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Original poster

Can you do a double storey side extension if the garage is set back.?

15 replies

zippyswife · 01/05/2018 13:00

It’s a semi detached house. It’s one of 4 sets of semis all have garages which are set back from the front of the house- in the garden basically. So there is a garage width distance at the side of the house but the garage is set further back. We overlook woodland so no neighbours opposite.

Ideally I would like to do a double storey extension on the side of my house to the neighbours boundary. Is this likely to be permitted?

OP posts:

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 13:02

We did and joined it into our set back garage, give me 5/10 minutes and I'll draw you a before and after picture.....

Original poster

zippyswife · 01/05/2018 13:04

Oh great! Thank you. Yes that’s what I was kind of thinking of doing.

Did you go up to the boundary? Would they allow to the boundary upstairs also.

OP posts:

Joinourclub · 01/05/2018 13:10

It depends on your local authority, but extensions are often required to be set back 1m from the boundary.

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 13:21

Right this is the before, the single garage runs along the boundary at the back and the side, the driveway ran up the side of the house to the garage.

We built it when we first moved in.

Can you do a double storey side extension if the garage is set back.?

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 13:23

This is after.

We attached the extension to the garage so the downstairs is garage and it runs all the way through.

The upstairs is two bedrooms that are just above the new part of the garage.

We had no issues with planning other than that we were not allowed to put any windows in the side of the extension (ie overlooking the neighbour to the side) we were only allowed windows in the back so that they looked out over the garage roof (ie facing the same direction as the windows in the back of the house pre-extension)

Original poster

zippyswife · 01/05/2018 13:24

Yes that is very similar to ours only our garage adjoins the neighbours garage.

OP posts:

Original poster

zippyswife · 01/05/2018 13:26

Oh wow. That sounds bang on what I’d love to do. I guess it just depends on whether the council here would allow it? Is there a way to easily check these before starting to hand over money?

OP posts:

Original poster

zippyswife · 01/05/2018 13:29

Do you mind me asking what the cost was? Although I know it depends on where I’m the country amongst other factors.

OP posts:

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 13:50

Ring up your local authority planning department or ask if you can go in and see them. They can't tell you if your plans would definitely be passed or not but they can advise you on what "the rules" are.

My cost won't be comparable to yours, it was a good 10+ years ago so stuff was cheaper and DH is a tradesman so we did a lot of it ourselves!

We dug and laid the foundations, sourced all the materials ourselves, did labouring for the bricklayer, DH put the roof on, did all the first and second fix joinery, laid the pipe work for the plumber and ran wires for the electrics then his mate who is an electrician came and connected everything up.

The only things we actually paid anyone else to do was the scaffolding, a bricklayer, and a plumber to install a new boiler and connect it to the pipe work that DH had already laid.

From ground up including decorating and furniture we only spent £20k !!

We did originally get quotes from people to do it all for us and they ranged from £30k - £45k but like I say it was 10yrs ago!!

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 13:54

The only other thing to be aware of too is that the level of your old garage floor will dictate whether building regs will let you put an internal door between your house and garage.

There's a minimum bright difference that there has to be and it's to do with vapours from things like petrol/oil if it was spilled on your garage floor being able to rise up and come under the door into your house.

Our garage floor was almost the same level as our house so we weren't allowed an internal door, but we didn't kind because there's one in the side of the garage into our back garden anyway.

If we had really wanted an internal door we would have had to dig up and relay the garage floor lower down.

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 13:55

Argh height not bright!

Original poster

zippyswife · 01/05/2018 14:00

Thank you. Yes I’ll give them a call for starters. Really appreciate your advice.

OP posts:

namechangedtoday15 · 01/05/2018 18:31

I think the vast majority of councils have changed the rules in the last 10 years. I doubt very much that you'll get pp all the way to the boundary now. We've been through this is the last couple of years and had exactly the same 1930s semi with garage in garden. We have a "standard" size drive at the side (2.75m) and architect said there was no point at all in submitting plans to the boundary. We initially asked for 75cm gap (which is the absolute minimum I think that they'll sometimes allow, they base it on getting a wheelie bin / access down the side) but they said no, the minimum they'd allow was 1m.

Mybabystolemysanity · 01/05/2018 18:35

Need a 1m gap. I've just been quoted £33k for an 8m x 3m master bedroom, ensuite and walk in wardrobe single storey side extension to a bungalow in East Scotland, if it helps you a bit with costs. Three builders all quoted within about £5k, so quite accurate.

FrangipaniBlue · 01/05/2018 20:57

they base it on getting a wheelie bin / access down the side

Yeah our wheelie bins have to live on the front garden so if councils like you to take them round back pps are probably right and the planners could say no

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