combining two semis into a detatched house - does it make economic sense?

[united4ever]

Probably could never afford it but if i was to buy the neighbours house and make our two semi's a detatched house would the value of the detatched house be double the value of two combined semis if I were to sell it down the line? Or would it be less than or more than double.

Wishful thinking on my part but it would make a nice detatched house and save me doing an extension too. Not many detatched houses in the area either but it is a 60's house (not so charming) so you'd be competing with houses for over half a million if i wanted to sell it and get my money back. Not convinced many would pay half a million to live in an old 60's home on a street of modest semis.

No, exactly as you've said. The house has to be in keeping with its surroundings. A 6 bed house (for instance) is not in keeping with a road of 3 bed semis. I would say 99% of the time 2 x semis would be worth more than 1 detached property made up of 2 semis.

thought so, Probably way out of my price range anyhow...will stick to saving for an extension :)

If you had both and knocked them through in a sensible way, you'd always have the option of selling them separately?

Would you have a garden big enough for the big house iyswim? Larger houses tend to have proportionally more garden, parking etc. 6 bed houses tend to be getting into the luxury end if the market.

You'd struggle to get planning permission for it in a lot of areas...
And you'd be left with a pretty strange layout unless you really gutted it.
I think it would always look like a pair of semis, rather than an actual detached house iyswim?

You'd also have to tackle the issues surrounding two council tax bills, two electricity and gas metres, postal address etc.

I would want to avoid being the best house in the street.

I did this. It looked ace, worth about 20% more than the 2 houses afterwards so not amazing. The utilities and council tax was a nause but not as much of a nause as building regs. It was a 1 bed and a 2 bed set in 2 acres.

I've just started doing this but it was once a single house and a detached residence is much more fitting in the road. The council hasn't been a problem but utilities will be expensive. May I ask what building reg problems you've had Mrsmorton?

Trying to make it comply with the energy regs without knocking any of the outside walls down. I'm appealing the building inspectors decision at the moment as he's called it an extension (or something) which it's not. Very frustrating.

Thank you, I hadn't thought of energy regs as we are not "building " anything just putting 2 knock through doors in and removing a staircase. It is basically reverting to how it was 26 years ago.

Yep, that's what I thought I was doing! Knocked an internal wall down, put a doorway in and removed some stairs. Fuckers. Make sure you check!!

The doorway is internal plus I've insulated everywhere possible and put double glazing in. Now they're talking about making me take the floor up to insulate it

This doesn't sound good so glad to be forewarned, thank you.