I didn’t think I would ever get to write this title!
When we moved into our home in November 2012 the plan was always to build a side extension on our semi-detached house. We moved from a slightly bigger house to this one as we loved the location, garden space and potential to have a lovely space with the extension added on. However life never quite goes to plan does it, and it looked like we were not going to be able to do it. However, we can now and we are so excited. So I am planning on bringing you along for the journey and see how well we pull this off!
What Is Wrong With Our Current House?
I want to start off with saying I love my house, we’ve worked so hard over the past six years to renovate it from a 1960’s time warp to our modern family home. We have done pretty much everything ourselves (unless needed for safety like electricians) We’ve made use of all the space we can, love the location for the children and the garden is a very special space now.
Now it’s time for improvement! Pretty much every room in this house is too small for 5 people and a big dog, so we need to add to our living space and bedrooms.
Current Layout
Kitchen
We renovated our kitchen a couple of years ago by blocking up a doorway that was leading through to the dining room. This then gave us a full wall to fill with worktops and cupboards top to bottom. However, we still don’t have much worktop space and never enough storage.
Dining Room
By blocking up the doorway it has also meant we can use the full wall on the other side. I have used this wall for my desk space and filled with shelving for storage. I need a really comfortable desk chair because of my back issues, but it’s huge. It gets right in the way of the dining room table, which of course has to be big to fit 5 people around it. I have to drag it in and out each time we want to sit around it. Even when it’s pushed up against the wall I have to move the chairs all around just to get around it to open the curtains in the morning.
This room is also my laundry room, reptile space and shares this with the lounge. So everything goes on in these spaces! This is our only downstairs space and it’s so just cramped. It has never been as tidy as this picture below since!
No Second Toilet!
When there is five of you in the house there is always going to be a queue for the toilet!
Small Hallway
It’s a bit of a squeeze in our hallway when we all come home or getting ready to go out, plus there is nowhere else to put the coats and shoes so all of these are stored in this space too.
Sharing Rooms
The twins share a room which I don’t have a problem with, but if I could give them a room of their own I would love that. Bedtime is harder now than when they were babies!
So What Are The Plans For Our Semi-detached House Extension
As we live in a semi-detached house with a side garage, we only have one option of building out sideward. We could go completely wrapped around but we really don’t want to lose the patio space we now have. It’s pretty private and not overlooked. We can’t go double storey due to the neighbour’s position of her house, but we should be able to do a single storey (fingers crossed for planning!) We are hoping to push out the front more, along the side and out the back by 3 metres, but only on one side.
So this is the current plan, of course as we go through the process this could change but the basic layout will be as below.
Kitchen
The kitchen wall on the left-hand side with the window will be taken out, which then will lead into the new extension and have a big open plan kitchen, which will be open, light with Velux windows and a vaulted ceiling.
Dining Room
We will be filling this side area with the new extension, coming out to where the flowers currently are and across to where the pipes are on the house. 
We are adding the small extension pushed out backwards and this will be our dining room. Open plan to the kitchen, with large patio doors leading out into the garden. With a large picture window so you can see straight out into the garden when looking from the kitchen. I love this idea as we can sit at the dining room table surrounded by windows looking out into the garden.
Utility Room
As we need another toilet, and we could do with another shower too. This would be great for washing the dog off after walks, and us when we all need a shower! We also want to move the boiler into this room as it’s currently in the old kitchen and takes up a lot of room. I want to put a washing machine in this room and would love a space for tumble dryer! As you can see I want to fit a lot of things in this room, so it’s going to be the hardest to work out.
Extra Bedroom
We are adding an extra bedroom, the plan is for Tyler to have this bedroom. He is currently in the small bedroom and has always had the smallest room as the girls always have shared.
It will be lovely for him to have a larger room. Also positioned at the front of the house, if he decides to go to Uni he will be able to come and go easily.
This means the girls can be split between Tyler’s old room and their current room. Sharing storage space but having separate sleeping spaces and a space to escape from each other!
Extended Hallway
The hallway won’t be that much bigger but pushing it out front a little more means we can get a little bit of space when we come in the house, and for storing outdoor items. We also going to be putting a window in the hallway to get more light into a small space, it makes it feel instantly bigger, we will be considering our options on where we get our windows from as there are so many different companies to choose from like Three Counties Windows I always look at past reviews and ask around for recommendations for tradesmen.
Home Office
I will have my office and desk space in the old dining room, we are planning on blocking off this room from the current lounge. So this will be a lovely light room with the patio doors and space for storage. I might put a small sofa in here as it will be lovely to look out over the garden in a comfy chair.
So anything that I should include or that you love the idea of?
We have the architect coming on Friday so anything I want in the drawings I need to tell him then and then he can work his magic on fitting everything in the utility room!!
I will keep you updated on the progress and any tips I learn along the way. I hope to share with you many ways on how you can achieve a beautiful space, create a DIY budget and still make it work for all the family. Our semi-detached house extension isn’t going to be huge, but I will make it work in the best possible way.
48 Comments
It really IS the year for people extending rather than moving, isn’t it?! I’m so excited to see your plans come to life Steph. And I totally and utterly get the twins sharing a room nightmare!! My boys went to bed like angels when they were babies!!! They’re a nightmare now!!! #HomeEtc
Yeah, I think talking to builders I am figuring out that it’s the year for extensions! I’m glad it’s not just my twins then how are worse now their older!
