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Home Extension Costs

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Why Do a Basement Conversion?

Space. Even with a loft conversion many bijou Victorian or Edwardian houses become quaintly cramped once you fill them with a few kids and all the paraphernalia that goes with them.

Many families dream of more living space, for a large kitchen/family room, a playroom, or a teenager's den, a utility room, a granny or nanny flat, a home gym, and even, at the top end of the market, an indoor swimming pool.

By digging down under the footprint of the house, and even, sometimes, by going under the garden too, your living space can be increased by as little as one room, or, if the budget allows it, even doubled.

Who is Doing a Basement Conversion?

One of the first famous basement burrowers was Andrew Lloyd Webber who bought the house next door to his Eaton Square mews home, dug down, and connected the two with tunnels.

And, never one to let a trend pass him by, Tory leader David Cameron recently commissioned a basement extension below his North Kensington home to create more space for his disabled son Ivan.

But the swish new basement is no longer solely the domain of the millionaire moles (though, admittedly, having a few bob still helps).

The craze is spreading among pushed-for-space urban families who don't want to move. You don't even have to own a house. if you own a 1 bed ground floor flat and want to make use of the space under your floorboard to create a spacious basement conversion or turn it into a spacious maisonette.

Can I Have a Basement Conversion?

According to the experts most properties can have either an existing cellar converted, or a 'retrofit' basement dug out from the ground, but some are more expensive to achieve than others.

The only properties that you shouldn’t touch are modern town houses (because supporting such tall, narrow structures is so difficult), and modern terraced houses that are built on a raft foundation (so they can't be individually underpinned).

How Much Will My Basement Conversion Cost?

This depends on where you live in the country, what you start with, and what you want to achieve.

A Leicester-based basement conversion company charges between £15,000 and £40,000 for a small terraced house, depending on whether it's an existing cellar or a retrofit basement dug out from scratch.

Whilst a London basement conversion company, charges from £200-£250 per sq ft to transform an existing cellar, or £250-£300sq ft to create a basement space. A typical basement conversion in a London terraced house costs usually works out between £90,000 and £120,000.

The London prices may sound high, but if you bear in mind that housing can cost over £1000 per sq ft in some of the city's more sought after enclaves, it sounds like a steal.

The converse is also true, however. If property prices are comparatively low where you live, make sure you would get your money back if you sold.

How Do You Do a Basement Conversion?

First of all, they dig. This is done by hand partly to avoid vibrating the building too much, but also because getting heavy equipment underground would be tricky.

Depending on whether you have a solid concrete, or a suspended timber floor the builders will go in through your front room, or the lightwell at the front.

As they dig the house is underpinned one square metre at a time and supported on steels and props.

Making Your Basement Conversion  Waterproof

The clever bit about modern basements is the damproofing. A gap is left between the original wall and a waterproof membrane. Water can pass between the two into drainage channels and sumps in the floor of the basement from where it's pumped into the waste water system.

The old systems of covering walls up to keep water out failed. Now with cavity drainage any water that comes in is managed away. It's a really good system.

It does have one drawback, however. The system needs yearly maintenance at a minimum cost of £125, and the pumps need replacing every eight to ten years, costing at least £300.

Even with a pump good ventilation is still needed, using windows, airbricks and often a mechanical extractor that kicks in when the humidity reaches a certain level.

Basement Conversion Planning Permission

Building regulations approval is a must for any type of basement conversion. But, if you have an existing cellar, planning permission is not always required, though it is necessary to put in an application for a new retrofit.

In practice, because everything but a discrete light-well is hidden from sight, there are not to many planning problems.

However, automatic approval could soon be a thing of the past in some areas. The number of basements being converted in prime areas of London has raised concerns over the possible effects of turning the substrata into 'Swiss cheese.

Some local authorities may use changes in planning laws to take a tougher line, so it is worth checking with your council before spending any money on plans.

Lastly, you need the co-operation of your neighbours. You'll have to draw up formal party-wall agreements, a procedure that can be surprisingly protracted and expensive.

How Suitable Is My Home For a Basement Conversion?

A house with an existing cellar or even a coal chute, is the easiest to convert, though after all the damp proofing is installed you will need a head height of 2.4m, so quite a lot of digging down may still be required.

Houses with solid floors cause more work, disruption and expense than those with timber suspended floors. The builders need to go in from the front room (instead of the front lightwell), so most families move out while the works are undertaken.

If you want to add a basement to a leasehold flat try to buy your freehold, or a share in it, first. If you can't, make sure you get written consent to carry out the work from your freeholder before you start.

Lastly, do your research. Talk to the council, and to your neighbours - you might need them to sign a party wall agreement, so invite them round for a few drinks and get them on your side from the start.

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