Anyone extended out from a bedroom over a flat roof garage & porch.
Should it go through, we are buying a house which we’d like to extend: out a bedroom and over the flat roofed porch and part converted garage.
Did you use an architect then instruct a builder or a builder and their architect or perhaps just designed it yourself?
I’m struggling to imagine what it might look like, which doesn’t help.
Thanks
Paul
Architect first - builders won’t quote you or even give you the time of day without plans in my recent experience.
You might well have to knock the garage down depending on how it’s constructed - foundations probably won’t be sufficient / the concrete base won’t be insulated / it’s likely to be single skin walls.
We used iPlans as our architect - they were ok. Did a design session over a live internet link where they drew out ideas as we talked about how it could generally look - based on what we were after. Once agreed on a general concept they went away and drew it properly on a design program. We went backwards and forwards a bit before final plans and planning permission submitted. All went through first time and we’re happy with the final result.
And a structural engineer to assess the existing structure and design the new, plus drainage.
Edit - if you find a good local architect they may be able to point you to a structural engineer.
Oh and heres a tip:
Go on your local planning portal, search your postcode, have a look at plans for similar extensions - they'll have the name of architect/engineer on. Then drive past the addresses and see if you like what they've done.
Perhaps knock on door for reference for the builder they used too.
My house came with an extension over the garage. It’s a slightly weird proportion for a room - long and thin with windows at either end. It’s just wider than a double bed is long. I’d think carefully about what you want to use it for and where you put doors, windows and radiators so that you have the most useable space possible.
Our house had an extension over the garage, we had to pretty much re do it. Removed a dormer with the thermal properties of a static home.. It’s now sloping roofline with velux, but also extended behind. It’s a good space, but make sure you insulate the floor really really well. Ours is still the coldest room in the house
We did this when we bought our current house. Garage was single skin so had to enlist the help of an architect. He suggested adding another layer of bricks to the outer garage wall to take the weight of extension above thereby reducing the internal space of the garage. I didnt want this and suggested steelwork the length of the garage with appropriate reinforcement each end. For some reason he was against this. I insisted and told him I wouldn't accept his drawings and would get someone else. He consulted his mate who did the engineering calculations and said all good. Drawings changed and work done. That was 20 years ago.
Not sure if any of that helps..
Look at other houses in the area that have extended for an idea of what it’ll look?
We built over our garage - fortunately it’s a double and had a pitched roof so the walls were strong enough. We’ve ended up with a good sized master bedroom and en-suite.
Seen some rooms extended over singles and they look odddly proportioned.
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It will almost defiantly be doable if you really like the house. However it may be cheaper to buy a bigger house. That is what we found when investigating an extension over our flat room garage. It would have required complete rebuild (of garage) and joining to the rest of the house would have been easier than yours because we could have used the half landing and no bathroom move.
Edit: sorry, I read bedroom as bathroom in the OP.
I've been looking at it.
Surely the garage under floor insulation only if your converting garage to a room.
More so if attached the garage will be lower than the house level by some way by design so should be able to insulate up to height that way.
Our garage is built twin skin foundations with block on its side dense blocks and it's 3.2/7m. So should get a decent room out of it with a dormer front and back.
How ever like most I'm questioning the cost benifit to us at this stage Vs moving. The cost to do what I want due to the size of the trusses required under modern regs + insulation + fire regulations for the garage below means that per SQM it will cost more ( double) than the ground level dining room we did last year.
Assuming the garage that was put in 20 years ago specifically to be built over passes muster
I didnt want this and suggested steelwork the length of the garage with appropriate reinforcement each end.
So it's still single skin?
That might come back to bite you when it's time to sell 😬
Some good tips here, particularly the portal for local extensions, thanks.
I’m under no illusions that this is likely to be pretty pricey if it has to be a double extension. The key will be if it can be built on top of. I don’t want to lose the garage as there is enough house space - receptions etc.
So it’s still single skin?
That might come back to bite you when it’s time to sell 😬
Why ? It's a free standing structure with steels.
The most inbuild garages are STILL singleskin for the garage portion. (sample size 1 my grandparents new build completed march 2021....
That might come back to bite you when it’s time to sell 😬
Why?
All calculations done by a Structural Engineer working with a qualified architect. Built by an established builder (still see him working locally) and signed off by the Building inspector.
We just did this, our garage was quite wide do proportions worked. Builders said it would be quicker, cheaper and better to rip garage all down and build up again than strengthen things enough for it all to work.
Why ? It’s a free standing structure with steels.
Ahhh, thought the garage had been converted into living accommodation but it hasn't..... As you were!!
I'm doing this at the moment - having a bathroom, bedroom and office built over an existing garage (which is also being extended forward). More than happy to chat and share bits of the drawings if that helps. Similar to a few posters above, its a single skin garage with steels taking the weight of the inner skin for the first floor. Certainly learned a fair bit in the last few months of having this done! Drop me a line if you want to have a chat!
However it may be cheaper to buy a bigger house.
This 👆
Have you tried to get trades recently?
Have you tried to get trades recently?
How ever conversely have you tried to buy a house recently. Some of the offers mates of mine are putting in down the central belt.on anything that isn't a cookie cutter box on a new build estate are getting laughed out the park with offers high 5 figures over asking. So likely moving would lead to compromises in other areas. They are so farked off with getting outbid they now live in a cookie cutter box on a new build estate till market cools having left their country cottage up here.
Plus I kinda like the area I live in/have good school catchments which is also a big factor
It's not always a pure economics calc.
We did exactly that. Got an architect and then had to drill pilot holes to see if footings were adequate OK. Guy from the council came round and gave planning permission.
Well hopefully our purchase goes through and this will be something we need to solve.
If we tried to buy a house with the things we want to do to this house already done, in the current market, we’re looking at another £150k or more in our area. House prices are still rising, slower maybe, but still rising but hopefully material costs will start to come down again soon.
The flat roof goes over the part-converted garage and a part glass porch and If I’d hazard a guess, it’ll all have to come down and rebuilt to what might classed as a two storey extension - so what £90k?
Sounds like a local architect will be a good first step.
