House extension/addition

[Andy Mac]

Hi there!
Well after many months of planning and assorted applications and spending money for no progress, it has finally started! The excavation has been done today for our extension, or rather, an addition. We are moving a small house onto the back of our existing dwelling, to be joined by a 3m breezeway. Its a fibro house, c1980, 7m wide and 12m long, with two verandahs down the the long sides. The back wall of our place is also 7m wide (that wall with 3 windows facing in the photo), so its a reasonable good fit. The addition will be a sewing room for the wife, studio for me, as well as guest bedroom with kitchen/dining, bathroom and toilet. All-in-all a useful space that will allow us to spread out into a bedroom each for the kids in the main house. I'm planning on doing the breezeway deck (has an existing roof, the carport of the removal house) which will join the 2 verandahs; fit a sliding door in one of those windows pictured, and steps for access. Also a big job on the roof: replace nails with screws, insulation and tie-downs to be fitted...so the tin is coming off.
I'll post progress shots as I go, and I don't expect to be finished till this time next year.

Cheers for now!

[Bleedin Thumb]

Sounds weird, but I'll take your word that it will work.

Is it a dual occupancy thing?

[Andy Mac]

Sounds weird, but I'll take your word that it will work.

Is it a dual occupancy thing?

It will be a rather unique setup, but not dual occupancy. Council won't come at that, and so they won't allow a laundry in the addition! It may well become a Granny flat for MIL, or a seperate living area for 2 teenage daughters when the time comes. Maybe a B&B down the track...many options.
The only strange thing that I can see is the distinct difference in wall type...rendered brick vs Hardiplank. The same paint colour will help, and the addition will have shady verandahs on 3 sides, so I reckon it won't stand out. And the breezeway will act as a transition.
Doing it this way means an extension that may otherwise cost $100,000plus for half that amount, and its not as if we have a boundary fence problem on 3 1/2acres.

Cheers,

[OBBob]

Sounds like a great project. I've been very interested in this sort of setup i the past. There isn't really enough room in my area but the idea of living and sleeping areas divided by a courtyard alway appealed. I also think it's a huge advantage to be able to essentially build the new bit completely seperately, then just connect them up when complete. Good luck with it all.

[bitingmidge]

The only strange thing that I can see is the distinct difference in wall type...rendered brick vs Hardiplank. The same paint colour will help, and the addition will have shady verandahs on 3 sides, so I reckon it won't stand out.

Andy,

Have you thought about making it different? Different colour or tone may just work, and I've seen you're stuff, you're an eclectic sort of bloke!

I've never been quite good enough to get away with that, so for me it's always been careful matching and ... well you know, but when it works it really zings!

I'm looking forward to the journal of tribulations!

Cheers,

P

[RufflyRustic]

Yay!! It's happening!

Great news Andy!

Cheers
Wendy

[Clinton1]

Good onya Andy...
a big job ahead for your 'spare time' but the family will love you for it and the kids will think that dad can do anything... but they probably think that anyway.

[Andy Mac]

A bit more progress, here is the removal house on its original site, just been raised off its stumps and awaiting the truck. The guy just rang and it looks like all stations GO for tomorrow morning!

Cheers,

[Bleedin Thumb]

Looks like its going to snap in half! How exciting is this going to be?

[Ivan in Oz]

G'Day A.M.

From where to where?

[JDarvall]

It looks good Andy. Lovely looking spot you've got there. Hope all goes well.

[Andy Mac]

Hi again,
Quite some progress since the last post, the house was moved and finally settled onto the stumps Xmas Eve! It has been absolute chaos here since it arrived (on the 18th), then Woodford from Boxing Day and as soon as we returned its been full bore moving into my wife's new shop; kids and dogs in respective hospitals....plus spreading out into the 'near new' house! I'm knackered!! And the reno has yet to begin in earnest.
Here's a shot of the house in transit, going down the paddock opposite our place. No use taking it on the road when there is this on offer. We cut the fences on either side of the road and simply snuck across the bitumen...well when I say simply, it did involve some bobcat work and a tractor to help tow the Mack up an embankment! And don't mention the couple of Euc's we had to drop earlier.

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

Might as well whack up a couple more, it was an exciting day!

This is it crossing road and up the bank onto our paddock, with the aid of a neighbour and his tractor. The truck reversed all the way from here.

BTW Ivan, the house came from the property opposite, which had 4 seperate houses, now only 2 remain. It once had a piggery which closed a few years ago, and this was the manager's house, about 1km down the road. The owner is a bit of a plane nut, semi retired but leases out various bits of the farm. He builds light aircraft and has an air strip all the way down the front paddock, between the the road and his sheds, so it ends right in front of us. Doesn't fly much thankfully! Anyway, it was this airstrip that the house was taken along, using the verge, so very handy for us.

Cheers,

[Andy Mac]

This next photo is the house squeezing into the backyard, between the chook run and my garden shed, or should I say, over it. The boss is visible under the house, orchestrating the movement. There is the driver, a guy on the hydraulic controls on the trailer (and the tray is at full lift here), and a tow truck driver. The tractor has been swapped for a heavy duty winch truck, not visible, but you can make out the cable on the right, just under the house. It went real slow here, snails pace...

[Andy Mac]

Getting closer...the winch truck is still there, but he wasn't needed for much longer now its down hill.