Should I buy a house that needs an extension? Panicking

[Polkadotdash]

Advice needed please.
We’ve had an offer accepted on a house that only works for us if we extend it with a two storey addition at the back of the house. It’s a terrace with a small garden, which will be made 3m smaller by the extension.
We went on a visit with an architect yesterday and they seemed unimpressed with what we were thinking and thought it was unlikely we’d get permission for a two storey extension, despite three other houses having done it in the street. This was because the neighbouring houses are so close to the one we are buying. We also will have no rear access to the garden so the building work will all need to be done through the front of the house. The architect’s eyebrows shot up when we said we were planning to live there whilst the work was done.
I’m now freaking out and have got serious cold feet about going ahead.
My husband won’t talk to me and says it’s up to me to call the purchase off.
We’re currently renting (at extortioniate cost) having sold last year. We’ve been looking at houses for two years. I’m fed up of looking. This house seems to be the best we can afford in a very expensive area.
Will it matter if the garden is tiny? Maybe 4m by 4m. It’s currently horrible, like a paved prison yard with mesh fencing at the top of the wood fencing.
What should I do?

Yes, it will matter. A tiny garden for a family house is never a selling point!

Be guided by the architect. You could be adding massively to your stress levels. Surely there is something that fits the bill without an expensive extension? It will be if you have to go through the house!!! You may also have to appeal. It might be that other extensions would not be passed now. I really would avoid and I woud expect the architect to know the local difficulties with planning applications.

By the way, if DH is not fully engaged, you will manage this on your own! Is that what you want? He will say "I told you so" and leave it up to you.

Don't do it. You've got no guarantee of getting the PP. what happens if you don't? You would have spent (wasted) ££££ on fees for nothing. Plus months and months of stress before you even start. My DH is a builder. Faced with a two storey extension with no garden access you would get either A) so sorry, we are fully booked (too much hassle)or B) the quote would be 20-30% higher to allow for the total nightmare access would be. (And that's without you living there. It takes much, much longer to unload stuff which all costs man hours (which equals extra £ cost passed into you). Or stuff will have to be cut to size elsewhere and bought in. Any large steels will require a crane / add to that fees for putting crane on the road. Only buy if you don't need the extension. Good luck whatever you decide xx

I wouldn't do this. The extension will be expensive and hugely stressful.

I'd wait until I found somewhere that was more suitable, even if that meant renting for a while longer.

If that house is the best you can afford, how will you fund a two-storey extension? It could very stressful, to live in it during the work, and to cover any additional costs that might arise...

This is what I’m thinking. The architect seemed quite upbeat about the project until we got into the house. Then their body language changed.
The house is the best we can afford on a month to month basis without having a crippling mortgage, council tax and utility bills. We’ve realised by renting that living in the area is not cheap. Council tax has just gone up to £300 per month for an average house.
Absolutely nothing is coming on to the market. No one is selling as prices are dropping. We could end up renting for a very long time and wasting a lot of money doing so.
Husband isn’t talking to me as he thinks it’s a great idea and I’m the one raining on the parade.

Also, I know this sounds stupid but I also don’t want to let the vendor down buy pulling out of the purchase.

Don't buy a house that doesn't tweet your needs, its so glaringly obvious from an outsiders perspective OP.
If you don't get the PP you're stuck with house that you don't want.

If no one is selling as prices are dropping ... Then surely renting isn't so bad until prices find their level? ... what you spend on rent you'll save in the "dropped prices" once the market starts to rise again. Pulling out now is no big deal. As you say, not much on the market so the vendors will probably find a new buyer really quickly....

In what area could council tax possibly be £300 a month for an 'average house', particularly if you're including a small terrace? I thought I lived in a relatively expensive area, and we're nowhere remotely near that for a big 4 bedroom.

Anyway, no, this sounds like madness - many months of hell to end up with something that isn't great. Far too expensive and stressful a mistake to make.

I’d ask if your partner can have a phone call with architect before she draws up plans.

Well all that building work will upset the neighbors!

What did the arictect offer as advice on a different lay out or design etc?

Really don’t buy a house so you don’t upset the vendor. They will of course be upset but you have every right to pull out legally.

Well I had a very positive experience doing this.
My house was a complete nightmare, basically a shell with one tap in the dining room and woodworm everywhere, it was all I could afford.
Now I've done a single story extension and had the entire house refurbished and it was the only way I could afford to live in a fabulous countryside area with a house rather than a flat with views to a national park and out to sea.
Mind you my garden is big.
I have never regretted it but you will have to figure out how to make the existing garden look fabulous.

Is the house not suitable in its current state? Have you looked at a loft conversion as that is more likely to be accepted? We have a two bedroom mid terrace. A two storey extension will never get planning permission as it would effect a neighbours right to light. Could you look at a 1 storey extension and or a loft conversion.

We had to make the compromise between smaller house but better area. We are happy with the decision but there's loads we could do to improve the place

Also - annoyingly a new house has come on the market today that I would like to see. But it’s on with the same agent as we are buying with. How can I see it without alerting them to my change of heart?

I lived there throughout the whole house renovations, couldn't afford not to. It sucked but we managed.

We bought a house which needed an extension. Only single storey. Two years later, we are still saving, brexit uncertainty means we are nervous to take out more finance and basically we have done nothing to fix the rest of the house as it will all need doing again after the extension. I do love the area and the light so I think it will be worth it but it can be depressing.

Why did you pick this house? Could you be happy there without the extension? If the architect thinks it's a no go then surely you need to listen.

The house would be ok without an extension for a smaller family. But for us it needs a fourth bedroom and a dining space. We could squeeze in it as it is without extending. But it wouldn’t be much fun.
Would be affordable though.

Loft conversion not an option either

Getting planning permission for a 2 storey extension is really tricky in a terrace. Does the house have neighbours either side that have already extended to same area you want to build? If not, have a quick check of what the 45 degree sight lines from their back windows would be. If your extension crosses them then pp is very very unlikely to be given.

Living in a small terrace house during a 2 storey extension would be horrible. Would you realistically all be able to cook, wash, sleep etc in just the front room with the whole back of the house open? If the house already had a converted loft you could squeeze in there then it might just be possible

Have you looked at your planning department? Have the current owners applied for planning in the past? Worth checking if they had been turned down.

The house hasn’t had a planning permission application before. Two neighbours have had permission for two storey with a third house under consideration.
The houses are town houses rather than terraces and they are in blocks of three, with the one we are buying in the middle. The kitchen is on the middle floor so I’m assuming that whilst the work is going on, we can continue to use that until the point to switch it downstairs comes.

That’s a useful tip about the 45 degree angles, thanks.

Do you have a floorplan? Maybe you could do an internal re-jig instead of a double-height extension, if funds are tight?
Living in a cramped space isn't fun, but neither is lots of debt...

I would just be honest with the agent that you were looking to buy with a view to extending but have. Received advice that what you would want doing might not be possible with this particular house. It would be kinder to your seller if you pulled out sooner, rather than later, though