Hi All,

Once again, the title says it all really.

I would like some basic information re the following;
1. Which areas to researc - Google is so full of info, it's hard to judge the relevance!
2. How to work out the costs - I can grasp what the price of bricks per square metre etc, but I imagine there are hidden costs...
3. I think I will build within building regs for simplicity, but guidance on this subject is very welcome
4. Best roof to use (or worst roof to avoid etc)
5. Any pitfalls
6. Time frames
7. Any other simple stuff, what windows/doors are best (prob a daft question, but just trying to spotball ideas etc!)

I am happy for answers and advice to be posted below - that would be great, but if someone was willing to spare 10/20 mins of their time, then could you please U2U me your phone number and a time that is conveniant for yourself and I will give you a bell!

If anyone has done a DIY Extension, then I would love to hear about your success/problems encountered and costs etc...
I was initially thinking coservatory, but two of the three walls are likely to be blanked off, so I figured I would explore this possibility too, and hopefully it would be a lot cheaper?

I was thinking something like 4m wide (the width of my house pretty much) 3m away from the house, and a standard height with a simple roof (flat or shallow pitch to comply with regs).
With the two side walls full bricked in and the wall parrallel with the back of the house as open as possible with french patio doors and windows either side. Perhaps even full length, narrow windows either side, which would make that last wall pretty much all glass...

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Steve.

I can't really help 100% as our extension was professionally rather than DIY built. But I would suggest that the best start would be to get an architect in to at least draw the plans up. They're not expensive, and it's the five P's in concept (proper planning prevents poor performance).

They'll be able to go through your ideas, say what is physically and legally possible, and perhaps have suggestions that you'd not considered (underfloor heating rather than radiators, drainage required, electrical requirements?). Once you have the plans you will then find it easier to work out all the costs. Obviously without decent plans you won't get planning permission either so it helps to get this stage right. You can DIY this, but I'd stick with professional at least for this bit.

It's like building a seven from scratch without the Haynes book, you could do it but chances are it won't be quite right!

You need to come up and see my old house matey.
Will take some pictures. But it just a conny with blank sides and a glass end

Get the latest edition of the housebuilders bible, its full of the info you need.

Ring up an architect, get them round for a chat.
We got 3 or 4 round before we started and even though ours was not a BIY build, I learnt a hell of a lot from just talking to them. They are there to give you a quote, don't tell them you are just sounding them out.
Well worth half an hour of your time, and they are professionals in the subject. I am not, hence why I am not going to offer any actual build advice.

Bit difficult to do a complete DIY build these days, not impossible, but you need a few friends......windows and doors need a FENSA certificate, electrics need a NICEIC certificate, plumbing needs a water regs certificate, if any steelwork is involved you need to provide structural calcs, and any gas work needs a gas safe cert.

Building inspector will ask for all these before passing the job off. Iv'e done a couple of extensions, and worked on loads more
doing the heating/gas/plumbing.

It's unusual with a domestic extension to get really detailed plans from an architect, don't expect them to be like a set of engineering drawings that you can follow and build from.

have always found the building inspectors very helpful, they come out at foundation stage to check the hole is right, then again
once the roof timbers are on, and lastly once its finished for final pass off.

Every inspector seems to have a pet obsession, some are super keen on the foundations, some will go on and on about insulation, but at the end of the day they are there to help and advise.

If your'e not in the trade or don't know someone in all the relevant trades it might be worth finding a good builder from recommendation who will run the whole job, just make sure you get a contract, and a firm price before hand.

I did a lot of my own, but got a bricky mate in to put the shell up, a roofer mate to put the tiles on and a sparky mate to pass the electrics off.....as the saying goes "its not what you know"

Al.

To the original poster.

Anything less than a site visit from either an Architect or a Chartered Building Surveyor is of no use to you.

It's essential to look at the site, consider what could be built within the constraints of the site and then to consider that in conjunction with the client's requirements.
Often you can lead the client in a completely different direction to what they had originally envisaged and provide them with a better solution than they had even considered.

It's of no use to you for any of us here to provide any advice 'blind' as we cannot have a true idea of either the site or your requirements.

An hour on site can prove so useful in determining the site and also the client's requirements.

If it's of any use to you, the basic build cost of 1m2 of single storey extension can go from around £1,150/m2 to around £2,500 depending on where in the country you are and what sort of spec. you are looking to achieve.
This is before allowing for any degree of specialist fit out.

Electrics do not need an NICEIC certificate. The NICEIC are just one of the many governing bodies as well as Elecsa, ECA, Napit etc. As long as the electrician is registered under a full scope 'Part P' scheme thats fine.

[Edited on 1/7/12 by davestarck]

Check with the town council regarding permits required for such work BEFORE you dive in.

This is the domain of my other half. My job is to help pay for it when the guy comes in, and paint where necessary.

