Help - speak slowly - extensions

[Titsdown]

I'm a relatively new homeowner. We want to look into extending the rear of our property and kitchen.

I've done some googling and have got a rough calculator for costs, but guess that's pretty inaccurate (it gives a v broad range, I guess I'm aiming for middle).

I just don't even know where to start.

I'm assuming/hoping it's covered under permitted development, but am not sure.
I'm not sure whether to save up or get a loan, i think a bit of both - so probably looking at doing it in 12-18 months or so. (guess 18, as don't want to start in midwinter)

I don't even know when or where to start. How long would the design/regs/scoping stage take?

Who do I contact first? A builder? Designer? Architect? I don't want to have to project manage trades myself so guess I need to pay someone who can do that? Is that included in the internet guesstimates? I want a decent estimate of price even if I'm not starting for a year so I know how much to save, and also whether what I want is even possible. I'm also not sure how long this bit can take (I'm 80% certain no planning permission needed).

I know I want to get a recommendation on the builder (and I have one) - should I get them to recommend me a designer/architect too?

Just help - how did you do yours? Am I thinking about this way too early, and should I just stash some cash and keep Pinterest-ing until next winter then start doing things?

We spoke to a family friend builder who gave us a very rough idea on costs. He also said it can take ages to get the plans/ structural engineer etc lined up. We asked around and got a recommendation for a draughtsman because what we wanted was simple and we didn't think needed an architect.
He drew up plans in Sept '15 and submitted them for permission. We got planning permission in January this year. We then had to get a structural engineer to do the calculations on the steels. Only then could we get any builders to quote. Getting quotes was a nightmare and to get three quotes took over three months. The builder we went with is overseeing all the trades. The work started in the beginning of Oct is already over 10% over budget and running a month late. I will never do this again.

First of all, work out your budget and how you will finance this, bearing in mind that we live in uncertain times. Your priority has to be ensuring you can pay your mortgage and any debt you incur, even if your financial circumstances change. Also, there's no point planning to put Buckingham Palace on the back of your house if you only have money for a small porch!

Then speak to three architectural firms. You can use a technician instead of a full-blown architect, which will be cheaper. But in my experience, there is nothing that can replace the imagination that a fully-trained architect can bring to a project. They will be able to replan your home in ways you never imagined with materials you didn't even know existed, whereas a technician will probably give you a standard extension. This can save cash in the long run- ours are using an innovative timber frame construction, which is way cheaper than building entirely in brick.

Make sure your architect is someone you like and can work with, because there is a LOT of detail. Mine have been brilliant on everything from (quite literally) brass tacks to glazing. It's taken us a year, and cost around £3.5k including planning and structural engineering, but the end result they have given us is exactly what we never knew we needed. We wouldn't have got anywhere close to it on our own.

A good architect will prepare the planning case (even if you're within PD it can be useful to get planning advice), and guide you through the structural engineering too. They will also prepare tender documents to get you 3 quotes from suitable builders. However, ours also arranged rough cost estimates at several earlier points, so we had a ballpark figure.

If it's a simple kitchen extension, single storey, I'd be inclined to get a couple of builders to quote for the whole job. Double storey, or huge extension or unusual materials then architect first.

Ball park costs £1500 a square metre for basic job.

Hi OP, I think the sooner you start thinking about it the better, as it'll almost certainly cost more than you think. I completely agree that an architect should be the first step unless you know exactly what you want and have lots of previous experience. Otherwise you may find that builders don't have enough clarity to give you accurate quotes.

I'm not too much further ahead as I've only just started meeting with architects but I'm convinced that a good one is worth the expense. You'll have at least 5 years from when the permission is granted to start the work, so you don't need to be ready to go immediately.

Definitely worth a chat with a few local architects now to see what your options are, I reckon. Good luck - keep us posted!!

Has your house ever been extended before? If it has then PD doesn't usually apply.

As for the process, I think it depends on what you want and how confident you are with what you want.

