Latest news with #homeextension
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
How a handy Wicklow couple saved money with their extension: ‘We both work from home and needed more space'
When you outgrow the home you're living in, most of us have to try to trade up or extend the existing house. Both options are expensive in today's market. But, by growing up on a farm and learning a trade, talented cabinet maker Conor Kelly, founder of Snug furniture, was able to do a lot of the expensive work himself when he did a self-build extension to his Co Wicklow home. Kelly and his wife, Nell Roddy, were lucky enough back in 2014 to have been able to build on family land in the Glen of Imaal. READ MORE Childhood sweethearts, they met when both were in bands as teenagers. She was a singer and guitarist. He was just the drummer, he says. After college, he went to Kenya to volunteer, teaching locals to make furniture with the materials that were available to them. It's an ethos that he brought to Snug, the furniture-making company he set up in his native Co Wicklow, in 2014. People want to know where their timber is coming from, he says. 'I try to use materials close to me, from local family farmland or the surplus of trees from the Glen of Imaal woods.' [ Extension or attic conversion: What's the best way to add space to our home? Opens in new window ] Schooled in a myriad of skills, all of these proved useful when building their home. 'You have to teach yourself most things in agriculture and construction within reason,' he says. He also had friends and family in trades that he could call on. Nell is involved in another industry that is a big employer in the county – film. She's a film distributor and runs a company called Breakout Pictures, whose productions include An Cailín Ciúin, That They Might Face the Rising Sun and the recently released Blue Road:The Edna O'Brien Story. The family dog, Charlie in the living room where you can see a sideboard by Snug Nell and Conor outside their H-shaped home In 2017, the couple welcomed their daughter Peetie, so named after her maternal grandmother, Patricia, the pet name her family had for her. 'We both work from home, and we needed more space.' So they decided to extend. The original house was already a good size. The two-bedroom property with mezzanine measured about 148sq m (1,600sq feet) and included a large open-plan living kitchen. Kelly's workshop, where he makes all his furniture, is also on their site, and he put it to exceedingly good use when it came to extending the house. The plan was to take a self-build approach to create a home that could double as a showroom for his furniture, to showcase his skills, and allow customers to come on site and see and sit on the various pieces, all in a residential setting. A side view showing the inverted dormer window, corrugated steel roof and the 350 square metres of exterior Siberian larch cladding, made and installed by Conor. The couple at one of several sheltered outside spaces where they can enjoy the fresh air, rain or shine. Having lived on site in the original house for several years, the couple already knew what vistas they wanted to frame and where the light fell. They worked with Dalkey-based Alyn Chambers Architects to sketch up suitable ideas. 'We wanted open plan spaces, big windows taking in the views, polished concrete floors and tactile pieces of furniture,' he says. And the sense of space they have now is as vast as the surrounding countryside. The home is H-shaped with a long entrance hall that doubles as a gallery for his furniture, connecting the old house to the newly constructed part. To the right is the original property, the layout for which has been reimagined. It now has four bedrooms, two upstairs, and the open plan space on the ground floor has been converted into two more bedrooms and a TV room. This is the wing where eight-year-old daughter Peetie sleeps. Conor and Nell in their Scandinavian-inspired kitchen. The kitchen units, island, table, bench and polished concrete floor were all made and finished by Conor. Across the hall is the new extension. Set on an east-west axis, it features an open-plan living space that is zoned around a floating staircase. The kitchen is in the east end and gets morning light, the dining table faces south, and the lounge is at the west end where you can watch the sun go down. From each area there is access outdoors to a covered exterior, designed with the weather in mind and the need for shelter, as well as those pastoral views. Conor in his workshop, which is adjacent to their home A detail of the open tread staircase with fashionable batten frame. Kelly did a lot of the work and the hard labour himself. He made the stairs and their surrounds, the kitchen cabinets, which feature solid ash doors with a band saw effect, with some units painted in the same dark look as the exterior, to reflect outside, he explains. He also fabricated the larder and the utility rooms. In addition, he made all the furniture. 'I wanted to do it myself, to leave my handprint on everything.' After getting quotes ranging from €10,000 to €25,000 to do the polished concrete floors, 'wild money', as he puts it, he also did them. He hired the equipment for a week and a half, for about €1,500, and tested it out on a corner of the ground floor first, in a spot where he could make a mistake, he says. 