Which is better??

[Neverending2020]

Having garage knocked down to turn into extra sitting room. I've got big driveway and never use the garage.
I can't decide whether to leave side alleyway for access through to back of house or extend all the way across and maximise the space.
Without leaving space for side access room size would be 11 ft x 16 ft.
With side access it would knock off just over 2 foot from the width so approx just under 9 ft x 16 ft.
Side access would really only be for gardiner - once every two weeks over 6 -7 months of the year.
I have shed in the garden for storage.
I'm leaning towards the first option to use all the space for the extra room but others say that having a side access is important and preferable.
I know ultimate decision is mine but interested to know what you think is more preferable.

Keep a small side access. We don't have one due to extension before we lived here and had to use the neighbours access when we have the patio done.

Have extended a few properties and usual love maxing out a floor plan as much as possible, but would never entertain purchasing a house with no side access, so another vote of KTSA!

I wouldn't buy a house without a side access. I don't want dogs, bikes, branches and rubbish going out through the middle of the house. It would be a deal-breaker.

An extra room would be nice, and I wouldn't mind losing a garage to it, but it's certainly not more important than a side access. Even if the room is 9ft wide, it would be fine.

@johnd2 eh? Patronising much? I fully grasped what the consequences of having a side access were wrt the size of the room - the OP made that quite clear in their post. . And I'd still keep the side access.

Sorry i wasn't trying to insult the posters, i was merely pointing out that the question you ask affects the responses you get. Maybe i should have realised that the way you phrase your reply affects what other posters think your point is

OP in my previous house, the previous owners had opted to extend into the side access. Honestly, it was ok. We coped. But it was very frustrating at times. Garden waste for example. Plus moving lawn mover through house to do front garden.
We did have no house next to us so we were able to remove a fence panel for access like big furniture ( we had a shared rear access for cul de sac). Without this, we would have run into a lot of issues.

Having now moved and also looking to extend. I wouldn't go into the small access we have down the side.

Thanks for all your opinions. Really helpful
I've never had a house without a side access so I guess I didn't appreciate the importance. We don't have bikes , have enough space to keep bins tucked away at the front, got shed to keep lawnmower etc. Can't foresee any work needing done at the back so for us it's only really garden debris.
I guess I'm thinking about it from my perspective rather than possible future buyers.

Will depend to some extent what you envisage using the extra room for, and what space you already have.
9' is quite narrow for a full living room, but, I'm assuming you already have a full living room and this is additions space perhaps for a study or a play room ? Or maybe dining area ?
OTOH, 2' seems too narrow for a side passage - if it is narrower than a normal door's width, then people aren't going to be able to move garden waste or lawnmowers or bikes or garden furniture etc etc through it anyway.

What about cutting down trees, raking grass cuttings to the bins?
Next door built an extension with no side access and expected their window cleaner to use ours and climb their fence. (Which they’d asked for a gate access) err no!

We were also locked in with a dodgy door once at least we could escape out the back/side.

What would the gardener do? Wonder through the house?

Another one that was able to understand op and answered to both side access and room size. Suggest John reads rather than skims 🙂

I agree that ideally you want to keep a side access. 9x16 is pretty narrow for a room though. How are you actually going to use the room? What would the floor plan be?

Yes keep side access! That was one of my 'nice to haves' when we bought new house (old house had it too) and it's been just lovely to have it. Especially as we are renovating but also for bins and is coming home from muddy walks and anything really. Just feels less claustrophobic.

I used to be a fencer and I'm sure regulations for a side access is 900mm minimum?

But that being said I'm sure you wouldn't miss 3ft of a room for the benefits of garden access.

How's your gardener going to get round to do your garden if you block it off? Drag tools, mud, bugs, plants through your living room? Or any other trade for that matter

I think two feet off the room size doesn't mean side access of two feet as max 11foot width is not up to boundary?

Going against the tide here - if you have bin storage at the front - I would go for better sized living accommodation and just live with the occasional things having to come through the house. Get some of those industrial lovely garden debris bags and they won't be spitting leaves and rubbish everywhere on their way to the front. I actually would find a really narrow passage way for occasional use rather depressing when it could be useful living space.