I am a bit of a property fanatic and we’d been in our house for a few years before we started the process. It’s a 1930 semi which lend themselves to a particular design, and having browsed the local planning portal looking at everyone else’s plans and rightmove for years, and having lived in the house, I knew exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want or need any design / architect input and to be honest, with the budget we had, there were limited options. We just wanted the space and our priority was to spend the money on the actual work rather than design / plans.

So our process went a bit like this :

1. Worked out how much extra square footage we’d have if we did what we wanted and worked out a very rough budget based on £1500 per square metre, plus VAT, plus fittings etc. Had discussion with lender about whether we’d be able to add that sum to the mortgage – all OK.
2. Got local architect to draw up plans and get planning permission – all good. Plans were basically what I wanted.
3. Got 2 or 3 quotes including highly recommended builder (who employed all the different trades and therefore managed it).
4. Went to visit house that had just been done by recommended builder. Booked him and remortgaged.
5. Waited 9 months for him to start because he is so booked up so far in advance.

Some areas only grant permission for 3 years - our area included.

We did ours 12 months ago under permitted development. It's a 5m x 3m extension to our kitchen.

We started with an architect drawing it all out to our specification along with an engineer's structural assessment for length/size of supporting pad stones/steels. The drawings and calculations cost £600 we then had three quotes showing the builders the drawings etc. They came in at approx £17,000-£21,000 for just a shell. In total all done with new electrics, boiler and kitchen it cost £31,000!!
Way over our £24,000 budget.

It was started on December 1st, builders left min Feb and my husband had finished interior April/may.

The building regs cost £530 and the guy came three times- to see foundations/the steels and the electrical circuits.

This is all so useful. Thanks everyone.

I have a fairly reasonable idea of budget (with some buffer) and was planning to save half (given I can wait at least a year and it'll take that long to get going by the sounds of it) and get a loan for half. It feels comfortable.

The house has been extended before (a few times) but the proposed extension doesn't go beyond the existing extension (3.5m) (or near the boundary) so from what I can tell it's fine. But I'll take advice.

We've got a builder next door, who has done his own place and 2 other houses on the street (including a 2 storey extension just completing). He may not want to - but if he's up for it I'll get him to quote - I'm impressed with what I've seen on both his property and the ongoing works.

Maybe I'll get me some architects as a Christmas present, so I can kick off the saving/planning process with a view to getting it done by end of summer 2018.

bellatrix that sounds horrific. I hope you get a resolution soon. I'll take your words of caution on board and make sure I'm overly pessimistic in my planning.

We had a 2 storey extension built a couple of years ago. We asked people we knew for reccomendations, and we ended up getting everything done by a local building firm (one of the builders is a parent at the DC's school, and has done extensions for half the staff and a significant proportion of the parents). They drew up the plans, arranged planning permission, engineers, bricklayers etc. in the end, the extension was over budget, but within our contingency budget.

We did the design/permissions in the spring, and the building work started in mid September. It was finished (new kitchen installed etc) at the start of March.

Good luck op. I don't mean to put you off. I am just living in a kitchenless building site, pregnant and a bit stressed about it! The reality is I know that it will be worth it. We will have our dream house with the right lay out for and it will be decorated exactly to our tastes. I just wish I'd thought to include a lot more in the budget. Even things like the style of radiators we liked cost more, the sockets with the in built USB points, the led lights, the underfloor heating.... On top of all the extra requirements from building control it has added up way beyond my worst case scenario figure. It will be worth it though!

It really will be, Bellatrix. Mine makes me happy every day.

Totally agree that architects are worth their weight in gold. Mine has suggested so many things that would never have occurred to me, and came up with a layout completely different from anything i'd envisaged.

Other key point is to have a contingency - take your estimated cost incl VAT and add on another 15%. You will probably need it for something you won't know about until you're halfway through the job. If you don't use it all you can spend it on decorating.

Op I'm pretty sure permitted development doesn't apply if the house has already been extended. Almost certain you'll need pp.

