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Need help on extension design

7 years ago

Hello! I am a first time buyer with a 3-bed, 50-year-old bungalow in Essex and want to extend the small lounge/dining area by adding 4mx8m on the back of the house. I have submitted plans for a flat roof but got cold feet about whether it is going to spoil the character of the house.

Also I want to be able to fit out/add dormers to the sizeable loft space in due course, and if I added a pitched roof now, this could be another room plus have a balcony.

Cost is the issue - overall 100k fitout of which 40k is the flat roof extension, and I presume the pitched (esp. big enough for a room) will be more expensive. Although I could leave it empty inside for now. But the existing pitches make for an odd shape!

Any advice would be great! Architect/builder tell me that it will match existing render etc but it's just not going to link with nice 50-year-old tiles......Thanks in advance!

Regards, Simon

Back of house, to fill in with extension:

View from the road - a flat roof would be visible on the left, if done:

Floor plan with old wall dashed, new in white, rest in grey:

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Comments (5)

Steven
7 years ago
I would argue that the view from the road would be improved, but I think I would expand it a bit so it juts out from the house so it actually looks like an addition. So the house doesn't lose its actual character contrast may be better than attempting to match too much and lose the beauty.
PRO
AlenaCDesign
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello Simon, I have a deal with extensions very often and I can say that the size of your extension will give you a massive space improvement. Although, I would never consider flat roof. Flat roof type is the cheapest to install and the easiest at the same time but it's not worthy of investment if you live in area with UK weather cast. Flat roof has extreme difficulty bearing heavy rain and in future will require your time and effort to maintain it in a good condition. Someone may say that any roof will require your attention after some time but flat roof will give you a ring sooner than any pitched roof.

Another your consideration is a look and hipped roof as the one you already have will be a better option. That's my personal opinion.

Good luck with a project!

Alena
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PRO
Bella Lodge Studio
7 years ago
I would change the all windows/doors (into modern picture style metal frames - light grey, charcoal grey, cream: if possible) and tint the brickwork into white-yellowish or to clean them up
(repointing)

Modern look, picture style window frames and exterior rendering:

See the frame colour (extension) - all frames should be the same!!!!:

Just for inspiration - hipped roof:

More:

See the roof style for extension (budget option)

Cladding option:

ideas to steal:

https://www.realhomesmagazine.co.uk/completed-projects/dream-transformations-before-and-afters/
PRO
Rockville Construction Limited
7 years ago
add something quite contemporary with perhaps timber cladding
Jonathan
7 years ago
Since this extension is at the back the only person that you have to please is yourself. A flat roof is the most cost effective route and you can spend more for better quality and extra cost will improve the look: perhaps by hiding behind a parapet wall and adding a roof lantern.

Since you appear to be prepared to wait to get what you want you should consider the layout which in my opinion doesn't yet work and also does not include space for stairs. While you are doing this you should consider if you are ever going to raise the roof height to increase your upstairs space. A roof that spanned the whole footprint would be higher and have more room for bedrooms. To get tiles to match - put old tiles on one side of the house and new on the other.

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