Adding on in home renovation
A few years ago, most people would have moved house if they’d wanted to have more space, but now adding on, up or down is becoming a viable, and often cheaper, alternative to moving. A sign of this change in attitude struck me as I was sitting in a coffee bar attached to the offices of a branch of Abbey National. All around the walls were posters inviting customers to borrow money for loft conversions, extensions and other home improvements.
Creating space
Until about the 1970s, it never occurred to most of us that we could, instead of going through all the upheaval of moving, achieve our dreams by going through, admittedly, the almost as serious upheaval of extending our homes every which way – up, down, sideways, front and rear.
Everybody wants space – the more the better – and many houses have the potential to give us more room. Often it is possible to gain far more room than at first appears. Side and back extensions are usually the most popular and sensible ways in which to create extra space and, very often, they do not need planning permission. Outbuildings and summerhouses can also be converted into extra rooms or annexes to the main house.
Loft conversions are another good idea, so long as there is reasonable headroom, and basement conversions are also becoming increasingly popular where the construction of the house allows this. Garages can sometimes be turned into extra rooms and you may also be able to build on top of a garage at the side of a house to create an extra bedroom or bathroom.
Will planning permission be required?
All improvements that alter the structure and appearance of the property will need planning permission. It is sensible to contact your local council when you first have the idea to see whether or not permission is theoretically available. Never make any purchase or lifestyle change in advance of being granted planning permission as it’s by no means certain.
If other houses in your street have already had loft or basement conversions done, then planning permission is often a formality. Converting a garage, however, may be more problematic, as many local authorities do not like garages to be reduced in number. It would, for instance, be impossible to get planning permission to create an extra room from a garage in a Notting Hill mews house, as parking is already pretty much impossible.
The value of experience
In my street, there are many back extensions. In fact, just about every house has one, but mine is the best, by far. Why? Because it is the latest, the newest! The next one undertaken in my street will be even better, as will each new extension because the builder or contractor learns more about what or what not to do. The moral of this is, whatever form of extension you are planning, do your homework and view finished examples of the kind of thing you have in mind, so that you can learn from other people’s mistakes.
My extension has taken advantage of having an RSJ put in where the supporting wall was taken down, whereas earlier extensions incorporated the existing wall. Mine also has a glass roof, with glass strong enough to walk on, while earlier extensions had skylights. Mine connects to the main house, whereas earlier ones look more bolted on. What I’m saying is that, whatever type of extension or addition you want, it is worth waiting until the technology and know-how is well established in that area and all the early mistakes have been ironed out.
Most of the services reviewed by this website are available or may be accessed from Australia (see 