UPDATE OR REBUILD?

If the cost of works to transform the bungalow into your dream home are racking up, take a moment to consider whether rebuilding from scratch might be a better option. In some cases, the amount of land available on a bungalow plot and the ability to raise roofs has meant that we can enhance this structure into a good-sized property. But once we’ve developed a refurbishment design that the client is happy with and assessed the costs for realising it, we’re often very close in financial terms to tipping the balance in favour of a new build.

If you refurbish or extend then you have to pay VAT on labour, materials etc (currently set at 20%). Self builds are exempt, which can sometimes make a rebuild a better option financially. The added bonus of knocking down and starting again is you don’t need to try to work with the existing fabric. In order for the project to be classed as a new build, the walls of the current property need to be taken down, but you might be able to save money by reusing the existing foundations. Don’t forget that you will need planning permission for a demolish and rebuild project. This image & below: This 1950s bungalow was too small for the young family living there, so they brought in LA Hally Architect (www.lahally.com) to design a large two-storey extension. The addition features a contrasting exterior palette of timber cladding and big windows

Bungalows are likely to have a deep plan, so if you’re extending make sure the centre of the building doesn’t suffer a loss of light to the extent that it needs to be artificially lit. One solution is to introduce sun pipes, which filter natural brightness from a glazed panel in the roof through highly reflective tubing and into the room below. Take this further by rebuilding part of the roof to integrate vaulted ceilings featuring rooflights or large sections of glazed roofing. Such interventions range in complexity and can all dramatically transform the property from its original state.

Internal alterations to the layout don’t normally require planning permission unless the building is listed. If the bungalow has permitted development rights then you’ll be able to add a single storey extension 4m out across the entire rear (until May 2019 you can build right out to 8m in England). You’ll also be able to extend 50% of the front width to each side of the house – this means you can more than double the floorspace in some cases without needing to go through a formal planning permission process.

Boosting thermal performance

Given the age of many bungalows, the building could be underperforming in terms of how much heat it retains, so a refurbishment project is a good opportunity to improve the thermal performance as well as the look of the property. Mineral wool insulation over the ceiling joists will have a significant impact, but there are other solutions.

If the property’s exterior looks tired externally and needs a revamp anyway, consider external insulation. This will help to cover up brickwork that you might be keen to disguise – and you can then add your choice of cladding (render, timber etc). This will make walls thicker, so look at the detailing of eaves and gutters to make sure they oversail the walls and consider splaying window reveals.

If external insulation isn’t an option then insulating internally can work wonders, but be aware that you’ll lose some floor space inside. To make it worthwhile, you need to be adding around 150mm of rigid insulation to get up to modern standards.

Floors in bungalows tend to be of suspended timber or concrete