I admire the ambition, Steve! I've got no patience for it. Surprise, I know.

ps. my car is at a garage to be finished. I couldn't get it running, and the guys apparently love my car, have seen in racing at autocross, inspected it for roadworthiness, and I know will do a good job on it.

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Hignett
3. I think I will build within building regs for simplicity, but guidance on this subject is very welcome

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U2U'd

I just used NICEIC as an example, bottom line is you need a cert from somewhere.

You will need qualifications to lift floorboards before long

Al.







Originally posted by davestarck
Electrics do not need an NICEIC certificate. The NICEIC are just one of the many governing bodies as well as Elecsa, ECA, Napit etc. As long as the electrician is registered under a full scope 'Part P' scheme thats fine.

[Edited on 1/7/12 by davestarck]

Thank you to everyone for constructive advice.

Special thank you for the in-depth answer's and the two U2U's I've received. I will be giving you both a call for a very brief chat to put into words what I've read here.

Just to clear up a couple points;-

LoggyB - It's a simple case of poor wording here - I did not mean that I was going to go against the reg's - what I meant was, if I can build 3m from the house without permission and 4m needs permission, then I will be keeping it at 3m (etc etc)

RodE - Thanks for that, I might pick it up for a good bed time read!

Judging from the fact that nearly everyone has recommended it, I think that getting an artichitect would be a good idea, if at least for a half hour consult.

When it comes to the Certifications, I do know a few people, granted they are not friends, but friends of friends so it might cost me a drink here or there, but it's still better to DIY (if it's in your skillset) stuff like window's doors, electric's etc from purely a cost perspective.

It will be a relatively simple box of a room as it happens.
No plumbing or heating etc.
It will have lighting and power, but I know where both the feeds are for them and they are conveniently placed for an extension anyway.
My house was built mid/late 80's and is one of the pre-fab, throw 'em up quick, type houses with a brick render.

I didn't want a flat roof on the extension and I recalled, from my parents extension years ago, that I could have a shallow sloping roof with special 15 degree (etc) tiles so that's great to have that confirmed etc.

I have to admit though that the prices I've read on here have been a bit of a shock. So I am glad that I put this post up as my naievety would have left me thinking that I could build a 3m x 4m (floor space) extension for a couple grand... £1500 per m2 seems a lot to me so I don't think I'll be able to afford it by next year.
However, I think I'll still look into it and I will let people know my findings re the cost aspect just in case this subject raises it's head on the forum again.

Obviously if I do go ahead and build it then I'll take photos' and a mini write up for you guys so that it's a bit more of a "House Extension Crisis" post and for ongoing advice!!!

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Hignett
LoggyB - It's a simple case of poor wording here - I did not mean that I was going to go against the reg's - what I meant was, if I can build 3m from the house without permission and 4m needs permission, then I will be keeping it at 3m (etc etc)

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Thanks for that...

I've had one builder recommended to me (the builder that my parents used is well retired!), so I think I'll just try and find a couple more and see what they can recommend.

I have a friend who will be able to hire a mini digger, not sure he'll get it much cheaper than me, but he'll be a lot quicker digging the footings with it than I would, and obviously a damn sight quicker than me with a spade!

My mum's a financial advisor, so she often comes into contact with people that have had extensions built, so that would be an easy way in. My uncle was an electrician at a hospital, so he will cast an eye over my shoulder on that part of it, and I think he knows a few sparky's that would sign it off for me.

As I said above, no plumbing/heating present in this room (no heating in the whole house).

It's going to be a simple 4m x 3m box with a large patio french door on the parallel end.

I don't think this will work, but here's a link to Google Earth and my house.
Google Earth, My House!

And here's one from the lowest Zoom point.
Google Earth link No. 2
My hose is (should be) in the middle of the screen and is the house with the darkened passageway to it's left...

No, links dont work for me.

Google Map search CW10 0dx, when zoomed right in the metric distance indicator on the bottom left of the screen is Per 20m (about an inch on my work's monitor. Anyway, the Marker with the letter A on the map is approximately 40m north of my house.

Try the link below - I will try again though...
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=cw10+0dx&hl=en&ll=53.179305,-2.44331&spn=0.001419,0.004128&hnear=CW10+0DX,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&a mp;t=h&z=19

I think it's worked this time!

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=cw10+0dx&hl=en&ll=53.178992,-2.443527&spn=0.002839,0.008256&hnear=CW10+0DX,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk& amp;t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=53.178992,-2.443527&panoid=aZ2eu_dEYabq3Xozu2e7hA&cbp=12,90.32,,0,6.55


OK - Click on either of those, zoom right in until you are using the "Van's view" and the red(y) colourde buch in the bottom right pic is in front of my house...

[Edited on 2/7/12 by Steve Hignett]