Need to build extension that will most likely cover at least half the patio

[Fressia123]

I've been reading about the "half the land around the original house". We live in an end of terrace with a tiny patio (3x5m) and need to build some sort of extension that will create a 4th bedroom. Is this impossible?

London and country would give us £165k max!

Get two smaller outdoor pods - one as a private day space for DSS and one as a private day space for the girls yes then you never have to see any of the kids at all. Reault

Lower the ceilings on the first floor, and convert the loft? This is very common in my part of London where a lot of the houses don’t have enough height in the loft for a straightforward conversion.

@FourCandelabras

Lower the ceilings on the first floor, and convert the loft? This is very common in my part of London where a lot of the houses don’t have enough height in the loft for a straightforward conversion.

Presumably this is in parts of London where property is very expensive per square foot. IMO that sounds way to expensive for an area where 4 beds start at £270K.

Can you curtain off the back of the living room for you to sleep in? Then a pod or conservatory
for the piano and extra living space for the kids in box rooms/sharing?

Yes they start between 270-300k the more decent ones start closer to 400k. My DP is more of the idea that if we can't get a 4th bedroom you should be able to tell we sleep downstairs, so no curtains in this case (we don't need the privacy anyways, we'd go to bed after all children had gone upstairs).

@Persipan

I can't draw on the floor plan because you appear to have deleted it, but how about conservatory across the back bit, to level the living room with the kitchen (not divided off, make it part of the room) and then cut a chunk off the front of the room to make a bedroom? From memory there was a window at the front it could have. That gives you a living room more or less the same size it currently is (albeit part conservatory), and an additional small bedroom. Indoors.

This is the best idea.

What will you do when other baby comes along though?

Martha, OP she isn’t having the 5th till they get the 4th bedroom.

Thanks @Helpmylecreuset that's indeed correct. DP wasn't a fan of the conservatory idea (although he seemed more OK with pod for piano/stuff and partitioning reception room). Still not happy/satisfied with any opto. I give up!

Comedy gold.

Bought an entirely unsuitable house purely because of a dog. Then dismisses every single option to make it habitable for the people currently using it, never mind trying to bring another baby into this mess.

OP I suggest you contact Channel 4, get on the George Clarke programme, it would be amazing.

The dog was the trigger but realistically we wouldn't have been able to afford the rent of a 4 bed (they go for around £1300-1400 here).

Our net income after all commuting costs is of about £2400. From that amount childcare and all living expenses must come out. Of we had rented we've had access to UC but even then living on that sort of money would have been hard (and even then we would never have had access to it because of my property abroad).

What keeps is afloat is that I receive rent from a property abroad, do some freelance and my family helps here and there (helped with the legal fees to buy this house for example).

We're still very happy with this house and neighbourhood in general. Sometimes you just have to make the most of what you've got. The house is indeed too small but I've always been hopeful that someone who know what they're doing can tell us it does have a solution. Rather than my DP that think everything has an issue and is prohibitely expensive. (Which I'm not.of the same idea but we have completely concepts of what expensive is).

I think OP is getting a bit of a hard time here. It seems to me that it’s her DP, not her, who has an issue with every suggestion.

Why don't you sell your property abroad and use it to buy a house that better meets your needs?

The property was an inheritance and would need to pay a hefty inheritance tax if sold. Not only that, but we might retire there. My family oversees all of that anyways and would cause a massive rift to try to sell it.

Jesus christ you want more babies in a tiny house you can't fit into but wont sell your holiday home incase you wanna retire there.

Im assuming here OP but you can't be older than 35?

Stop thinking about your retirement and think about your kids and stepkids, for now at least.

Whats the point in owning 2 homes if you got kids sleeping in sheds

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the architect creates. Will you update us please? Do you have a date for that meeting?

I think the OP is getting a bit of a hard time here. If it had been phrased as ‘We are bursting at the seams but cannot afford to move, how can we create a space for DSS?’’ I am certain someone would have suggested a garden pod.

Whats the point in owning 2 homes if you got kids sleeping in sheds

The OP is determined to say no to every solution offered.

Same ole same ole

My mum would never let me sell at least not until I'm married for a while and I'll divorce and half of my inheritance goes to someone else. Yes the property is mine but like I said I won't have a massive fallout with my family over it.

Just tell the boy no. A micro flat is not possible. End of !

@SciFiScream no I'm still trying to find one! I just recently got promoted and I'm getting used to it. I originally wanted to talk to a galmpod person and an architect but I think we'll go with architect first. Of the little I've seen few just give consultations (well the ones I've contacted through a website). I just need a good local knowledgeable professional.