Steph this is so exciting I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to follow progress as we’d love to build our own ground floor extension one day X
Thank you, I am super excited and hopefully, it will go all smoothly. I hope it gives you an idea of how the full process works
Wowsers Steph – that’s a huge extension and once it’s done it will be lovely. I bet you can’t wait. I know the upheaval will be big and will seem to drag on (as these things do), but once it’s done it will be worthwhile!
It looks so different doesn’t it and so much more space for us. Only really realised how much we really do gain once it was down on paper!
Oh my gosh this is so exciting! I’m excited for you!! One bathroom must be tough with 5 people, so an extra toilet will be a great idea. And I’m glad you’re not extending too much into your garden as you’ve done a fab job on that and it would be a shame to lose the space.
Thank you very much, yes the garden is just a perfect size for us and we love having those spaces
What an exciting project for you. We are having a loft conversion and kitchen renovation this year. Like you, we need the space. We are adding a downstairs toilet too and would love a shower to wash off the dog like you plan, but don’t think we have the space. Your plans look great and make a great use of your space without compromising your beautiful garden #homeetc
Ah thank you very much, fingers crossed all goes well with approval. Oh we did consider a loft conversion too, I bet that will be amazing and so much space mad too
Lovely to read about all your plans, what an exciting time! I hope it all works out for you and the plans get accepted…fingers crossed!
Thank you, fingers tightly crossed!
How exciting, Steph!! I love all your plans. We’ve been doodling ideas for a kitchen extension/renovation, too. Time for us to make an appointment with an architect, as well.
Oh exciting, looking forward to seeing your plans too
So exciting! I love the sound of your plans and look forward to following the progress 🙂
Antonia xxx
Thank you, I am SO excited!
Your plans for the extension sound wonderful! I love how you’ve renovated your home so far andvso can’t wait to see what the extension looks like when fully finished.
I can’t wait to start designing all the interiors, going to be good fun!
I find this sort of thing so exciting, I am a bit of a nutcase who draws and re-draws house plans for my leisure! You gotta have a hobby, right?! It looks like you’re getting a great extension. Will you be able to put an exterior door in your utility room? I have two thoughts, as you asked for suggestions; If your washing machine or shower pump is against the wall that your son’s bed is against on the other side, it might keep him awake. Maybe something could be moved or insulated? And secondly the bench seating in your dining area is a fabulous idea, I love that; it makes a good use of space. From personal experience I would suggest fitting it just as an L shape and not a U shape, as it’s so tricky to shuffle all the way round on your bum! I look forward to following your progress. Good luck.
Yep I am more than happy to receive feedback! Very good points, I could put the washing machine backing onto the kitchen will instead. We can’t have a side door for the utility room as we’re building up to the boundary line. There is 5 of us so need as much seating as possible, but I will send the kids shuffling around the back!!! Thank you for your tips
How very exciting I cant wait to see how it turns out! You have the perfect space there to extend. Good luck with it all. xxx
Thank you, I can’t wait either!!
Oh that is so exciting! We need to have an extension, this has inspired me to start looking and planning x
Thanks! Oh exciting, there lots of planning to do but I love it!
Oh that’s so exciting. We’re desperate for space and are hoping to upgrade our holiday home later in the year from a small 2-bed to a larger 3-bed lodge. But your plans sound amazing. Fingers crossed everything works out the way you want it!
Thank you very much, fingers crossed hey!
How exciting. It will be great to get that added space and that extra all important bedroom. Looking forward to reading about your progress.
My son is very excited to have a bigger room!
I love your kitchen floor. It really makes your kitchen
Thank you very much, I was glad I went with something different and everything else is plain so I can get away with it!
How exciting! It must be nice to be able to plan how you want to have things and choose your own layout.
Yes its quite scary though as it’s my decision on what goes where!
oh wow this is so exciting…your home is looking very tidy in those photos…even Gus has tidied himself away onto his bed!! You will feel things being so different with that little bit of extra space and breathing room
Yep too tidy!!! I can’t wait for us all to have some room and places to escape too when needed!!
Oh how exciting! I can’t wait to see it when it’s done!
Its going to be such a lovely space, I can’t wait to share it with everyone
This looks excellent – we are looking at an extension at our home too – we can only go out into the garden.
We did get a new combi boiler recently – it’s tiny, quiet and now in the former immersion cupboard – and my husband has all his running gear in here too now. (and moving it meant we got space for an extra cupboard in the kitchen). Good luck with your extension. Looking forward to seeing updates.
Yes were lucky to have that space to the side to be able to go our sidewards, means I can still keep my garden space too! Thank you very much
We extended our house 2 years ago and have never looked back! It makes SUCH a difference space wise!
Oh exciting, it’s going to create so much more space and such a lovely open space too
Exciting plans! That’s going to really bring on a whole new dynamic to your house – looking forward to reading about all the progress.
It’s going be such a lovely space, were so excited!!
Oh good you are renovating. Always good to have more space.
Yep we can’t wait, going to have so much more space after this
Oh how exciting!! We’re in desperate need for an extension . Can’t wait to see the updates 🙂
Thank you very much, I love a project!!
How exciting, we really need the extra space but already have a pre-existing extension on the back and as its a terrace we cannot go out sideways……we are hoping to move this year
Ah I hope you can move this year, the moving costs are just such a big jump for us here that its better to extend.