marchitects home alterations

I was recently called out to give some advice to a couple looking at buying their next door neighbours house in order to extend their own. The viability of the project hinged on the purchase price of the property against what it would cost to extend the footprint of the existing house to match the resulting floor area. However if you don't have a garden large enough to accommodate this extension then this is largely irrelevant. Then it comes down to whether the value of the enlarged house covers the expenditure on purchasing the current and next door properties. If the equation works out then there is no doubt that its is appealing. You don't have to move house to gain the space, the alterations next door need not be significant, and the building work can be contained. www.marchitectsltd.com

Modern housing developers lay out their overall street and house pattern to maximise the number of units on the land. As land plots are irregular by their very nature you find that house plots to the extremities, at the end of streets and cul de sacs provide opportunities to extend to the side towards the development boundary. If you are contemplating a side extension factors to consider at the outset are: -Can you get access to the neighbouring land to erect scaffolding? -Does you house plan permit circulation to the side. Where is your front door and stair in relation to the extension? -Do you want to retain a link between your front and rear gardens? -Consider designing foundations for an upper floor if you plan to erect single storey. Attic roof trusses can provide similar opportunities. -Determine where the drainage runs from the back of the house. -Are there any gas and water services under the ground. Mark Anderson www.marchitectsltd.com

Often I am asked about the feasibility of altering an existing extension to provide a more rational floor plan and facilities. In some cases I have to advise that the demolition and rebuilding of an extension is the most cost effective route to achieve the client's goals. Key factors that may have a bearing are: Age of the existing extension and the method of construction. This may make it unsuitable or structurally expensive to alter. The existing fabric will not meet today's need to conserve energy in the home and therefore would require upgrading.  The position of the extension in relation to the house may have been designed poorly resulting in a floor plan which does not provide the opportunity to  improve the linkage with the existing house and/ or improve the layout of the facilities. Glazing. It may be because the client wishes to change the nature of the extension to a family room for instance with improved visibility to a garden that larger windows are necessary.T

We've joined Architect in the House 2012.  We give a free consultation to a homeowner in exchange for a donation to Shelter. Architect in the House is the annual charitable scheme that sees RIAS and RIBA architects giving homeowners an hour's free consultation in exchange for a donation to Shelter. Over the past 15 years, RIAS and RIBA architects have raised more than £1.2million for Shelter.  Please get behind the scheme again and support Shelter's vital work with families in housing need. www.marchitectsltd.com

Garages built in the past can be a bit on the small side for modern cars with the result that they are used as store rooms. If the garage is attached to the house and you need the extra space it can be relatively straightforward to extend into and convert the garage to a playroom, office, bedroom or a downstairs toilet. I've also converted garages into self contained studio accommodation for elderly relatives or grown up children. The external walls and/or roof will require to be upgraded to meet current thermal resistance standards and a new floor installed. The garage door would be altered to accommodate a window. Hey presto a fairly redundant space is inexpensively transformed. www.marchitectsltd.com

In older properties it can often make sense to create one larger room for modern family living. The most efficient way of doing this is to knock the wall down between two rooms, called forming a slapping. A structural engineer should always be consulted to ensure the correct lintels specification is used to support the wall and floors above. You will also need to ensure that any steel beams are protected from fire. The builder will needle the wall above the opening and support these on temporary props before removing the wall where the opening is being formed. The lintel will then be positioned on padstones set into the wall on each side and shims put in above to make up the space between the top of the lintel and the remaining wall. As with all structural alterations there will be evidence of settlement in the finishes around the affected area.

Here are some brief guidance notes on the new permittted development rules for rear extensions in Scotland. These do not apply within conservations areas or to  listed buildings. Any extensions to the rear should be no closer than one metre to a boundary. Extensions to a terraced house should be no more than three metres in depth or four metres in any other case.  The eaves height of the extension cannot be higher than three metres. No part of the extension should be more than four metres in height. The extension cannot cover more than 50% of the curtlage of the rear area of the property. This area does not include any existing hardstanding or the original house. If any all of these parameters can be met then planning consent may not be required. We can ascertain this for you from the relevant local authority. www.marchitectsltd.com