FenTiger

The extension may include new kitchen (with small breakfast area), kamra, dining area, lounge, possibly second bathroom and toilet, cloakroom (& boot room). Outside a covered terrace (with semi-permanent all weather all round coverings or removeable covering).
Think we're definitely going to need the services of an architect to come up with a plan how we can access the basement which is in the "garage" which is joined to one side (1/3rd) of the house because the depth of the house will extend to half or 2/3rd of the house.

wolfi

Fentiger, don't forget a pantry - on the coolest side of the house, good for keeping vegetables, fruit and of course cans and bottles of all types of food.
Yes, our house was (we sold it earlier this year to move near to Budapest adobe - walls 50 - 60 cm, good insulation.

FenTiger

Wolfi - I mentioned kamra above but not sure where we will site it because as you mentioned needs to be in coolest side of house which will restrict access to other rooms. Hopefully I'll come up with a plan. Used to have a pantry in one house when I was a kid (61 on Saturday!).

warrenpeace

hi gents , first an apology for not being on the forum or updating .
unfortunately covid in england has hit hard and losing relatives and trying to keep the family safe and above water has put the project on the back burner . hope everyone is safe and well .
back in april 2019 i was 2 weeks away from completing the flat sale and ready to start our move to hungary , then boom .
buyer taken to hospital with covid and sale cancelled . after that furlough and no one willing to chance buying property has put us in limbo .
the flat is still on the market but now lockdown 2 is here just have to cross fingers and wait this out .
still have the land in szendehely , architect waiting to start design and a determination that this will happen .
again apologies for lack of input and updates but past year has been a nightmare .
happy new year people , and keep safe .

scrubbedexpat142

Welcome back! Did wonder, and assumed covid. Very sorry to hear how this has affected you, fingers crossed that you will be able to progress and achieve your goals.

Shout if I can help!

warrenpeace

it will happen pat , just have less control over when at this time .
have been working on basic design of house with Revitt and trying to learn more about design and regs in hungary , just to keep my hand in and mind busy
keep safe pal . good to see your ok

FenTiger

I think you mean April 2020? That's pure bad luck. We were very lucky to have found a buyer for our UK house and moved here in July. Have not looked back. We are coping with the rules here but with not many places open there's not many places to visit or go to. Restaurants usually allow you to use their toilets but they're out of action, the toilets that is, and you can only get takeaways!
Hopefully, things will get better and you can finally make the move. Make sure you have not just one but several back up plans.
As at this point in time we're revisiting previous viewings. One property we wanted to view but disappeared from the website has come back on the market. Our estate agent friend of the sister-in-law advised against viewing but it ticks alot of boxes so we're waiting for exact location! Another property in this village hasn't been removed from the website so have presumed it is still for sale. I've messaged the estate agent on the website in both English and Hungarian but has no reply. So have contacted their head office!
Reason for constantly flipping which direction to go down is the mother-in-law needs frequent support, her house and property needs maintaining but I'm the only one who is actively taking note of what needs to be done. The roof of the outbuildings is not in good shape and our stuff from UK is stored in there. There's little I can do because it's not my property and I'd want any monies spent fully or partially recouped if it was sold.

Peter_in_Hungary

As a general rule monies spent on maintenance and minor refurbishments don't come back as increased sale price - although they might make it easier to sell. If there was essential maintenance IMO the easiest course of action would be an agreement before the works are done to be refunded from any sale price .

With regard to planning / building regs - The planning here is generally a lot less restrictive than in the UK. Building regs have been changed as from 1st Jan. with regard to the insulation standards required and now new builds need more insulation than previously, in fact the requirements are almost up to passive house standards. For a single story building probably the cheapest way to meet the standards is to use 25mm porotherm blocks and then externally insulate the walls with EPS insulation thick enough t get to the required standard. I also understand that triple glazed windows are required to get to the correct standard.

FenTiger

A friend has advised to go for triple glazed windows. Will go for the standard required for insulation, including for the roof.
I agree I need get an agreement before spending anything. I can't see getting anything back. Two trees which need coming down I was happy to pay a professional, keep anything suitable for firewood, apart from part of the trunk for both trees for a carpenter friend whose done some unpaid work here. But someone has asked for the firewood from both trees! So I've stepped away from getting it done. Bit awkward situation.
Ah well, some things get done, some don't, others are best left alone.
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enter

Do know can these protherm blocks be laid on a concrete attic floor maybe with a thick card membrane underneath and are they breathable.

FenTiger

My sister-in-law husband said the porotherm blocks have not been around for long and no one knows how long they will last. Is he right?

Jack_Russells4ever

They have been using them in the UK and Germany for quite some time, not sure how long but they should last as long as regular brick as long as they are installed to the manufacturers specifications. I would trust them much more than Y-Tong, those things are crumbly even when new at a builders yard. I would check the porotherm blocks out on You Tube, there are many videos of them being used on there.

FenTiger

I Googled Porotherm blocks a couple of hours ago and from what my research says they are as good as regular bricks!

I actually thought of building a timber framed building with cladding and high spec thick insulation. If the house will still be standing in 30 years time I'd be happy. I'm honestly not expecting to live beyond 90, more line 80 or probably 70, so ..... as long as the costs justify a house standing for 30 years I'd be happy!

Jack_Russells4ever

Properly done a timber frame can easily last 100 years as long as the moisture issue is addressed correctly during construction. I rather prefer the Porotherm blocks myself but you must do what fits your needs and stay within your budget.

Peter_in_Hungary

They are fired clay (like bricks) and are honeycombed to make then lighter and improve thermal performance. Breathable is a relative term. It depends what you want. Modern Porotherm use no mortar between the blocks, just between the rows and rely on the rendering for air tightness. Water vapour will pass through somewhat slowly - probably about the same as a brick.
Why would you want to lay porotherm blocks on an attic floor?

The material is the same as for bricks - perhaps a bit more brittle - so should last as long as a brick. They are not as porous as some bricks so spalling will be less of a problem but they are always rendered anyway

The moisture issue depends upon the construction detail and the attention to detail and care given by the builder. Unfortunately attention to detail and care is sadly lacking in the construction industry (both here and in the UK) which IMO makes timber frame a risky option unless you are doing a self build