Extension on new estate house at construction stage

[eiregal]

Hi all,

We've just placed a deposit on a house in a new estate. The house hasn't yet been started and is due for completion in the summer. We want to build a small extension to the back before we move in, preferably at construction stage. Do you think the builder would build on an extra room at the back for us? How much would it be expected to cost? Or would we be better off waiting until we have the keys and then getting our own builders in and do it direct labour? We want to get the cost of the extension included in our mortgage. It's just an extra small livingroom we want as there's just 1 reception room in the property. I mentioned it in passing to our foreman who said we'd need planning to build on but I was under the impression we wouldn't need permission once it's under a certain sq. footage. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. We're first time buyers and are pretty clueless.

Thanks in advance

 

[Sue Ellen]

Hi Eiregal,

You should have a read of and they might give you some idea if you need permission or not.

If you decide to go ahead it would probably be best to get a few quotes both from your present builder and 1/2 others.

Best of work with the new house/build.

 

[nai]

Hi,

My opinion is that you would need planning permission (or rather the builder would) as it's his house until it's completed/signed over to you. The planning officers will only pass the house as compliant according to the builders permission as long as that is all he builds (any extra will need extra permission).
So in effect you would have to get the builder's architect to ok any changes you wanted/get drawings/plans of estate changed/get them to submit to council/get them to build it. All of this could delay things on the builders side of things so weigh up the pro's / con's.

I suspect prices for this would be pretty steep if my own experiences with the builders who built our house are anything to go by. The nixers and addon's are where all the tradesmen on site make tons of extra cash - wait until you start speccing extra sockets, lights and so on - spotlights in our downstairs cost us an extra €800 alone !

I am currently building an extension by direct labour (40 m2 - no planning necessary) and my prices are coming in under €15000. My dad's a carpenter/brother an architect student so they're the only trades I don't have to contract in !

What I would suggest you do is talk to the builder and make any structural changes you might need now as opposed to later (eg maybe a steel beam for support if required) but doesn't alter the physical aspects that would cause the house to fail a planning inspection.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Kramer]

I would agree with Nai about getting the bulider to do any structural requirements at the building stage, then as soon as the house is finished you should be able to get some of the builders on site to do the extension for you in their own time for a few quid. They will be on site anyway.

 

[eiregal]

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't thought about the fact that the house would still be in the ownership of the builder and he might have to have permission to change his plans. It might be best to wait then until we have keys before we decide to build on. Someone suggested that we ask the builder to dig out the footing for the extension when he's doing the house so save on this later. Do you think we would have any chance of getting him to do this? I suppose we'll just have to ask him, we'll never know otherwise.