'You have to have the knowledge, some class of an idea of how to work with stone,' he cautions. He didn't want a uniform finish that looked 'like a giant tile'. Instead, his floor features contrast – in some spots the coarser aggregate has risen to the top – in others it's a finer look that is visible. There are also some settling cracks, he admits. The internal windows on the stairwell brings natural light in. A view of the hall through to the living room Upstairs, there is what Kelly describes as an inverted dormer within the corrugated steel roof, which is an anthracite shade, RAL 7016, one of the three standard farm supply colours available and so less expensive than using a custom colour. It has a plastic-coated finish to protect it from the elements. He also made the 350sq m of exterior Siberian larch cladding, bevelling the edges to keep the rain off, again in his workshop on site. The timber has been attached to the concrete structure and appears to float. This allows air to circulate the battens, minimising rot and mould. One of the many windows whose locations were selected to frame surrounding views. The entrance hall, used as a gallery space to show off some of the furniture range. Pictured is a bench. Upstairs, there is a Swiss chalet-style triangular west-facing balcony off the principal bedroom. In the opposite gable end, another window allows them to welcome the day's morning light, too. With the property now extending to 325sq m (3,500sq ft), this is a home where space is an everyday luxury. 'All of the furniture in the house is there for people to view,' he says. 'It is in usable spaces so customers can see how it stands up to wear and tear in a real-life setting.' The pale wood furniture is in deliberate contrast to the dark wood exterior. A view of the Swiss chalet-style covered balcony off the principal bedroom Conor made the stairs and batten surrounds in his workshop This is a business where you get to meet and see who you're giving your money to. 'You can see where everything is made and talk through what it is you're looking for,' Kelly explains. Repeat business accounts for half of his revenue. 'One client bought a diningroom table about a decade ago. They wanted another, bigger, wider version that also had leaves to extend it for large gatherings, such as Christmas. After they ordered it, they told us about their holiday home in Kerry that also needed a table.' How does it feel to have been so hands-on with his home? 'It feels amazing and is a great source of pride to have done almost everything in it and on my family's land. I don't ever get tired of living in it,' he says. He says it's good for business too. 'This lad built his own house and everything in it. It gives clients confidence that I'm going to make something beautiful for them,' he explains. The dining table was made by Conor, and is a part of Snug furniture's new range 'It's our ethos. We make things from wood that is local and burn a Snug stamp in each and every piece of furniture.' Doing the sums The extension work should have cost about €210,000 to get the place to a builder's finish. He says he spent €170,000; €110,000 for materials such as concrete, roofing, timber cladding, and includes architect fees; €40,000 for plumbing, electrical, and block-laying; and €20,000 for bathroom fixtures and finishes. By doing the labour himself, including the concrete floors, he saved €40,000. But a builder's finish means that the entire interior still had to be done. He estimates that the gross cost for it, that is materials only, to do the kitchen cabinetry, stairs and its surround, band saw timber walls, utility room and units, larder and units, dining table, sideboards, consoles, and record cabinet, cost him €30,000 in materials, excluding his labour and time. For mere mortals to commission a joiner to do the same, he estimates the cost would be about €90,000. Homeowners without such skills may pay a premium for everything. In today's market, Alyn Chambers Architects says it is very difficult to predict costs and counsels anyone looking to renovate or extend to engage the services of a qualified quantity surveyor who has expertise in that particular type of build. Snug offers a fully bespoke kitchen service and is happy to work on any scale project. See the new range of furniture available to buy on
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Businessman accused of 'increasing the size of his home in every direction' without permission by council
A businessman who increased the size of his home in every direction without planning permission, and to the fury of some neighbours, has declared: 'I don't understand what I've done wrong!' Mohammed Rahman extended to the front, the rear and side, and even built a structure at the end of his long back garden with one local saying: 'It looks like a little house.' But he failed to acknowledge what he had done wrong until planners warned him it was an 'illegal build' which had caused 'significant stress to some residents' in Elmdon, near Solihull, West Midlands. One officer told him: 'You can't extend your property in every direction without seeking the proper permission.' Mr Rahman, understood to be in his 30s, was forced to submit a retrospective planning application which was finally given the green light last week (May 21) by Solihull Council. The semi-detached house, which is white washed with imposing dark grey full length windows and doors and has a loft conversion, contrasts to the more traditional redbrick properties surrounding it. Whilst the building works to the home has been completed, double glazing is still to be fitted and internal decoration completed. Mr Rahman, speaking by phone to MailOnline, said: 'I own the house and it is very nice but I am not living there yet. 