings said:

Strangers in your house from 7-6

7 till 6

The Sean Connery Thread is thataway >>>

[Slagathore]

You want to build above the existing garage to make a master bedroom, and then extend the side of the existing garage to make it a double garage? And then convert the loft space for another bedroom?

If I've got that right, and I saw £50k mentioned in the other thread, I think you may be a bit suprised if you get some quotes in.

I think they'd need a structural engineer to check the existing foundations of the garage, then decide if it's OK to go another story above it!

[mrmaggit]

For that type of job, I'd look at using an Architectural Technician, cheaper than an architect, and as you don't require a full building design, may talk more your "language".

[V8mate]

mrmaggit said:

For that type of job, I'd look at using an Architectural Technician, cheaper than an architect, and as you don't require a full building design, may talk more your "language".

Absolutely. An architect is overkill.

Some firms of surveyors offer this service, or there are other independents too.

A friend of mine provides a one-stop 'design, architectural services, planning consent, building regs, project management' service.

He has never been busier since everyone stopped moving house and put their money into their current homes.

[WWESTY]

You could always get a "design & build" builder in...

Personally I would start with builder to give you an idea of the feasibility. Then go to whoever you use to do plans.

Time taken for a "new build" bares little resemblance to building an extension...unfortunately....

Good luck!!