Hello dear forum community,
I’ve had a somewhat crazy idea running through my mind for the past few days.
We built our house in 2015 and everything is basically perfect for us. However, in 2017 we had another child and are now five in total. Unfortunately, our house does not include three children’s bedrooms, so our two daughters share a room. That might work for now, while they are still toddlers, but I fear that this will not always be a good solution...
Since my dad and I have done a lot of the work on our house ourselves, we have been trying to come up with some ideas. Unfortunately, the floor plan does not offer many options, and realistically, only an extension is possible.
However, the building plan assigns a specific building plot. This plot is already fully utilized in all directions. Except to the north, where we still have about 8 meters (26 feet) of space... Currently, this area is occupied by our garage plus carport.
I could imagine an extension above the carport/garage here.
For that, the existing ceiling made of rafters and battens would need to be replaced with a concrete ceiling (a precast concrete slab?). I would like to keep the carport and garage as they are, and just build on top of them. The garage stands 1 meter (3 feet) outside the building plot, so I wouldn’t be able to build over the entire area. Still, this would create a floor space of about 8 x 6 meters (26 x 20 feet). Then everyone would have their space in the house...
My questions on this are:
1. Would something like this be possible, or would such a construction project be prohibited due to building regulations / planning permission?
2. Could the garage/carport be retained, or would this also be impossible due to structural engineering reasons? The concrete ceiling would need to be supported on the existing brick garage.
3. The bathroom and a new room would only have lighting through (large) roof windows—is this allowed?
4. What would be sensible or feasible regarding heating? The utility room is located right next to the carport... we have a gas boiler installed.
5. The current “parents’” bedroom would then become a large hallway—what could be done with that space?
I know there are no 100% certain answers here... I’m mostly interested in the key issues I might have missed that could turn this into a bad idea...
I’ve had a somewhat crazy idea running through my mind for the past few days.
We built our house in 2015 and everything is basically perfect for us. However, in 2017 we had another child and are now five in total. Unfortunately, our house does not include three children’s bedrooms, so our two daughters share a room. That might work for now, while they are still toddlers, but I fear that this will not always be a good solution...
Since my dad and I have done a lot of the work on our house ourselves, we have been trying to come up with some ideas. Unfortunately, the floor plan does not offer many options, and realistically, only an extension is possible.
However, the building plan assigns a specific building plot. This plot is already fully utilized in all directions. Except to the north, where we still have about 8 meters (26 feet) of space... Currently, this area is occupied by our garage plus carport.
I could imagine an extension above the carport/garage here.
For that, the existing ceiling made of rafters and battens would need to be replaced with a concrete ceiling (a precast concrete slab?). I would like to keep the carport and garage as they are, and just build on top of them. The garage stands 1 meter (3 feet) outside the building plot, so I wouldn’t be able to build over the entire area. Still, this would create a floor space of about 8 x 6 meters (26 x 20 feet). Then everyone would have their space in the house...
My questions on this are:
1. Would something like this be possible, or would such a construction project be prohibited due to building regulations / planning permission?
2. Could the garage/carport be retained, or would this also be impossible due to structural engineering reasons? The concrete ceiling would need to be supported on the existing brick garage.
3. The bathroom and a new room would only have lighting through (large) roof windows—is this allowed?
4. What would be sensible or feasible regarding heating? The utility room is located right next to the carport... we have a gas boiler installed.
5. The current “parents’” bedroom would then become a large hallway—what could be done with that space?
I know there are no 100% certain answers here... I’m mostly interested in the key issues I might have missed that could turn this into a bad idea...
Until I was 10 years old, I shared a room with my brother. This was never a problem; on the contrary, we played together a lot (there was a 2-year age difference). Therefore, I think the suggestion to simply wait until the older child moves out is a good one. Of course, it needs to be handled carefully so that the child doesn’t feel pushed out just because the siblings need separate rooms.
What budget would you have?
With a sufficient budget, I would relocate the bathroom: place the master bedroom above the garage/carport with an ensuite bathroom, and possibly add a walk-in closet if desired.
The plumbing connections should work since there is a utility room and a toilet on the ground floor.
The current bathroom could become a passageway, where a utility room can be created since the connections are already there. This could be a "hallway utility room," meaning the washer and dryer don’t necessarily have to be hidden behind a wall. Then, the current bedroom could become the third child’s room. Possibly, the small storage room could be converted into a children’s bathroom (although I’m not sure how the drainage would work there).
But as mentioned: the existing bathroom would need to be completely removed — the question is whether the budget allows for that.
If so, it would be a practical solution. (Dashed lines in the utility room show where I wouldn’t add a wall.)