'I have extended it and workmen are still there but I don't understand what I've done wrong!' He claimed he had no objections from neighbours, insisting: 'There is no problem, no issue.' He described himself as a 'business owner' who has a 'few retail shops.' An elderly neighbour complained the house was 'too big' and had another building in the rear garden which 'looks like a little house.' The man said: 'I don't know the owner because he hasn't;t moved in yet but there has been a lot of work going on there for a long time. 'It doesn't bother me too much, as long as he has the proper planning permission which I believe has now been given.' Another local said the house 'looks out of place in the street' in Old Lode Lane, saying: 'It sticks out like a sore thumb!' One commented: 'Looking on the planning portal, the previously accepted application looks nothing like the building standing now. 'It's huge and looks like it could be a future HMO (house in multiple occupation). 'The owner was forced to put in a retrospective application or face having to rip it down.' Yet another remarked: 'It seems to be one rule for the well off and another for the rest of us. 'In this case, there have been several objections by concerned residents due to a variety of reasons, the main one being the property standing out like a sore thumb. 'How on earth the planning dept allowed floor to ceiling windows is beyond me!' One said: 'If you review the history in this case, somethings doesn't quite add up as to how the supposed 'fair and impartial' council allowed this to be pushed through. 'Quite obviously the applicant has disregarded the process, and retrospectively sought approval. Can we all do the same, or is it one rule for one?' Others complained about the Juliet balconies to the front and rear. The property has divided residents with some commenting on social media that they liked it. A supporter said: 'I think the owners done a great job. Looks amazing. Best house on the street. Well done!' Another urged: 'Why can't we just be happy for the owner! Who's designed a 'Grand Design' as Kevin McCloud would say. 'We should respect the decision from the planning committee.' In March Mr Rahman resubmitted a retrospective application for a single storey front and rear extension, two storey side extension, alterations to front fenestration (arrangement of windows), addition of render to the property and a detached outbuilding to the rear. It came after Mark Andrews, Solihull Council 's head of planning, design and engagement, had issued a notice to refuse the original application in January. Committee members, at a meeting in May, were told officers had concerns the roof of the ground floor was going to be used as a balcony but the applicant was now proposing a Juliette balcony with no plans to use it as a balcony. With that issue overcome, planners approved the extension on officers' recommended. During the meeting Councillor Richard Long - ward councillor for Elmdon - said: 'I'm speaking against the application based on concerns expressed by residents. 'Planning applications related to this property have been a long running matter. 'The drip drip changes and apparent ignoring of previous planning refusal has caused significant stress to some residents, as highlighted by their objections. 'There is a lack of confidence any restriction imposed will be enforced.' And he added residents were unhappy council officers were recommending approval on 'what appears minor changes.' During the debate, the chairman Councillor Bob Grinsell said: ' live in a house that has got both a balcony and Juliette balcony, so I do understand the situation. 'If a local resident was to see any changes (it being used as a balcony) I would suggest they get hold of you, Councillor Long, and you contact planning enforcement - they will enforce the matter. 'Can I reiterate the reasoning for refusal under delegated powers was purely the potential usage over the flat roof (as a balcony) which would overlook and give a loss of privacy to neighbouring residents. When the vote was taken councillors unanimously voted in favour of approval.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Couple who built bright green extension 'blocking sea view' of furious neighbours put near £1m home up for sale just months later
A £1million home with a controversial green-brick extension is up for sale just months after it appeared on Tinie Tempah 's Channel 4 property show. Extraordinary Extensions followed interior designer Karim Mezeli and his partner Carly as they radically transformed the four-bed seaside property in 2022. The couple added a double-storey extension with a unique green-glazed brick to the 1960s end-of-terrace house in Broadstairs, Kent. Karim and Carly, whose episode aired in February last year, said they wanted to swap around the orientation of their 'dream' property so that it faced the sea. The plans, however, sparked furious opposition from neighbours who said the large addition to the family home would block their sea view. Others claimed that the green glazed brick - believed to be the first of its kind used on a residential property - was 'out of keeping' with the other houses on the street. Now MailOnline can reveal that the newly-renovated home, dubbed 'The Green Wing', has been put up for sale for £900,000. Interior designer Karim said they were planning to move out as it was time for the 'next project'. It comes as one neighbour told MailOnline they know someone who is already interested in buying it. Speaking to British rapper Tinie Tempah on Extraordinary Extensions, Carly and Karim described the Broadstairs property as their 'dream home'. Carly said: 'When I stood in the garden seeing the sea, I knew instantly all my dreams had come true. Karim added: 'We just loved the idea of the kids growing up and their view being the lifeboat going up and down. 