Namechanged- we did ours under permitted development and the house already had a two story extension.

Thanks all. This is so useful. I'm very glad I asked.

I've worked on £1800 per sq m + VAT + 10% contingency/professional fee + £10 000 kitchen.
I'm going to save for 12 months and see where we get to, will likely fund any balance with a loan. I'm pretty good at financial planning so will make sure i've got extra squirrelled. It's the timelines I think I've been optimistic about from this thread so am going to take that into consideration and start the design/planning process late next summer so that I've got room to manoevre.

namechanged - our house has been extended up before (it's an ex-bungalow) and has a very narrow extension out the back which I want to add to. It's well within the current 8m planning limit and because the footprint is pretty big won't be a massive proportion of the original floor space. I've read the PD guidelines and am 80% sure it won't need it, but I will absolutely run that by any professionals I engage and am alert to the fact it's a possibility.

bellatrix - pregnant and xmas imminent, I feel your pain (that was me last year, with unstable rental accommodation instead of the extension). This time next year it will be blissful, I'm sure.

To get the 8 metres, you must have a detached place - but bear in mind that PD rights are still contingent on neighbour consultation and things like distances from boundaries really affect what you can do! Our plans are right on the edge of PD in terms of the height we are using (due to a sloping site) and in the end, for the avoidance of any ambiguity, we just went for, and obtained, full planning. It also meant we could use cedar cladding, which I am excited about.

What I'm finding so far is that you need to plan, plan, plan and plan some more. It's not just the big finishes like flooring - it's little things like taps, and even stuff like hinges and handles that can make a big difference! A really great architect should help you to think through every detail.

Thanks op, I can't wait for Christmas next year with a baby, in my new kitchen, on mat leave!

Shove that might be the difference - sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick OP - ours is semi detached so its obviously different rules for PD depending on the type of house.

No, I think what you said was right namechanged - I didn't mean to sound like I was criticising your post. I'm no expert on PD, but I do know it varies a lot depending on the type of house you have, and it does matter whether it's already extended, whether you're going to a boundary, and all sorts of other things too! (I guess houses are complicated and very different so the rules are complicated too).

I would get architect now and get concepts done. That way you can see what is possible and get an idea of budget. Then you can save. Architects can be busy so it could take a while.

You can then go back to them for drawings when you're ready to commit to a design and get builders' quotes.

I speak as a person who is getting an extension and did a lot of planning before havung to get architect anyway. Will be easier if you get one first!

Yep shove and namechanged - it's middle of the (wide) plot so I'm hoping fine.

The builder next door has basically rebuilt his bungalow into a huge 2 storey house so should be fine there!

Really useful short - thanks. I'm (obviously) champing at the bit despite being behind on saving so it might be fun to get the plans started as long as I am realistic with myself about when it'll really be possible.

DH is going to chat with next door to get a recommendation.

As a property professional, i would employ the services of a local Architect to manage the whole process if you don't want to manage any of it or have very little construction knowledge. Your architect will advise of whether the scope of your extension sits within permitted development, he will design it, advise on approximate budgets, tender the project to at least 3 builders to obtain you a competitive price and then he will project manage the delivery for you. The good thing about having employing a professional to manage this process, they will ensure there is a contract in place between you and the builder, will ensure that you do not forward pay your builder at interim payments for work not completed or materials not on site and he will most certainly protect you from your builder coming back at you with cost variations for unknown things. Your Architect will 'nail' all this stuff down in a simple domestic building contract. And you have the added protection of your Architects professional indemnity insurance if he signs the project off and there are design defects. Good luck

Tee hee reading that you might get an architect for Christmas made me giggle ! As I'm being 'given' for Christmas to two unsuspecting wives for Christmas this year !

( I'm a concept planner - just realised that looked a bit odd if I didn't explain !!! ) I supplied vouchers that are going to be in a card given on Christmas Day !

So if you have a really nice husband ... you might be one of them ?!?! Fingers crossed !

Happy planning !