Above garage extension

[harvey02]

I live in a link detached 3 bed house, my garage is attached to the next door neighbour. I would really like to put a bedroom above my garage but not sure if i can as the garage is attached to next door. If it is possible, do you have to actually build to their wall or are you able to leave a slight gap between the houses?

Untitled

• harvey02
• 15 Jun 2010
• 1

Untitled

• harvey02
• 15 Jun 2010
• 1

 

[ColJack]

pictures??

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

As they will own any external wall in its entirety above the existing garage it is not a party wall. Therefore lawfully you may not touch their it. However if you approach them then they may allow it (maybe at a cost in £££s to you) but you would need to have appropriate paperwork dawn up ie Party Wall Agreement and amendments to the deeds (you would definitely be expected to pay for all of this lot) to ensure it is done legitimately and major problems do not arise when one of you comes to sell. This will make yours and your neighbours houses semis rather than link detached though so that's likely to have a bearing on things too!

 

[harvey02]

As they will own any external wall in its entirety above the existing garage it is not a party wall. Therefore lawfully you may not touch their it. However if you approach them then they may allow it (maybe at a cost in £££s to you) but you would need to have appropriate paperwork dawn up ie Party Wall Agreement and amendments to the deeds (you would definitely be expected to pay for all of this lot) to ensure it is done legitimately and major problems do not arise when one of you comes to sell. This will make yours and your neighbours houses semis rather than link detached though so that's likely to have a bearing on things too!

I'd rather not build right up to their wall and was hoping we would be able to leave small gap betwwen, therefore meaning that we would stay detached...however i'm unsure if this is possible?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes its possible, you just need some thoughtful design when it comes to supporting the wall, You'll likely need a beam and/or column arrangement to support the wall above. Hard to be more helpful without more info tbh but its certainly not insurmountable though. Even if you're not getting Building Regs drawings drawn up you'll likely need an engineer to provide some calcs/details of the required beam/column design. This also all assumes that you're existing walls/foundations will be man enough and the whole lot won't need demolishing and starting again which is quite possible!

 

[harvey02]

pictures??

Photos now attached above

 

[Static]

You would be better off ripping down the garage and extending to about 1m before the boundary and put an access way to the garden down there.. you will lose the garage but gain more living space..
Chances are the existing garage footings couldnt take a second storey..

 

[steveb1964]

You would be better off ripping down the garage and extending to about 1m before the boundary and put an access way to the garden down there.. you will lose the garage but gain more living space..

Looking at the pic would you not end up with very narrow rooms leaving a 1m gap?

To maximise space i'd build right up to the boundary but then like people have said you run into issues such as having to have a party wall agreement, the neighbours house is no longer link detached it's a semi so will that reduce value?

 

[Static]

The potential for major problems when connecting two houses together is pretty big.. can basically assume you will need to underpin your neighbours foundations and will probably need new footings for the new side walls.. roof tie ins may be interesting as well..

As well as the issues with devaluing your neighbours property / party wall and compensation ..

Maybe you can extend at the rear

 

[JoeMar]

deleted.

 

[Deluks]

You would be better off ripping down the garage and extending to about 1m before the boundary and put an access way to the garden down there.

Best suggestion yet, especially if there is no other access into the garden. Otherwise any future building work, window replacement, landscaping etc will mean tradesmen bringing everything through the house, materials going in, waste coming out. 1m is just about right for a fella with a wheelbarrow.

 

[SteNova]

do you ever keep a car in the garage?

 

[harvey02]

do you ever keep a car in the garage?

Keeping the garage is a must, only option open to us is to go above....if possible!

 

[SteNova]

it's going to be easier to move house