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Original poster

Would we be mad to buy a home and knock down a perfectly functional extension?

161 replies

WaryRaven · 21/01/2025 03:09

i have found a house I absolutely adore. It is a period home and absolutely stunning…from the front. Unfortunately there is a well built but rather awkward “garden room” extension I just don’t like. It’s the shape I have a problem with. Aesthetically it’s fine. Floors and walls are nice enough. I would just want to get rid of the whole thing. But would I be mad for doing so? Dh thinks I’m nuts but I assure him many people would also consider the garden room an eye sore and maybe build an orangery type thing to the west of the kitchen in a few years down the line. I hate how the original external windows have just had the glass removed so there are just big square holes between the kitchen and garden room.

It really is quite gorgeous from the front. Would I not just be knocking thousands off the value?

Would we be mad to buy a home and knock down a perfectly functional extension?
OP posts:
Starlight1984 · 21/01/2025 08:56

JoanCollinsDiva · 21/01/2025 08:55

How on earth did you find that from what the OP posted?

It's a lovely house.

OP - I agree the extension is a weird shape and would get on my nerves too.

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My thoughts exactly!!! It wasn't even like the estate agent was mentioned or the area?!?!

JoanCollinsDiva · 21/01/2025 08:55

fanaticalfairy · 21/01/2025 06:26

The whole property isn't nice.

Too .. sparse

https://bakerwynneandwilson.com/property/pinnacle-farm-coole-lane-newhall-nantwich/

How on earth did you find that from what the OP posted?

It's a lovely house.

OP - I agree the extension is a weird shape and would get on my nerves too.

Dreamingofgoldfinchlane · 21/01/2025 08:54

It can be diffiult to do a wrap around extension well, particularly with the constraints of a Grade 2 listing. Have you considered taking an architect/builder you trust to view so you can discuss options to improve what's there currently?

KimberleyClark · 21/01/2025 08:53

ListenDontJudge · 21/01/2025 08:46

What a massive invasion of OP's privacy, to share this.

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Absolutely. Awful.

brummumma · 21/01/2025 08:51

But looking at the link someone has posted if it's the same property it's lovely! Wouldn't change a thing!

ListenDontJudge · 21/01/2025 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the poster's request.

And the environmental impact - just because OP doesn't like it.

brummumma · 21/01/2025 08:50

You'd be better off taking the side wall down where the old opening was and then the kitchen opens into the garden room more and then you have the light you are after - if it's a period house though and listed they likely won't let you which is why the current owner hasn't done it

Dreamingofgoldfinchlane · 21/01/2025 08:48

ekk100 · 21/01/2025 07:00

If you can afford it then I don't see a problem with knocking the modern bit down. If it makes you feel better I knew a couple that knocked down the entire house (modern) and rebuilt on a different side of the plot! A huge proportion of a house cost is the land it sits on anyway.

Edited

We've done this - twice!

ListenDontJudge · 21/01/2025 08:46

fanaticalfairy · 21/01/2025 06:26

The whole property isn't nice.

Too .. sparse

https://bakerwynneandwilson.com/property/pinnacle-farm-coole-lane-newhall-nantwich/

What a massive invasion of OP's privacy, to share this.

senua · 21/01/2025 08:45

TunipTheVegimal24 · 21/01/2025 08:15

Plus, you'll immediately piss your new neighbours off, doing major renovations straight away. Especially as they probably had to endure it being built, not that many years ago.

By "new neighbours" do you mean the "fishery and caravan leisure park"? Complete with a shed pretending to be a pub.

EvelynBeatrice · 21/01/2025 08:45

I used to live in a B listed property ( Scotland- Scottish planning law has different classifications). We needed planning permission for a conservatory. The planners were extremely prescriptive. They didn’t want a traditional type structure in keeping with the building, but insisted on something modern that distinguished the new addition from the old house. Could that be the reason for the design in your new house?

TENSsion · 21/01/2025 08:43

Politely, you’d be out of your fucking mind to do this.

Blinkingbonkers · 21/01/2025 08:40

I can see why you don’t like the extension but yes, you’d be nuts to knock it down! Do you have any idea of the permissions and rigmarole required to get planning on a listed building? Let alone the increased cost of building due to material requirements? If you require a mortgage then you will substantially decrease the property’s value which will affect your rates remortgaging etc. It really concerns me that you say period farmhouses are your thing but you don’t know any of this?….

christmaslatte · 21/01/2025 08:38

fanaticalfairy · 21/01/2025 06:26

The whole property isn't nice.

Too .. sparse

https://bakerwynneandwilson.com/property/pinnacle-farm-coole-lane-newhall-nantwich/

This post makes me uncomfortable.

Are we really OK with outing the OP's location without asking them if it was ok?

If the OP wanted opinions on the house surely she would have shared the link herself?

Wouldn't it be better to say "OP, I think I've found the link, is it ok to share"?

