Extension...where to start!

[Babytalkobsession]

Hello,

Hoping for some advise please. We moved into our new hose a couple of months ago. It was never planned to be our forever home, more a sideways step as it ticked more boxes than our old place.

The reality is it was probably a mistake. It doesn't really work for us, and it's just not big enough.

After much talking / thinking / panicking we think we can create what we need as its on the end of a row and we have space to extend front, side and back if we want to.

Thinking this has to be what we do. Extend to make it what we want. Our plans our to add a small extension to front to create downstairs loo / bigger entrance with a small study above. Neighbours have done this and it looks good.

Then to extend double height at the side to create a bigger front room (lounge) and a bigger bedroom above (currently 3 small bedrooms, this will define one as the proper master)

We've had a builder round who says all is do able.

What do we do next? Architect? We want to be sure what we've thought of is the best use of space.

How long does a project like this take?

Feeling stressed as we didn't set out to buy a 'project'.

Thank you

[phoolani]

I'd probably get an architect in your position; it is good to get someone in to look at it before you start. As to how long, I have no idea; we're in the middle of an extension/remodelling and we have the slowest builder ever. I'm starting to feel like I've adopted him. He is also, however, the most amenable, conscientious builder ever, so I don't care! If you trust your builder as much as we trust him, you could probably do away with the architect!

[Whathaveilost]

I would get in an architect to come up with some options. I have found in the past that they know builders and they work closely together. I would recommend this approach rather than getting in some random builder.

The architect fro what I can recall was able to sort out all the planning permission stuff and came up with ideas that never occurred to us.

[mandy214]

Where is the road? Is it in front of the house? That might have an impact on what you'l be able to do.

I would telephone the Council first - some Councils offer a pre-planning service where you can discuss the likelihood of getting planning permission. I'd also have a look on your council's planning website, have a look through some applications in your road / roads close by to see if anyone has done something similar. I'd be wary of instructing an architect (and incurring fees) in your situation (i.e. where the house only works if you can extend in all directions) until you at least have a fair idea that it will be allowed.

[vienaa]

Depending on what you want to do and if they let you. I would phone up council, we have just finish the shell of our 2 storey extension, we added another living room, (the kids old living room we knocking down the wall between kitchen and kids living room and making it into a big kitchen with island and dinning table) we are also adding a downstairs toilet with shower and knocking down the old garage which was more in the back and building it flush to the front of the house, we already extended the porch so have a bigger hallway... We got turned down with our first plans as, the sec storey had to go back 3 meters from the original front of the house and we had to prove we could fit 3 cars in our front garden... Even thou 3 houses around our neighbourhood have had sec storey flush to the house, they changed the planning permission as they did not want the terrace affect....

[Babytalkobsession]

Sorry I didn't come back to this thread. Thank you all for sharing your experiences / advice. I've had an informal visit from an architect so getting the ball rolling with drawings (although likely to take months due to his workload).

We're a bit clearer now on exactly what we want to do so intend to start liaising with Planning too.

The bit that's hardest is understanding cost as we can't get a realistic quote until we've confirmed exactly what we're doing. There's a chance all the effort will be pointless if we're miles out the ball park with what it'll all cost :)