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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
SweedieLie · 21/01/2025 03:16

Sounds a bit odd, but yes I think you'd be crazy and would probably significantly devalue the house - you'd be losing about a third of the downstairs space!

That70sHouse · 21/01/2025 03:44

Yes you would knock thousands off your value, if you’re using a mortgage company they may not be happy as if you pay £700k for it let’s say and they lend on this basis and then you knock £75k off the value then you have devalued the asset they have a charge on. I guess as long as you didn’t effectively end up in negative equity they might not care.

Why not repurpose or rejig the space? What’s awful about it?

That70sHouse · 21/01/2025 03:45

Is it because the front of the house is traditional/period and the extension at the back is modern? If so you need to lean into the “old meets new” style, look on Instagram or Pinterest for ideas of how it can be styled to look good

TriangleLight · 21/01/2025 03:57

I think you should buy another house!

Icanttakethisanymore · 21/01/2025 04:00

i think you’d need to plan to keep the sqft but rebuild / remodel. Removing it entirely would not be financially sensible.

Monty27 · 21/01/2025 04:02

Waste of money
You could just redesign what you have. Move doors, create a utility room? Knocking it down is ridiculous.

Pippa12 · 21/01/2025 04:11

I would say your haven’t found your house yet! Wrap around extensions cost a bloody fortune and you would knock literally thousands off the house, in addition, it will cost you thousands to knock it down. Financial suicide!

Back to Rightmove imo!

fridaynight1 · 21/01/2025 04:34

I have voted YABU because we have just done exactly that. DON'T DO IT!!
We haven't had a kitchen since last April. New walls are up but we still don't have a roof. I don't deny it will be fabulous when it's finished but seriously - it's cost double the budget and we will never get back the £thousands it will cost , the months we have lost in stress and getting trades in has been a bloody nightmare.
My advice - keep the shell, work with what you've got and live your best life.

Agix · 21/01/2025 06:10

I think the garden room looks really lovely and it would be mad to tear it down.

tarmactreacle · 21/01/2025 06:17

Could you keep the shell but extend the kitchen forwards? Nothing worse than a kitchen with no outside windows, it would feel very odd to me and I definitely wouldn't like it.

No house would be built like that so it will always look like the extra room has been very badly added on. To me it will never feel like "one house"

Chuchoter · 21/01/2025 06:18

I don't like the look of these modern bolt on extensions to traditional properties or opening up the back of a traditional house with those naff bifold doors.

Just buy a new property if they want a modern look.

However, once it's done I think it's a complete waste of resources, materials and time to knock it down/remove.

Find a house that is completely traditional.

Pat888 · 21/01/2025 06:20

Yes I'd def take it down. The number of modernised old houses you see is depressing - if you wan't to live in a quaint old house then live in it don't add bits so it's just like a modern house.
There's a little cottage near use - it had 1679 in the stone over the front door - it's been bought had huge wall window put in at the front left and a big flat roofed extension at the back, a modern garage in front. So sad

parietal · 21/01/2025 06:23

I think you'd be mad to knock it down and lose all the space. But you could refig the space and have a long term plan to build a much better orangery instead.

For example, how about putting back a window in the gap and filling the extension with LOTS of plants (the Victorians were very keen on conservatories of ferns etc) so you barely see the structure. Add some little patio tables and treat the space as part of the garden.

Piccalow · 21/01/2025 06:24

In all honesty unless there's structural damage I would accept that as part of the house now

BananaNirvana · 21/01/2025 06:31

As others have said, it’s too much property to lose and a colossal waste of money. If you buy I would look at living in it for a while and think how you can rejig it to make the space work better.

littleblackcat247 · 21/01/2025 06:34

It's a beautiful house and I disagree that the extension looks awful To my mind the whole place looks fantastic!!

@fanaticalfairy - it looks 'sparse' because there isn't much furniture or colour on the walls

DeffoNeedANameChange · 21/01/2025 06:36

If it's a forever home, then it would be costly but not ridiculous to replace the extension with something more to your taste.

It would be totally ridiculous to just pull it down - it would cost a significant amount simply to remove space and value from the house.

Zanatdy · 21/01/2025 06:38

The extension looks fine. No, I wouldn’t knock it down

AlwaysLookOnTheSnarkSide · 21/01/2025 06:41

You’d be bonkers to get rid of it. The extension room itself is nice. I admit it means the kitchen is left looking a bit odd……you may get used to it…..think of it as quirky?

If not could you look at knocking it through? I assume the wall is load bearing but maybe something can be done with beams? Have one massive open plan space with the kitchen at the end nearest the original house and then seating and dining area near the windows?

JustRollWithIt · 21/01/2025 06:41

If the house is the one on the link someone else posted above, I definitely wouldn't knock it down. What a nice space, could look amazing with the a little creativity and the right furniture. You would be wasting thousands knocking that part down I feel.

fanaticalfairy · 21/01/2025 06:41

littleblackcat247 · 21/01/2025 06:34

It's a beautiful house and I disagree that the extension looks awful To my mind the whole place looks fantastic!!

@fanaticalfairy - it looks 'sparse' because there isn't much furniture or colour on the walls

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

MoveToParis · 21/01/2025 06:42

I think it just needs a rejig.

have you thought about fully opening the space where the big chair to the left of the Aga is, and then closing/ putting a glazed door where the existing large opening is.

SolarWinds · 21/01/2025 06:44

If it's the house posted then it's Grade 2 listed so not so easy to just start knocking stuff down.

Lostcat · 21/01/2025 06:45

littleblackcat247 · 21/01/2025 06:34

It's a beautiful house and I disagree that the extension looks awful To my mind the whole place looks fantastic!!

@fanaticalfairy - it looks 'sparse' because there isn't much furniture or colour on the walls

Agree!!! OP you would be mad to knock that down. Buy a different house and leave that for someone who will appreciate it. Such a waste .