I'm asking in general terms, not just for this OP as I've seen this a few times on the property board.

There are many reasons people are anonymous here, including escaping DV. Isn't it pretty irresponsible to effectively out other posters like this without asking?

(Pretty house though!)

ooooohnoooooo · 21/01/2025 08:36

It's a weird layout as it stands. Instead of knocking down, I'd be tempted to spend the money on getting rid of the old back wall of the house and then reconfiguring the huge open space that would result. You could end up with a beautiful huge kitchen with dining /living all decorated and styled to fit with the original house.

Icanttakethisanymore · 21/01/2025 08:25

SomethingElseAgain · 21/01/2025 08:04

You'd be much better off paying to move the kitchen into the "garden room" and, potentially, knocking through some more of the walls between them if possible to make a giant kitchen/ dining area than demolishing a huge chunk of your downstairs space (which, yes, is utterly mad!) Have a word with an architect before abandoning the house entirely to see what's possible to address your concerns.

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It’s listed so I guess knocking walls out is probably off the table.

KimberleyClark · 21/01/2025 08:23

You say it’s aesthetically fine, but also that it’s an eyesore? It can’t be both surely?

SarahMused · 21/01/2025 08:22

Sorry I missed those exterior shots. But now I can see why the OP wants to change it and I’m really surprised if this is what the listed buildings consent allowed them to do. There are some easy ways to improve it if that is what was granted so I would have a chat with the conservation officer if you are still wanting to purchase. Nowadays you’ll probably have to pay for this but might be worth it to avoid purchasing a house you can’t make work for you.

NewHouseNewMe · 21/01/2025 08:19

@SarahMused nailed it - it’s grade 2
listed.
I’d also check the extension versus plans carefully.

Discombobble · 21/01/2025 08:19

WaryRaven · 21/01/2025 06:45

I guess I am mad.

I just don’t like the idea of having a kitchen with no external windows.

Such a shame. I am a sucker for Georgian farmhouses

Looks like the only thing that’s still ‘Georgian farmhouse’ about this is the front elevation! If that’s what you want, find one that’s not been so comprehensively mucked about with

friskybivalves · 21/01/2025 08:18

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/68857203/

There are some more exterior images on this link, including the [unbeautiful] wraparound extension and the [stunningly beautiful!] grounds and outbuildings incl stables?

Oh OP, I can see why you are so torn! Such lovely bones. The kitchen, as they say, is the heart of the house and yet it is being choked. I do wonder whether with some cunning planting (beautiful mature wisteria...) and rearranging the interior to make the flow better - having units in the godawful bit so you can see out, turning the closed off part into a winter snug or the dining room?...you could make it work. It's been on the market a fair while. Getting in a great designer would be cheaper than ripping it down and rebuilding by a couple of hundred thousand...

MangoLlama · 21/01/2025 08:16

fanaticalfairy · 21/01/2025 06:26

The whole property isn't nice.

Too .. sparse

https://bakerwynneandwilson.com/property/pinnacle-farm-coole-lane-newhall-nantwich/

Oh wow it looks gorgeous. I thought the extension looked a bit meh from the floorplan but it is actually adding so much to the place. Beautiful property.

WillowKnicks · 21/01/2025 08:16

fanaticalfairy · 21/01/2025 06:41

The bate brick walls of the bathroom don't do it for me tbh

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But the OP isn't asking about the bathroom or your opinion on the style of the house, is she? She's asking about the extension!

TunipTheVegimal24 · 21/01/2025 08:15

Plus, you'll immediately piss your new neighbours off, doing major renovations straight away. Especially as they probably had to endure it being built, not that many years ago.

Spirallingdownwards · 21/01/2025 08:12

SarahMused · 21/01/2025 07:53

I think the problem you have is that the house is grade 2 listed and this is why they have done the extension this way. They wouldn’t have been allowed to alter the original fabric of the building so they have added to it instead. I am very suspicious as to why there are no exterior shots of the extension on the estate agents particulars. Does it actually match what they were given permission to build? If you check on Cheshire’s planning portal you can see for yourself. It is definitely worth investigating as the rules on listed buildings are very strict and when you purchase you become responsible for the things previous owners have done and putting them right if necessary. I doubt if they will let you knock down existing walls but you could try talking to the conservation officer to see whether they would allow a more sympathetic extension and then maybe use the current kitchen as a utility. This is what we have done in our listed house. It took 18 months to get permission though and the trend nowadays is to insist on a modern design to separate it from the original rather than a pastiche, so may depend what you want.

There are exterior shots of the extension if you click on the Particulars in the list of options in the listing. It doesn't actually look that bad. I would assume because of the listing there amwas a requirement for there to be a lean to pitched roof. We had this requirement when we extended a period property.

I agree with others I would switch the kitchen into the extension and make the current kitchen a cosy dining room.