Cheapest way to build a side return

4 years ago

My daughter has just bought a GF flat in a Victorian terraced house in SW London. When converted in the 1970's(?) a bathroom was added at the back, off the kitchen which incorporates a staircase from the upstairs flat out to their back garden - very typical of the area. We (parents) are experienced in renovation & drew up a v modest plan to add a narrow side return, including a new party wall as there is only a fence at the moment. No drainage issues or other complications. Although the return is narrow (1.4m), it would make a huge difference to the space and add privacy from next door.

She is on a limited budget and I don't think it's worth doing anything larger as the value of the property will always be limited - 1 bed with a shared front door & internal 'front' doors at the bottom of the stairs. The one builder who has visited the site was expensive - assuming traditional building materials - block wall, slated roof with Velux windows rather than steel frame and glass to keep costs down and avoid visibility from upstairs flats. There is no rear access, so we understand why costs are higher.

Has anyone experience of cheaper ways of doing this using alternative building materials? We are wondering if there are any prefabricated wall panels which might suit - possibly requiring shallower foundations which seemed to be a major cost? Any alternative ideas welcome. Thanks.

Comments (5)

PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Give S.Beeny a call :) see above.

Generally, building in London is just not cheap, and you have probably stated the cheapest method of construction so finding something cheaper will be difficult, assuming one is aiming at meeting the building regulations.

Prefabrication is generally not cheaper but it does reduce the time required on site significantly but one pays for the off site fabrication.

Avoiding adjustments to the drainage is sensible , if one can, but how will this effect the space and is the design being formed around the drainage or the functional requirements and use of the space?

You are right though. It is not unusual to hear of client's looks of disbelief at the cost of building but I think it should be put into the context of what one pays for property in SW london, in this case.

Individuals wanting to develop their assets, don't often see that adding new quality space to a house will equate to adding more value to a property proportionately and that the build cost is a fraction of that added value and quality. So it's often important to take a long term view on these projects.
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
As a starting point for a discussion: What was the budget you had in mind ?

An insulated timber framed system or cross laminated timber system may be worth looking at for speed of erection on a trench footing foundation or a ground beam system

One can also cast in steel beams spanning across pads to reduce the dig if shallower foundations are required , to prevent underpinning of a neighbours property for example

Beam and block floors are also a cost effective and quick sub floor system that can be looked at.