'It is quite dreamlike.' The couple had a £300,000 budget for the extension - with the green-glazed brick alone estimated to cost £15,000. Carly explained on the show that the building material had typically only been used on pubs and restaurants and not on residential properties. Listing the property for sale on their website, estate agent Ben Morris said: 'The Green Wing is a bold and beautifully executed modern home that embraces its spectacular coastal setting through clean lines, intelligent spatial design, and panoramic sea views from every room. 'Featured on Channel 4's Extraordinary Extensions, the house is a statement of contemporary architecture and coastal living, quietly set on a peaceful residential road in Broadstairs, just a 10-minute walk from the town via the beach.' The extension, however, sparked controversy among neighbours - with some claiming it blocked their sea view and was out of keeping with the area. Several submitted objections on Thanet District Council's public planning portal when the initial application went in back in June 2021. One local living in a nearby close told MailOnline this week: 'I objected as many did but they got planning permission as you are not entitled to a sea view. 'But then you pay for it when you buy a house. 'It was such a beautiful home beforehand – I wanted to buy it but I just couldn't afford it. 'I don't know why they have put it up for sale but I do actually know someone who is interested in buying it.' Pointing to a photo of the original home, the neighbour added: 'That was it before, you can see it has come right out and blocked many people's views. 'It took my sea view away from my back window but it went ahead anyway. It isn't in keeping with the rest of the close but I understand that on the inside it is really lovely. 'They wanted to extend out, they have a family so I understand that but yes a lot of people were unhappy.' Another neighbour told MailOnline they had also looked around the property when it was previously up for sale. They said: 'We have watched it develop from the time they first did something with it. 'We actually first looked at the house before it turned into what it is now. 'We did not go for it. It is an end of terrace house. 'What they have done to it is very different. It is like marmite. 'It isn't the size of it. It is just the green brick. It looks like a Victorian toilet block. But it is just different people's taste. 'Now it is just part of the road.' Tinie Tempah praised Karim and Carly's property on the episode of Extraordinary Extensions that aired in February last year. The British rapper said: 'This is a really confident piece of design, elevated to new heights by the daring choice of brick. 'There was a little bit of me that was thinking you know what this could go horribly wrong but they've not only pulled it off, they have given this house a whole new face and it is definitely smiling.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Furious pensioner returns from holiday to find 'eyesore' two-storey extension at the end of his garden
An angry homeowner has told how he returned from holiday to find a giant 'eyesore' extension erected at the end of his garden. Les Whitaker, 75, got back from a month-long break in India to find his neighbour had erected a massive garage overlooking his home in an affluent community in Shrewsbury. Father-of-three Les, who lives with wife Heather, 75, on a private road where houses sell for up to £1million, claims the property no longer gets as much sunlight and fears it will devalue their home. Planning permission was granted by Shropshire Council last September, giving property owner Glyn Jones consent for the make over. But the grandfather-of-seven claims he was completely unaware of the plans for the major extension, including the construction of the huge two storey garage which now towers above his back fence. The newly constructed building has enough space for three vehicles on the ground floor, while the first floor could potentially be used for storage, as a games room or personal office space. The council said the application was 'publicised in accordance with the legal requirements' and had been available to view on the local planning portal. The planning application also claimed the 'proposed siting, scale and design' of the extension would not have any 'adverse impact on the surroundings, or visual amenity of the locality or neighbouring properties'. The view from the end of Les' property before he went on a month-long holiday to India (left) compared to his view now (right) after he returned Retired Les, who used to run a design and advertising agency, said: 'I came back from a month's holiday in India, and there it was. 