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Turning 2 houses into 1?

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  • 27-07-2016 12:15pm
    #1
    dulpit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,006 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey,

    This is a bit of a hypothetical, and I'm not sure if it belongs here or in the legal forum, but anyway, here goes.

    My in-laws live in a terraced house, which used to be the corner house. They built a second house onto the original, where my sister-in-law lives. Completely separate house. If at some point in the future you wanted to turn the 2 houses into 1 big one, can you legally do this? Similarly, if you had 2 houses in the middle of a terrace, could you knock through from 1 into the other to make a bigger house? Is it just a question of planning, or are there legal restrictions that prevents this from happening?


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    #2
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,406 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Once planning permission is obtained, it should be legally possible.


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    #3
    dulpit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,006 ✭✭✭✭dulpit


    kceire wrote: »
    Once planning permission is obtained, it should be legally possible.

    Would planning permission be an issue only based on the local's opinions, or would there be other reasons that might prevent this? (e.g. local authority rules/laws/etc)?


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    #4
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,406 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    dulpit wrote: »
    Would planning permission be an issue only based on the local's opinions, or would there be other reasons that might prevent this? (e.g. local authority rules/laws/etc)?

    Depends on the context tbh.
    I cant see it been an issues, but as above, really depends on the site in question.

    We've done a few splitting one into 2 and adding extensions and they went through ok.


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    #5
    Rew
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    There is is a house for sale in Sandycove that was two turned into one so its possible but I would suspect planning is required

    http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/88-89-lower-albert-road-sandycove-co-dublin/3663050


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    #6
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,406 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Rew wrote: »
    There is is a house for sale in Sandycove that was two turned into one so its possible but I would suspect planning is required

    http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/88-89-lower-albert-road-sandycove-co-dublin/3663050

    No suspect about it. Planning is 100% required ;)


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    #7
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,285 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    There may also be folio and property tax issues- e.g. you don't want to end up having two separate property tax demands on the dwelling...........


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    #8
    Johngoose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭Johngoose


    Sounds like you would have to "bump off" the sister-in-law for this fiendish plan to be carried out!;-)


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    #9
    gumbo1
    Registered Users Posts: 683 ✭✭✭gumbo1


    I live in an end of terrace house. The house we're attached to hasn't had anyone living in it for years, I'd be interested to know too if it's possible to convert 2 into 1.


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    #10
    Bored_lad
    Registered Users Posts: 920 ✭✭✭Bored_lad


    It is possible if you get proper planning permission, however, if you have a mortgage or are looking to get one for it as far as I know the banks don't look too favourably on it.


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    #11
    dulpit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,006 ✭✭✭✭dulpit


    Johngoose wrote: »
    Sounds like you would have to "bump off" the sister-in-law for this fiendish plan to be carried out!;-)

    :pac:


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    #12
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,406 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    gumbo1 wrote: »
    I live in an end of terrace house. The house we're attached to hasn't had anyone living in it for years, I'd be interested to know too if it's possible to convert 2 into 1.

    Yes. Apply for planning.


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    #13
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,285 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    kceire wrote: »
    Yes. Apply for planning.

    And buy it, of course.........
    If its been vacant for years- you could try for adverse possession- doubt you'd get anywhere with it though.


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    #14
    Lantus
    Registered Users Posts: 3,027 ✭✭✭Lantus


    Planning is just one aspect. These houses have separate heating, electrical, gas and fire safety requirements.

    Combining them is not just a matter of knocking a new door in once you get planning.

    Get an engineer to assess this.


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    #15
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 39,406 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Lantus wrote: »
    Planning is just one aspect. These houses have separate heating, electrical, gas and fire safety requirements.

    Combining them is not just a matter of knocking a new door in once you get planning.

    Get an engineer to assess this.

    Not so much fire safety concerns as its still a single family dwelling after the conversion. Normal procedures apply. Electrical and gas will obviously have to be combined or at least one of the extended to facilitate a future split back into 2.


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