Best

O+U
Related Discussions
Need help to dress up my dining room,am thinking of cream panelling,ra
Q
Comments (33)
If you want custom cream panelling built from scratch, it is likely to take you more than three weeks to line up a contractor, get it built and then painted. If you want to use beadboard (thin, lightweight, cheap) you can do it yourself if you are good at the small precision cuts around the wood window trim and behind the radiators. You can get a custom built wood cover with doors for your tv or use the painting over tv disguise made with hinges. I think the room is beautiful as it is. Spend some money on a truly beautiful, impressive chandelier, have it centered over the table. If you want to impress relatives at an event, the chandelier is the way to go. Clean the windows for extra sparkle. If you are in the US, try Home Decorators http://www.homedecorators.com for DVD storage cabinets that are closed. I would not get a rug for this room unless I was ready to get it cleaned frequently and I could find one that looked good with dog hair on it and did not show stains. A good quality, highly patterned wool Oriental rug will do that job nicely. Such a rug is an investment and may take longer than three weeks to find.
...See More
Is this kitchen to minimum or just right ???
Q
Comments (37)
It looks very good James. Even though as you say it was a clients design build, it works fine. Once the Island has stools it will fill it out better. Has that naked look at the moment. The position of the wine rack might cause issues but overall it looks like a really clean and fresh kitchen. Plenty of natural light and the colours compliment each other. The extractor is a nice feature too. Everyone has different opinions as I see on here but if the client is happy with it then job done. Looks really well fitted too.....well done :)
...See More
Curb appeal??!
Q
Comments (14)
Gosh, I've returned after a week travelling for work to loads more suggestions - thanks all! To respond specifically: - the house faces south so gets the lovely morning (and in the uk, sometimes the only) sun. - the husband has avoided putting plants in the planters due to maintenance and they're generally twee so comments here have confirmed to me that they will be coming out - love the idea of wooden boxes with the spiky plants and grasses - also like the concept of taking out the grass/bed/tree in front completely out and replacing with slabs - yes to lightening the windows - to the Barn company, I honestly don't mind the advice and I'd never seen sloping garage roofs. - nicking ideas from landscaping of new builds....great idea! - finally, Helen Scholes, I'm embarrassed about the spelling of kerb. Had no idea! Thanks again all.
...See More
Stairway revamp
Q
Comments (15)
You can leave the handrail the same distance from the wall as it is now. Leave it connected to the newel post at the top; remove the newel post at the bottom, and add what's called a 'return' to anchor the bottom end to the wall. Then add a couple of brackets going up the stairs. The challenge is that the return should match the profile of the handrail, in order to blend, but check at the home center or a lumber yard/mill to see if you can match it (take measurements/drawings/close-up photos, etc.). As for painting the stairs--be careful with "fun" graphics. The treads and risers need to be clearly defined and regular. For example, a plaid or check that doesn't match the tread and riser exactly at each step is a trip hazard and may not meet building codes. People need to be able to see the treads clearly even without paying attention to them. Walking is an unconscious activity and we need to make it as easy as possible. Confusing patterns are a menace. In NYC, they put new edges on treads on one stairway at one train station that were designed to make them less slippery. However, they also made it more difficult to discern the edge of the tread. In 6 weeks, more than 1,400 people fell down those stairs. Then they redid them. Over 90% of injuries on stairs happen during descent. I highly recommend Bill Bryson's great book 'At Home--A Short History of Private Life'. The NYC anecdote above came from Chapter 14--'The Stairs'. Fascinating and amusing book. My house is 100 years old, so I feel your pain dealing with the changes and additions that happened over time.
...See More
PRO
Roger Connolly
4 years ago
I meet lots of clients who have read about SIPS prefabrication and believe that it is a magic formula to build cheaply. It is suitable for larger areas of work but takes no account of foundations which are a major cost, especially in London with access problems to victorian houses. Sometimes the roof can be part of the SIPS system but again is often not relevant to small projects.

My own experience with SIPS is that it would cost the same or usually less to pay a carpenter a daily rate to build the same thing.

The cheapest way is to break the project into very small pieces and manage that yourself if possible. That way you are not paying a builder a third profit on top of each trade. You could find a project manager to oversee some parts of te heavier work and then organise everything beyond the shell,yourself. It is not an easy task.
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
SIPs is an interesting proposal ( for larger scale projects), I was thinking the other day how SIP's systems stand in terms of Part B of the Building regs and fire issues these days?

Bearing in mind that architects are becoming more mindful of the fire related issues generally, even though the revisions to the regulations are related to taller and larger structures.

It's made us look at other alternatives when specifying insulation in systems .

The principle of a composite sandwich panel system formed from materials of low combustibility is still one with merit as you have pointed out. I just think there needs to be another design iteration of the SIPs system.
PRO
Tholos Architects
4 years ago
Hi, I love this thread.

let's look at the options and assume it is permitted development.

Costs lay mostly in:

-workmanship

-rent of equipment

-materials

-design

and pretty much in this order.

Most likely you'll have to knock down a wall and put a steel support. Remove the wastage. These operations must be done by a contractor.

If you have a team of good willing friends, you could dare to go for self-built, fully or partially, or at least let them help out for the internal finishes, as the first option could be quite a responsibility.

Equipment is what it is, if you need to dig you can't use a spoon.

Materials can vary broadly. Terrifically cheap solutions would be walls in adobe, cordwood or strawbale. Or find any depot that has some old stock of stuff to give away.

Or multiple solutions can be worked out to combine different technologies.

Either way, the new "skin" has to be complying with the regulations and pass the building control inspection, some calculations would be useful (read: architect).

And remember that permitted development is "like for like", so the outside walls should match the existing (render or brick).

Good luck and let me know if you need more inspiration or want to share what happened to the project in the end :)

Cheapest way to build a side return

Comments (5)

Studio O+U Architects

Studio O+U Architects

Related Discussions

Roger Connolly

Studio O+U Architects

Tholos Architects

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US