House extension process

[NortonExile]

I am hoping fellow board members can help give some advice around a house extension process and what it entails as I have no idea of the full process. I have a semi detached with a garage attached at the side so will be looking to convert the garage into a study room, extend above for an extra bedroom / extended bathroom, and finally a full one level extension across the back of the house for an extended kitchen / dining area.

After speaking to a friend working at a builders merchant, they advised to get an architect who will draw up plans, then to return to him who will get a recommended local builder to build to the architects plans. I also know at sone stage planning permission will need to be requested.

Has anyone been through the process, and can advise the steps to take and the expected costs / fees, and timescales this may take as the internet is full of individual advice rather than talk through the process.

 

[Bristolboro]

From my experience and others having this kind of thing done you must get the most professional team to do this work, which will cost. Do your research on who is going to do what. Ask the project manger for a plan of what is going to be done, by whom, and when. Monitor closely what is going on and the quality of the work. I've been advised to have weekly meetings with the project manager to review progress. All this advice is coming form people down my street who have had conversions. Most projects seem to take much longer than anticipated because the companies have more than one job going on. Check this, too.

What I didn't realize is that you can't just let builders get on with it, you have to invest your own time in it.

Good luck!

 

[Craggyjohn]

The foundations for this would need to be done to latest building regs. The existing garage may not have good enough foundations and is probably only a single course of bricks. May need knocking down and digging out