Residential Project
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ABOUT THIS PROJECT
The homeowner wanted to extend their property for a growing family with an additional master bedroom with ensuite, new kitchen and utility room in the existing garage bringing the building line forward together with more welcoming and spacious entrance hallway.
SERVICES - AT A GLANCE
- Visited the client’s home
- Undertook a full measured survey of the building and grounds
- Converted our work into CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) software
- Submitted completed plans to Local Planning and Building Control Authority
- Engaged with Contractors
- Monitored the construction process
If you want to learn more please read below
LBC Ltd continues to work with many domestic clients whereby moving homes not only becomes a potential physical and demanding burden, but moreover, people like it where they live and have settled, together with the potential financial implications with moving home. We are best-placed to improve your home to maximise the buildings potential.
The property is a typical 3-bedroom 1980’s semi-detached traditional built house with attached side garage. The property comprises from a tiled pitched roof, PVCu soffits and fascia, PVCu rainwater goods, PVCu windows set to front and rear lawn, front drive way and side passage.
The most important part of this project was at the beginning; to listen to the clients aims and objective, defining their brief which would become a reality. Our Clients vision was very clear they wanted to create something with a farm house feel, that would give them not only the space they needed for their growing family, but a home that would stand out from the rest.
Project Services:
We engage early with clients in the project’s infancy, teasing out their aspirations and goals to ensure the brief is successfully achieved. As building surveyors, not only do we understand how building elements and components ‘fit’ together and therefore come apart, we can also make any change to a building look aesthetically pleasing but also carry out change within your budget.
On this project, party wall matters did not affect the design since the extension was on an ‘open’ side of the site / building.
On behalf of the client, we:
- Undertook a full measured survey of the building and grounds
- Converted our work into CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) software
CAD provides us with the tools to adjust and adapt the floor plans and elevations and hone in on any changes and amendments to the design keeping the client informed at every stage
The above design can take several days as we initially review the existing plans and then use our experience with spatial internal remodelling to transform the ‘space’ into new areas within the constraints of the physical building. All the ‘space’ is fully dimensioned so the client can ‘see’ how much room they will have in their extension and alterations to the internal rooms. The elevations are then drawn to align with plans.
On this project we allowed to maintain the side access passage. In doing so we designed the first floor to cantilever over the side passage with the first floor building line.
Before issuing plans to the Local Authority planning department it is sometimes beneficial to liaise with them early before an application is submitted. Due to the enlargement of home and the fact the front building line was bought forward from the existing elevation (a big turn-off for planners), we advised the client to look at a pre-planning application. This enable us to seek the views and opinions from the planners and gauge the success of the application, understand any constraints and adapt the design to allay any of those concerns before the full planning application was submitted.
In time we agreed to a ‘design-freeze’. This is when no further amendments are required to the design, an approximate indication of cost is understood, and is a point when we can submit the design (plans and elevations) into full planning application.
Following our advice and approach to the planning process, the client agreed to the next stage of the process for building control information. As the building control stage(s) ran concurrent with the planning process, this saved time with the client’s timeframe as the building control stage could have been commenced upon any decision from the planning authority (minimum wait of 8 weeks!).
As we have an all-round knowledge of the building regulations we were able to provide drawings and information to the Local Authority building control department. At this stage we liaised and co-ordinated our design with structural engineers for them to deliver the design and calculations for beams, columns and vaulted for design for example.
We also carried out and provided the authority with heat loss calculations (U Values) which they require as part of their assessment.
At this point, LBC Ltd engaged with contractors who express an interest in building the extension and undertaking.
We reviewed marketplace costs, appointed a contractor, provided site monitoring services to ensure the build was in line with the design, and controlled the client’s purse with assessing work completed against contractor’s draw down. This ensured that the client was not overpaying for work completed.
Enough from us!
The before and after photographs speak for themselves.
Considerations for this project and our approach when consulting clients wishing to extend or alter
What is somewhat unique with LBC Ltd is that when we design extensions and internal alterations we have the mindset and understanding to consider other influencing factors at the design stage that can conflict with the building stage, such as: -
o building control matters affecting thickness of walls and loadbearing supports
o planning matters; length, width and height of buildings
o furniture space, manoeuvrability zones, passing areas, kitchen and bathroom layouts
o mechanical and electrical positions
o proximity to existing services like drainage and gas supplies
We sometimes come across approved planning drawings that in reality is difficult to build, costly to achieve and limit / restrict position of new fixtures and fittings.
Registered Office
22 Katana House
Fort Fareham Industrial Estate
New Gate Lane
Fareham
Hampshire
PO14 1AH