Single-Storey Rear Extension & Garden

A complete rear extension to a family home in Colchester, delivered end to end under one contract with private building control sign-off.

Getting materials on site

The first problem was access. The entrance to the rear had a height restriction, and the only way through to the garden was a single gate narrowed further by an existing brick wall. Every load of concrete, every block, every sheet of plasterboard had to come through that gap.

That is not a footnote. Access dictates plant, sequencing and programme, and it is the thing most likely to be discovered too late. It was identified at quotation stage and planned around.

Structure

Footings and a soakaway were dug and the spoil removed from site, then foundations poured. Base brick and blockwork was followed by full-height brick outer walls and cavity blockwork inner.

The floor is block and beam with insulation and screed, set to bring the new floor level exactly to the existing. Getting that right is what removes the step between old house and new room — the detail that separates an extension that feels part of the house from one that feels bolted on.

The roof structure was built and covered in EPDM, with hot deck insulation, then fascia, soffits and guttering. A 4-metre anthracite aluminium bi-fold opens the rear elevation to the garden, and an existing window that clashed with the new structure was replaced like-for-like with a smaller unit.

Fit-out

Plasterboard and plastering throughout, full first and second fix electrical with spotlights and sockets to the client's specification, carpentry, skirting and architraves, then decoration to walls, ceilings and woodwork.

The kitchen flooring was lifted and both kitchen and extension laid in LVT matched to the existing lounge and hallway, with a threshold at the kitchen door to make the junction read deliberately.

The garden

Landscaping formed part of the same contract rather than being left as someone else's problem. Slabs were matched to the existing paving, railway sleepers used to form planting zones, and trellis added for privacy — the client wanted an enclosed, Mediterranean feel. An outdoor waterproof double socket and two exterior lights either side of the bi-folds light the new patio.

Managing it

We organised the structural engineer and the private building control body, and liaised with both throughout to completion and sign-off. The client had two named points of contact for the duration. Approximately three months on site.