To extend or not to extend…? Advice and inspiration please.
Our architect came up with a plan for an extension we love but absolutely can’t afford and now we don’t know what to do. Our grand design dream has turned into a miserable disappointment, we are frightened of the potential for spiralling costs and we desperately need help.
We (me, hubby, 3 teenagers and 3 border collies) live in a 1970s bungalow at the end of a small estate. We have about 0.5 acre of garden, a gate that leads out to woods and lovely views. The house is not so great, the décor is tired and not much has been done. I have put some photos and existing plan below.
It was built as a 3 bed but we have blocked up an arch in an L shaped living room to make our bedroom (the one without a label on the plan) so the kids can have a room each now they are teenagers. This has left us with a small living room (which actually works much better than we expected) and our dining room is in a sort of flat roof extension that is falling apart, as is the original 1970s kitchen.
We commissioned an architect to come up with an extension and, after a disappointing start, we got a plan we loved – new bedroom for us with an ensuite, a utility/dog room, reclaimed the old lounge and a fabulous open plan living/kitchen/diner. Then the Quantity Surveyor said it would be 3 times the budget we gave the architect! A builder has come back lower but not by much. We have a total budget of £100k.
So what do we do? …
Try to make the best of what we have got – replace the current extension on the existing footprint, replace the kitchen and bathroom/separate loo and redecorate / re-floor everywhere?
Or
have a small extension and try to achieve a bit more of the dream (we desperately need a second loo!)? Is that just a pipe dream given the budget?
What would you lovely Houzzers do?
Comments (14)
Ellie
3 years agokjas11
3 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (13)Definitely art deco. This is a hard one. From houzz pictures, it looks as though you could extend the Juliet floor out and then add a roof but a builder would have to figure that one out. You could have another roof line on the side and have your porch there and access it from inside, which might turn out even better as you would have a great summer entertaining spot. Have you put in Art Deco in exterior photos? Great ideas....See MoreSuggestions please for L shaped room.
Comments (8)Hi there, It's always difficult working out the best place for a fireplace and indeed a tv but what I would ask is why have you opted for an L-Shaped extension? Have you got lots of constraints on the land or the garden? Long and thin extensions can always be a problem as they lack the width to create nice spaces without bottle necks or furniture blocking circulation and people movement. One of the things you will have to think about is the venting or flue / chimney and then there's the regulations about the stove being a minimum distance away from combustible materials. It would be nice to be able to look at the burner while you're facing into the garden so maybe a wall on the patio side to break up the glass doors and then add more light in from above to make it a little cosier. Sometimes too much glass can feel / look cold. The TV is always a problem but I suggest again to possible mount it on a wall but remember if you have the screen facing all that glass you will get reflection problems. Maybe you need to make a feature wall out of slate or stone that would have the wood burning stove against it and the TV offset a little on the same wall. Then have your glass doors either side so when you're sat on your sofa you can see the garden / patio all while sat in front of your stove and viewing the tv. Its a difficult one all in all but if you have the opportunity to alter the L shape and make at least one leg of it slightly wider it may give you a better option for the burner, sofa and the cosiness without the feel of a long thin room with not many passing places. Just a couple of suggestions but as I can see the design brief or land size / constraints etc I might be a little off the mark. Cheers. Simon www.scdc.biz...See MoreWin a design consultation at The permanent tsb Ideal Home Show!
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3 years agoThere are lots of ways you could add on an extra 20 square meters and a Concept planner or designer could help you explore your options. If it were my house I would reinstate the lounge, divide the kitchen to create a utility with a dog area beyond that in the extension. And I would build a new master bedroom on the back too.
If budget allows I might also change the window in the largest kids bedroom so that you can divide the space more equitably.
kjas11 thanked Jonathankjas11
3 years agoUser
3 years agoWe extended 44m2 and put in a new kitchen, 2 new bathrooms and did it for well under 100K.
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