Guide price for cellar window

[MarkSmith]

Hi all,

I'm doing a cellar conversion (very slowly). There is currently no window, and it was originally going to be a cinema so that was fine. (Other arrangements for ventilation.) However before I commit to never having a window, I'd like to know roughly how much a cellar window would cost. Just approximate, so I can decide whether it's worth looking into more.

The sort of thing I have in mind is one of those boxes in front of the house - I think they're essentially light pipes, but which you can climb out of.

Would be up to about 120cm wide, 70cm high. The top of the cellar is just at ground level outside, so would involve digging a hole in front of the house.

Would anyone be able to tell me whether I'm looking at say £500 or £5,000, please?

Thanks!
-Mark

 

[digdilem]

I'm taking a guess that you mean a box cut out of the ground in front of a new window? Like the victorian coal chutes and a pub's cellar entrance for barrels, but clear?

Definitely nearer 5k. Could quickly turn into a lot more.

If there's any kind of public access there (street etc) you're in for a world of paperwork before then too, if you're ever allowed.

If not - depends how you want to do it. Even you can seal at ground level (glass blocks? reinforced glass?) you'll have drainage to do, retaining walls as well as the lintel and finish window. Don't forget to design some kind of accessibility for cleaning as these things tend to get very dirty.

Light pipes probably a lot easier, but even then you'd struggle to do the work yourself for 500 notes and seal it properly.

 

[Karinska]

Hi Mark

I was just wondering ........ if you turn the cellar into a cinema room and don't install a window, what will be your means of escape in the event of fire in the room the cellar door opens into?

 

[MarkSmith]

Thanks digdilem and Karinska for the replies.

Yes that's the sort of thing I meant. It's all within my garden (long way from the road) so no permission problems I think. Sounds like an expensive extra -it's not an especially large job and the rest of it is looking at costing about £5-7k in total. Since I don't want natural light in there for my purpose, I think I'll stay without.

The room will open out into the hallway, and because of the way the house is built on a hill, the cellar floor is only about 70cm below the living room floor. The house is already on 5 levels with 4 little half-flight staircases between. I'm adding (opening up) a 6th with an even shorter staircase to its corresponding "landing".