Many people opted to buy a bungalow over the last few years because of the shortage of available properties throughout the UK housing market. Whilst many chose these as short-term solutions, plenty of bungalow owners quickly adapted to living in these nice little houses and decided to stick them out. Bungalow extensions have become a relatively common enquiry with Cheadle Architects, with owners pondering extending the space to suit them moving forward. Bungalows can be very flexible, enabling owners to potentially double the size of their property without shortening their available garden space or disrupting the neighbours.
Options for Extension
Depending on the location of your bungalow, the plot size and the proximity of your neighbours, several extension types are open to you. You could extend upwards into a dormer or add an extra storey to convert the bungalow into a house.
If your plot is large, you may also be able to extend to the back and the side. Bungalows, like houses, have permitted development rights attached to them to encourage development. The usual reasons many want to invest in their bungalow extension development are a desire for more space, an open-plan kitchen diner or accommodation for additional family members.
Permitted Development Rights on Bungalows
In 2020, changes came into effect to Permitted Development Rights, allowing certain homeowners to build upwards without requiring full planning permission.
That means they can get prior approval from their local council to extend their home – provided it fits within certain parameters. Your home has to have been built after July 1st 1948, and before March 5th 2018. The roof must match the existing roof and any upward extensions cannot extend past one storey. These are conditions to build under Permitted Development Rights. Other options are open if you go via the planning permission route.
To ensure you are using your permitted development rights correctly, you submit a prior approval application to ensure that any designs and plans fit within the rules set for the development.
What Would Be the Technical Considerations?
Despite the fabulous potential for spacious family living, bungalow extensions can provide complications. Bungalows were mostly built cheaply without any structural potential for extension work – such as internal load-bearing walls.
If you want to extend outwards, you may need to create an extension abutting the existing with its own foundations before knocking through from the bungalow. The bungalow’s existing foundations may be too shallow and requires testing – especially if you plan to add another storey to the property. That would require building control records or a structural engineer digging trial holes to discover its condition. Bungalows traditionally do not have internal load-bearing walls, so they may need structural steels to support the above weight.
Many extending a bungalow upwards use a timber frame rather than masonry, avoiding the need to alter foundations or underpin the existing structure.
If you are considering extending your bungalow soon, consult with architects in Manchester so that your existing structure is safe and all planning permissions are adhered to. Contact Cheale Architects today for all home extension and house renovation projects in the Greater Manchester area.
