Extending a kitchen - ideas please!

[MissisBoot]

I have a typical victorian semi.

The kitchen is out the back leading on from the dining room and it is half the width of the house.

What I would like to do is to widen it up to the whole width of the house to make it into a big kitchen diner. So keeping the original kitchen room and then having a 'lean to' type conservatory.

Would I be able to easily knock down the existing external wall?

There is also quite a lot of drainage in the area where I would want to extend to, as well as the soil pipe from the bathroom - is it all going to be a nightmare to move or is there anyway I could put a temporary floor surface over the existing drainage?

Thanks!

I would keep the roof glass (or insert lots of velux roof lights) - or you could risk making the room 'behind' the extension very dark.

I would avoid plastic / any conservatories though, or conservatory companies who offer extension work (expensive and mainly shoddy).

You'd be better going to an architecht (they do take on smaller projects, fee would only be about 5% of total build fee) - they should be able to sort out a scheme in keeping with property.

We did the same as you..but we had a brick extension on the side return rather than a lean to conservatory. Are you planning the lean -to for cost reasons?

We had our plumbing moved. We basically moved our kitchen which was a narrow galley kitchen to make it along the 'new' brick wall.

Is your kitchen a galley? If so,would you keep that lay out? You may find the floor space you would gain with a side extension isn't worth it so would have to change layout.

The existing wall is most probably a supporting wall so would need RSJ's to support perhaps with pillars. This may dictate what sort of extension you have.

You have to consider what the ceiling would be like, potential height differences because of existing rooms above etc.

(Hello mrs SB, it's mrsmaidamess here, as was. Long time no see!) Sorry OP!

That's what I was worried about - especially as the dining room only has one window in it - and it faces out onto the area I want to extend into.

The actual space is probably about 2m x 6m so not huge - but would make such a difference to the kitchen.

Never thought about an architect - thanks! Would they then project manage it or does that depend on each architect?

Many builders use an 'in house' architect to do their plans.

It sounds like you want to do exactly what we did MissisBoot. We had a bathroom behind our kitchen though, which we also extended sideways and back and made into an extra room, all open plan .

We now have a long wall running from where the dining room window was to the very back of the house, with no windows in it.

BUT we have 3 velux's in the slanted roof above and a skylight dome above the extension where the downstairs bathroom used to be.

We have large french doors onto the garden so there is loads of light. Where is your back door from your kitchen into your garden?

Yes, architect would project manage and sort out specifications and formal quotes with builders and other trades - it truly is worth it for the avoidance of hassle and spend 'creep'.

(Hi MrsM as was! I haven't been online for ages. I go through long phases where I can't be bothered to type because (a) my keyboard is wrecked (by DS) and (b) because I am now working again and feel brain dead by home-time! )

At the moment the back door is on the side as soon as you walk into the kitchen.

Mrs SB - would you mind giving me a rough estimate of what your build cost was?

About £12k for 2 walls and a roof - to fill in a 'gap' very much as you describe.

some good ideas here

Our project was quite big, it included putting in a utility elsewhere. All told we spent about £50k on everything. The building work was about £35k IIRC.

Lovely - thank you - good ideas there - I think we'd want something like Karen and Peter slide no 53