Property developers WWYD demolish or soldier on

[yesno124]

We live in a desirable village with about 4 acres of land, and bought a frankly shit bungalow as the position was so lovely and has amazing views.

It was always the plan to extend, which we have started. There is currently a 2 storey extension coming out the back which is probably the size of an an average 4 bed new build. It has 3 bedrooms, an open plan living area/kitchen and 2 bathrooms.
I should add it is still a shell and needs a huge amount of work to finish it.

The ultimate plan is to raise the roof on the bungalow, renovate those existing rooms and knock through to the extension to make it all into one dwelling.

HOWEVER.... the bungalow was so poorly built in the first place it is literally falling down around our ears. The brickwork, plumbing, electrics, all fitted by the owners (eccentric elderly couple) or by cowboys. Nothing was built or installed to a quality standard.
Our circumstances have also significantly changed over the last 2 years and we have neither the time or money (or frankly will in my case) to keep battling on.

On balance I feel that we should now just knock down the bungalow and focus on making the extension our home. A new "front" could be designed and as our eldest is now at uni we really don't need a ridiculously large house.

DH is opposed to this idea; he thinks this grand plan is our pension pot and we should forge on.

I say:

• we have been living on a building site for 3 years, we have run out of money and no near prospect of ever finishing. Likely to cost at least another £100k to reach the grand plan 🥹
• DH has zero time to be managing a massive project (he has been doing the work himself)
• we don't need (& I don't want) a huge house
• it's just chasing good money after bad renovating the bungalow

I get that we won't make the money we would have hoped for but strongly feel we should just be realistic and focus efforts on finishing what could be a decent family home.

Personally, I’d have knocked it down. You can then get the perfect layout, it can be properly modernised with underfloor heating etc. Are you aware you can claim your VAT back on a new build? However as you’ve already started and say you have no money, I’m not sure what you should do now. You’d also have to find somewhere to live! Can you sell some of your plot? Or rent it out as grazing land?

Yup, cut your loss, demolish the old bit and focus your remaining energy and funds on making the extension the home.

Knocking down will cost money and can happen at any time.

You will end up in the middle of the building site if DH starts on the bit you are currently living in without finishing the new bit.
at the moment you only need money to finish the new bit as the old bit is not nice but livable
I would change the short term plan to 2 independent living spaces. I new family home and 1 reno for a granny flat

Is the new bit wired and plastered inside with plumbing?

If not would focus on how to finance the cost of people who can do the work on the new bit asap
Once you get the new bit at least livable you can move in.
You need heat and lighting. if you can get cheap or free second hand kitchen and 1 bathroom up to spec its ugly but do-able
Or knock a door in the wall to use the existing kitchen and bathroom
If you can rent out the old bit (as is) for a year or two to finance the finishing new bits (to a high spec) with paid labour.
Once it begins to self finances the demo costs make the decision to keep renting to build up a reno budget or demo it.

Otherwise as DH is doing the work thing will limp on for years or you divorce and sell it

Thank you for your thoughts.

When I say the extension is a shell the bedrooms are more or less finished, just waiting for floirjngs.
We also nearly have one usable bathroom.
It just needs a very cheap temporary kitchen and it would be perfectly possible to live in it.

We could then probably cash flow its completion. It won't be quick but a hell of a smaller mountain to climb than doing the bungalow as well. The extension itself has been built to a really high sustainability spec. Underfloor heating, triple glazed windows, built using polystyrene type Lego blocks filled with concrete, massively insulated and potential for solar panels. The bungalow couldn't be more different( damp, drafts and expensive to run.

I have no idea how much demolition and redesign costs would be but got to be a hell of a lot cheaper than sticking with original plan and would be much much less overwhelming

I'd check that there wouldn't be any issues with the planning department first. If you had planning for an extension and now have a completely new house might that need a change to the planning permission?

ignoring that, I would absolutely demolish the bungalow and live in the new build extension. You can always extend the extension later if you want but it sounds like the bungalow is not fit for purpose at all.

You will end up in the middle of the building site if DH starts on the bit you are currently living in without finishing the new bit.

Yes, which I think is actually a much better position for the property. There is currently a footpath oit the front and moving back woild afford more privacy.

at the moment you only need money to finish the new bit as the old bit is not nice but livable
I would change the short term plan to 2 independent living spaces. I new family home and 1 reno for a granny flat

The old boiler has just died which ads more cost to the bungalow and pointless IMO

Is the new bit wired and plastered inside with plumbing?

Yes all done.

If not would focus on how to finance the cost of people who can do the work on the new bit asap
Once you get the new bit at least livable you can move in.

The next major pressing cost is getting the extension cladded. It needs doing before winter sets in.

You need heat and lighting. if you can get cheap or free second hand kitchen and 1 bathroom up to spec its ugly but do-able.

Def doable! Even without working heating it is really warm and we have a wood burner that could be installed if we can't afford to get heating up and running for a while, however getting hot water sorted would be a challenge.

Or knock a door in the wall to use the existing kitchen and bathroom

All perfectly doable and almost there already

If you can rent out the old bit (as is) for a year or two to finance the finishing new bits (to a high spec) with paid labour.

Nope, bungalow is barely habitable, let alone rentable!

Once it begins to self finances the demo costs make the decision to keep renting to build up a reno budget or demo it.
*
Otherwise as DH is doing the work thing will limp on for years or you divorce and sell it*

Yep, nearing that point!

Focus on the new heating system too you could get a backbolier in the wood burner or add an immersion tank to the system to run mimimum heat into the various zones.

If its an old fashoined flat top woodburner you can get a massive pot or kettle for boiling water. A kettle of water will get you clean in the morning but a shower can set you up for whatever is to happen during the day.

the other option is to rent the new bit and stick with the old bit for the year or two.
It may not what you would want but if it brings in the money you need its an option.

If you have water and power then an electric shower, also a water heater near the sink, will make life easier.

We bought a very tumbledown bungalow on a beautiful 1/2 acre plot. It is tiny so we have applied to demolish and replace with a 1.5 storey replacement - not massive but around 34% bigger footprint. We have been getting plans, surveys etc and spent a fortune before we even submitted out planning application. So far we are a year in, still no PP, and the cottage roof fell in last winter! Luckily we are still in our old house.

If there was any chance we could have moved in and extended, we would have done that in a heartbeat. So I think you are in a great position.

The idea of demolishing the front area sounds good to me. Have you still got permitted development rights? If not maybe keep some structure eg have an orangery or garage there, then you can always build later without having to apply for an extension? Our architect was adamant we not demolish an inch of our cottage, not even the rotten porch. If we are forced to renovate, rather than build a new house, we need to use as much permitted development as we can. Our plan B - should the council refuse us - is tiny cottage plus insulated summerhouse, office etc. If you have four acres the world is your oyster ;-)

I totally see both sides of your dilemma. I think you should have a rest and some creature comforts while you recharge your batteries, so to speak. Your husband obviously has a good vision and an eye for your future security. It might be useful to have a 5 year plan but something not to be STARTED for 5 years. He has taken on a lot and probably needs a break too.

Your project sounds very similar to ours.
Our extension is double the foot print of the bungalow and also 1.5 stories.

Pros and cons to living on or off site I guess. We have been through this before and lived in an ancient mobile home for 18 months. Grim!

The boiler packing up has been the final straw for me and feel that regardless of what we ultimately do with the bungalow we essentially leave it be and get the extension finished to the extent we can live in it.
Perhaps then I can convince DH to scale back plans.

yesno our DD is renovating the adjoining (huge) property and they have been in a caravan for nearly 3 years 😦Not for the fainthearted!!

Best of luck.