2nd Storey extension over garaged and extended lounge without underpinning.

[Ivor Windybottom]

Eh? There's a massive difference between structural work necessary for new construction and subsidence. You won't pay extra for this.

It depends on what question is asked. I'm pretty sure I've been asked whether our house has ever been underpinned, either by an insurer or a buyer's solicitor. No context, i.e. not specifically in relation to subsidence. Of course you could lie, but it's not the best place to start from.

If you need to squirt concrete under a building then it's clearly deficient in some way. This is why they're asking.

Given that this uninsulated wall is around the living room then I'd suggest that replacing it would kill two birds with one stone - allowing you to build above in a non-botchy way AND also vastly improving the living room's insulation and therefore heating costs. Plus I suspect the costs won't actually be very different, as you'll pay lots of labour, design and special materials including steel joists to prop it up. Plus you'd end up with weird boxed in lumps of the corners of the rooms downstairs.

If you have cooking in the same area as a solid wall then it will probably end up with condensation and black mould, especially behind furniture where there's still air.

 

[pep411]

Thanx Ivor. So knock off side walls of garage and living room or build wall with foundations inside the existing wall to create cavity with adequate foundations.

Then I presume running rsj from this wall to original load bearing wall with existing 2nd storey mighty seem most feasible.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I'd consider it at least, and weigh up the pros and cons. Don't set yourself the rule of not damaging the decor if it's going to cost you lots more and leave you with a less than perfect home.

 

[Diver Fred]

Be wary of open plan. Many followed the trend and regret it, putting back internal walls has become a bit of a thing in recent years.

We're in the process of moving... Put an offer in on one property which we had knocked 25K off the asking price as the cost to re-instate the walls that the existing owners had taken out - we now know only last year removed as a selling plus point. I gather we aren't the only people offering less because of the open plan idea.

I spent much of my childhood in a sort of open plan living area, most of my late teens and early 20's I had to put up with comments regarding cooking odours following me around.

 

[cdbe]

While you're at work, your builders will bring in a digger and a few skips and your inadequate walls will be gone when you get home. You'll have a clean sheet to build your new extension as you want it.