Cellar conversions - anyone done this?

[longshot]

We are considering relocating our kitchen diner to our cellar which is mostly above ground level and would allow us direct access onto our garden (currently have to go down some steps from our kitchen).

We’ve been quoted over 100k to do it, it’s a big job and we are adding a side return and also building out beyond the existing building to get the size we want but I’m interested to hear from anyone that’s done this what their experiences were?

DH is very keen and I am less so as I have read that cellar conversions can spiral out of control when you need to dig underground (we would need a bit of this). I’m also keen to hear of people’s experiences of living in a new space like this? We are planning to have kitchen, dining, tv sofa / wood burner downstairs but I have concerns about our first floor current living space becoming a bit redundant.

Anyone done this and care to share thoughts?

We looked into this in our old house, which sounds as though it was very similar to your - the house was built into a hill so at the back the cellar was in effect the ground floor. We were quoted £32k in the NW which included some digging out to increase the head height, tanking, new staircase, removal of a couple of supporting walls to open up the space, plus steels and two sump pumps - having two was recommended so you have a back up. The actual kitchen would have cost extra. In the end we decided the flow of the house on the ground floor wouldn't work with the kitchen in the cellar - a side extension to get a bigger kitchen would be better. We didn't go ahead because we moved.

Thanks fudge, sounds very similar and we are also in the NW! I am worried about the flow but the architect has come up with some clever ideas of how we can help that. Your quote was so much less than ours, do you mind me asking when that was? Thanks

Hi - it was around 4 years ago from a cellar and loft conversion specialist company. The quote was only for the cellar work though - no extension and no digging out beyond the walls of the house.

Our quote very similar for same job- got three quotes and all between 90 and 110. Spent quite a bit of money on structural engineers and plans but so important as 3 floors above and we are a terrace. Roughly, job will take 6 months and I will never want to move again! Good luck!

My friend has this - it was nice. Yes, the flow from existing ground floor wasn’t very flowy, but that meant that they had two separate living rooms and a study on the ground floor that all felt very quiet as most busy living stuff happened on the basement level!