Guestimation...2 options

goz83

Semi-D, North Dublin. House is about 5.3m wide, 2 storey with a driveway long enough to squeeze in 2 cars. There is a big step up to my front door, which is is almost 2 feet above ground level. The image is not my house.

Looking for cost guess and advice on small front of house extension on a couple of ideas I have.

Option 1
A small porch extension. 2.4m wide x 2m long. (green box area of image)
This would give some extra space needed in the hallway for coats/umbrellas/strollers and whatever else in a busy house.

Option 2
small porch, plus 1st floor extension. 2.4m wide x 2m long. green and red box areas.
This would give the space from option 1, but would also make the box-room above it a much better size.

Option 3
Full width ground floor extension. 5.3m wide x 2m long.
Pretty much exactly like the picture.
This would give that porch/hall area, plus make the living room larger, which would be nice, but isn't a big deal for me.

Option 4
Full ground floor extension with 1st floor 2.4m wide x 2m long. extension for boxroom.


I know options 2,3,4 would need planning permission. I'm just scratching my brain here.

Gumbo

Option 1 may require planning too.

Based on the external dimensions that you give 2.4x2 (approx internal dimension of 1.8x1.7) the area would be over 3 Sq. M so not exempt.

The first floor extension may be hard to get as you will be creating a bay as such and will have to tie the roof back to the front roof and depending on the surrounding houses and previous precedent it may be hard to get it by the planner.

Either way, assumed 2k per square meter for a beer mat guess and that should included all works , finishes and possibly professional fees depending on exact areas as scale of economies would apply.

Porch - 5k
Porch plus 1st floor - 15k
Full width ground floor 15-20k
Full width plus 1st floor 25k

All ballpark figures without too much study work as work not fully commenced until Tuesday

goz83

You're right about option 1 needing planning. The wife was distracting me and I realised the boxroom was a bit wider than I thought.

Hopefully I would get a discount if going ahead, because there will be a rear extension getting done at the same time.

I wouldn't have even considered the 1st floor extension, but a property on my road has already got option 4 done. The extension actually comes right across where the side entrance access was.

I am thinking option 2 is best, as it gives me what I am looking for. However, I am a bit worried that it would darken the living room and make it feel smaller.

mike_2009

Hi,
Might be worth getting an hour with an architect for ideas? Increasing the depth of the front of the house will darken the living room a bit. I'd suggest adding velux style windows into the existing roof over the living room window to get extra light in if you are doing work at the front anyway. That would counter the darkening problem?

goz83

mike_2009 wrote: »

Hi,
Might be worth getting an hour with an architect for ideas? Increasing the depth of the front of the house will darken the living room a bit. I'd suggest adding velux style windows into the existing roof over the living room window to get extra light in if you are doing work at the front anyway. That would counter the darkening problem?

I would only be concerned about darkness if I didn't extend the living room with the the porch, but velux style windows are admittedly something I hadn't yet considered on the front extension and this worth be well worth considering.

I wonder what the chances would be of having the first floor extended the full width of the house. Probably very unlikely

The rooms are a bit on the small side. In my bedroom, there is just enough room to have a double bed and a bedside locker on each side. There is 1 meter from the end of the bed to the wardrobe. Sounds OK until I say that the bed side touches the chimney breast and so creates an issue/headache. The bed can't be turned the other way, because the lockers then would not fit. Adding 2 meters (or even 1 meter) to the length of the rooms would make a massive difference.

mike_2009

That side passage would be worth looking at. I think I remember someone saying that building out, then up then down is the most cost effective...in that order. If a neighbour has already gone into the side passage that would offer more space and allow you to open up the smaller bedrooms? That might get your 1 meter but you're looking at a roof extension then....although a flat roof these days isn't a problem, they've come on a long way.....

goz83

I don't think it's feasible to extend to the side. It would also only add a small bit of space to the box-room. The other room on that side of the house is the bathroom. I definitely want to keep the side entrance, as there would be no benefit extending into that area on ground level. The stairs are on that wall.

Gumbo

Would need to see the actual house obviously.
Velux in front extension will look daft imo

goz83

kceire wrote: »

Would need to see the actual house obviously.
Velux in front extension will look daft imo

The image above is of a house in my estate. The unextended one on the left would be pretty identical to my own house. The only difference is that my house has no porch at all. The houses were oringinally built with the front door recessed a couple of feet into the house. The electric meter is located there. Some people put a porch door in place, while others (like my house) moved the front door forward, making a larger hallway.

The side entrance is not in view in the image, but you get the idea from the house on the right.