House extensions in Stroud

Terraced and semi-detached houses are common in Stroud, and a single-storey rear extension is often the most effective way to create a larger kitchen and dining area with direct access to the garden. On a sloping garden, the floor of the extension may need to step down or be built up, and steps, drainage and the connection to the existing floor are planned from the start.

Where there is space beside the house, a side extension can add a utility room, cloakroom or wider kitchen. On detached and semi-detached homes, a double-storey extension can add a bedroom above a ground-floor room, often making better use of the same foundations and roof. Double-storey work usually needs planning permission and careful thought about how the new roof joins the existing house.

Many homes in the town are built in local stone, while others are brick or render. Getting the new walls to sit comfortably with the old is one of the most noticeable parts of any extension. Natural stone, reconstituted stone, brick and render each have their place, and where a property is in a conservation area the council will usually expect materials to match closely.

Some rear and side extensions can be built under permitted development, but the limits are tighter in conservation areas and the Cotswolds National Landscape, and flats do not have these rights. Applications go to Stroud District Council.

Almost every extension also needs building regulations approval, covering structure, insulation, drainage and fire safety, whether or not planning permission is required. On terraces, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 will often apply too.

Stroud's hillsides mean many gardens look out over the valleys, and an extension is a chance to make the most of that. Positioning glazed doors and windows to frame the view, and adding rooflights where the extension meets the house, keeps the original rooms from losing daylight. On north-facing or overshadowed gardens, high-level glazing can bring in light without overheating the room in summer. We think about how the extension will feel at different times of day before the position of doors and windows is settled.