Angela's Terraced Extension Project

Angela wanted a small 3M x 3M conservatory extension at the back of her terraced property in Bolton.

Our Brief:

Angela wanted us to open out the back room which was her main living area and to extend into the garden. Her goal was to create a bright, contemporary open plan living space that was warm and comfortable all year around. Although Angela wanted a solid roof system she still wanted lots of light to bring the garden and the sky into the room.

This project would involve taking out the back wall and installing structural steels to create the large open living space.

Project problems and design parameters:

1) As the projection from the rear of the house was 3M it fell within permitted development and so no planning consent was required.

2) The use of a solid roof system and the removal of the structural wall required full Building Regulations inspection and certification. Allgood Conservatories managed this process seamlessly on behalf of the client.

3) The rear garden had steps to leave the original house so the ground level at the rear was low and the garden had a fall dropping away from the house. This involved much more work than usual in the base to build up to house level and steps to exit through the French Doors into the garden.

4) The neighbours had a large Leylandi cyprus within a metre of the extension and this required extra deep foundations to 2.3 metres which is extraordinarily deep considering the clay ground was otherwise perfect. This is a requirement of building regulations and was essential to prevent subsidence over time. Had there been access to get a mini piling machine at the back of the house then this would have been a job for piling....instead good old-fashioned muscles had to do the graft.

5) The upstairs bedroom window had a very low window cill which meant that the pitch of the roof had to be low and was on the very limit of what is possible. However we found a solution and made it work.

6) Angela opted for a hybrid roof system mixing lightweight tiles and Planitherm 1 double glazed roof glass. The full height glass side flags with the French Door created a really bright room which transformed the previously quite dark terraced back room. Leading straight into the back garden this is an astonishingly large living and dining flexible space for an otherwise quaint terraced home. We are pleased to say the client was delighted with the entire process.

NB. 18 months later in March 2023 Angela has sold her home and contacted us to say that the extension sold her house within weeks. She also was very pleased to say that she saw a profit on her purchase price in November 2020 of £98,000. Fabulous!