Basement extensions
Whether you are using an existing basement or cellar, or you are having to excavate to add new space into your home, our team at Dream House Design have the skills to shape this additional space.
Getting prepared for your basement project.
Before embarking on any basement project, we highly recommend you speak with planning and building control at your local authority to understand exactly what permissions are needed. Always check on party wall agreements they will usually apply especially in congested city streets. If you need help, please contact us and we can guide you through this stage of the process.
A list of factors to include in your budget phase:
Using an existing cellar or basement, will this be extended under other areas of the house or garden?
Are you going to require underpinning?
Are there main services under your property, where will there be diverted to?
Creating natural light wells.
Access back out of the lower ground floors, internally and or externally
Planning permission, structural engineers, and architects’ costs.
Drainage depending on the Water table.
Testing the ground below the property and what the substrata is made up from?
Access to property to remove soil excavated.
Getting the head room right in your basement
At Dream House Design we recommend our clients have at least 2.4 metres and to meet building rules you will need 2 metres over the stairs.
Getting the right ‘tanking’ is essential!
‘Tanking’ is where you make your basement watertight, by installing a membrane between the internal walls and the external water pressure from the surrounding ground. This is the only way to protect from damp and potential structural damage. Talk to a team of experts who can accurately cost all these factors into your new basement project.