Oops, I forgot the sloping roof, so the door from the master bathroom to the new bedroom would have to be centered (but then the hallway to the front wouldn’t have worked either, right?).
With a sufficient budget, I would relocate the bathroom: place the master bedroom above the garage/carport with an ensuite bathroom, and possibly add a walk-in closet if desired.
The plumbing connections should work since there is a utility room and a toilet on the ground floor.
The current bathroom could become a passageway, where a utility room can be created since the connections are already there. This could be a "hallway utility room," meaning the washer and dryer don’t necessarily have to be hidden behind a wall. Then, the current bedroom could become the third child’s room. Possibly, the small storage room could be converted into a children’s bathroom (although I’m not sure how the drainage would work there).
But as mentioned: the existing bathroom would need to be completely removed — the question is whether the budget allows for that.
If so, it would be a practical solution. (Dashed lines in the utility room show where I wouldn’t add a wall.)
Oops, I forgot the sloping roof, so the door from the master bathroom to the new bedroom would have to be centered (but then the hallway to the front wouldn’t have worked either, right?).
When the oldest, who’s 19–20 years old, moves out, that would be a solution... but I don’t really want to rely on or just “hope” for that. I moved out at 22 and was one of the early ones to do so. But this is probably different in a rural area compared to a big city.
The budget is already "sufficient." My question is more about how much I am willing to spend... I actually don’t want to spend more than 50,000 to 60,000 euros (about 54,000 to 64,000 USD). Although that might not sound like much, prices are not very high here.
There won’t be many windows included... I probably won’t need any plumbing either... I plan to do the roofing myself again.
Basically, only an electrician, a structural engineer, a designer/planner, and a construction company for the concrete ceiling and walls will be needed.
The budget is already "sufficient." My question is more about how much I am willing to spend... I actually don’t want to spend more than 50,000 to 60,000 euros (about 54,000 to 64,000 USD). Although that might not sound like much, prices are not very high here.
There won’t be many windows included... I probably won’t need any plumbing either... I plan to do the roofing myself again.
Basically, only an electrician, a structural engineer, a designer/planner, and a construction company for the concrete ceiling and walls will be needed.
C
chand19869 Jan 2019 16:01I wouldn’t do anything because of the age differences. Considering what an extension/addition costs, you could pay for your oldest child’s own student apartment for three years starting at age 20, if they don’t move out voluntarily… 😉
About half a year ago, someone here had the same plan. A gable roof house, with the only option to extend towards the back, basically like in your case, but also with an extension on the ground floor.
They used the bedroom as a walk-through dressing room. Nice built-in wardrobes under the sloping roof, creating a corridor to the two additional rooms. Downstairs, they wanted to have their bedroom with a bathroom.
But before presenting the idea here, he informed himself about the floor space ratio and other regulations.
And now I’m at the point where I’m wondering: if you built yourself in 2015, you should know that you can’t just do anything you want. On one hand, the development plan/planning permission sets limits on how large you are allowed to build, and on the other hand, there are structural engineering requirements.
A carport would have a roof load of about 150 kg (330 lbs)? That is not enough to cover a foundation slab, masonry, and roof. The same goes for a garage.
I would guess it is very likely that you are only allowed to build a single-story building, but you want to turn the house into a two-story structure.
What does the development plan/planning permission say?
How much of the plot is already built on, and how much is still allowed?
Is it still permitted to build where you plan to? (There seems to be no boundary wall construction allowed.)
If the building authority or development plan does not oppose, a drawing must be submitted with the building application, prepared by an architect including structural engineering and all other requirements.
They used the bedroom as a walk-through dressing room. Nice built-in wardrobes under the sloping roof, creating a corridor to the two additional rooms. Downstairs, they wanted to have their bedroom with a bathroom.
But before presenting the idea here, he informed himself about the floor space ratio and other regulations.
And now I’m at the point where I’m wondering: if you built yourself in 2015, you should know that you can’t just do anything you want. On one hand, the development plan/planning permission sets limits on how large you are allowed to build, and on the other hand, there are structural engineering requirements.
A carport would have a roof load of about 150 kg (330 lbs)? That is not enough to cover a foundation slab, masonry, and roof. The same goes for a garage.
I would guess it is very likely that you are only allowed to build a single-story building, but you want to turn the house into a two-story structure.
What does the development plan/planning permission say?
How much of the plot is already built on, and how much is still allowed?
Is it still permitted to build where you plan to? (There seems to be no boundary wall construction allowed.)
If the building authority or development plan does not oppose, a drawing must be submitted with the building application, prepared by an architect including structural engineering and all other requirements.
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