'It's a massive building, it's bigger than my bungalow. I had no knowledge about what was happening at all. 'I contacted the council and they said they don't have to write to neighbours. 'Apparently around Covid time, they changed their policy which basically says they don't need to inform residents of these type of applications.' A report by Tracy Darke, assistant director of economy and place, said 'the proposed development will not result in any detrimental impact from causing an overbearing impact, loss of light or loss of privacy'. Les added: 'It was all signed off as not impacting any neighbours. Well I beg to differ. 'It's an eyesore and also blocks out some of our light. It has probably impacted the valuation of our house and we've had the discussion about whether to move house or not now. Its just a sad state of affairs really. 'I believe it's a garage and storage facility but the application said something about accommodation as well, so we're not too sure what he's going to use it for. 'I don't know exactly how big it is either but it's a two storey building with a three car garage. 'It sounds like the only way you can be notified of these things is to sign up to an alert for developments in your area. 'Other than that the council can just pretty much do as they please, and I want other people to be aware of that. 'It has had a big impact on us and we're not best pleased about it.' A Shropshire Council spokesman said: 'The application was publicised in accordance with the legal requirements and Shropshire Council's policy by a site notice, and the application was also available to view in full on the planning portal on the council's website. 'We encourage residents to sign up to our planning online service where they can register their interest in receiving updates about applications for planning permission in their area. 'The system allows residents to set an area of interest and to track applications of interest.'
Irish Times
13-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Space and style in Kimmage: architect's three-bed home for €595,000
Address : 177 Bangor Road, Kimmage, Dublin 12 Price : €595,000 Agent : DNG View this property on There's more than meets the eye at this extended three-bedroom semidetached home in Kimmage , Dublin 12. Architect Brian Guckian, director of bg-co, saw the property's potential when he and his wife, Aoife McGuigan, bought the house as a dated two-up, two-down eight years ago. The double-height extension to the rear, hardly visible from the front of the house, can be appreciated in all its glory from the back garden. So as not to block light from the neighbours on either side, the ground-floor extension slants to the right – facing south for the sun – while the upstairs extension slants to the left, like two boxes stacked askew, one on top of the other. It's a cool feature to behold from outside, and also from inside each of the slanted rooms. The gardens of the homes on Bangor Road are substantial, so even with the generous extension there is a good-sized garden laid in lawn with a wooden-decked patio and a pergola barbecue area. Inside, the living area that occupies the ground-floor extension not only gets natural light from the south-facing glazed back doors but from a west-facing window to the side, which catches the evening sun. The room has engineered-wood flooring and a wood-burning stove fitted into an alcove in the wall. As you step towards the kitchen in the centre of the open-plan space, there is a roof light to allow in more light. The kitchen units – which Guckian had made to his specifications by a Lithuanian manufacturer – are finished in the moody shade of Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke. A large block of exposed concrete tops the central island over which hangs a copper light feature. READ MORE Back garden and view of rear extension Living space in the extension Kitchen Dining area to the front Downstairs bathroom Pocket doors slide open to the dining area to the front of the house, now more often used as a home office for the owners, where the original fireplace makes a nice feature. Back in the kitchen, unexpectedly, as well as floor-to-ceiling cabinets in the same deep green hue on the side wall of the kitchen, there is also a hidden door which leads to a utility space and back to a bathroom with a bath. There is also an exterior door here to the front yard. Upstairs, the main bedroom sits to the front with an original fireplace and plenty of space for wardrobes on each wall. The second double occupies the rear extension, which Guckian says could equally be chosen as the main bedroom. The third bedroom between the two is a good size, as is the wet room, also off the central hallway, which features a shower with a high ceiling and a roof light to the sky. Main bedroom Second bedroom Shower room Shower with roof light The property, now extending to 102sq m (1,098sq ft) with a B3 Ber, has a smooth-plaster exterior with steps leading up to the blue front door. There is plenty of space in the front yard to park two cars. The turnkey home is now on the market through DNG, seeking €595,000. It is just down the road from the local shops, restaurants and pubs, including Pickles sandwich shop, Montos cafe, Artybaker, Zero Zero Pizza and Supervalu. This is also where you can get a bus to the city centre that takes 20-30 minutes, while cycling will get you to St Stephen's Green in about 15 minutes.
