Do you have expansion plans? Putting up an extension and getting more substantial, usable space out of a property is a common dream for many homeowners. But is it a realistic one for you to bank on? It all depends on what you want out of your planned expansion.
After all, an extension can add a lot of value to a home. It’s one of the most valuable renovations you could ever carry out on residential property – if you’ve got the space, why not use it? But are you going to use it ‘correctly’? And what is it going to cost in the long run?
These are questions you should answer in-depth before you make any moves. With the points below, you might even find it easier to decide how to construct your extension. But above all, they’ll give you time and space to figure out how hard the project is going to be. Read on to find out more.
What Kind of Extension Do You Want?
There are quite a few ‘types’ of home extensions you can invest in. Knowing the differences, and understanding which one would be best for your use of space, is key to making a project like this easier.
What you’re doing is changing the walls, floors, and roofing, when you break it all down. These are three key parts of a home, and you don’t want to take out a load bearing wall or set up a roofing spot that just won’t fit onto the side of your house.
You can find a handy breakdown of the extension types right here. Deciding which one is best suited for your property will come down to a handful of factors (one of which we’ll explain below).
The Best Place to Make Extra Space
This is one of the biggest factors that’ll decide where and when to get your extension fitted. Where in your house is lacking space? And where would be a good place to add a bit extra?
Maybe on top? Adding an upstairs bedroom to the second or even third storey is one of the most difficult projects of all, but it’s not impossible in the modern age.
Maybe you’d like to fit a conservatory, to have more dining and entertaining space in the spring and summer? If you’ve got a good yard area outside your house, this should be quite easy!
Or perhaps you’d rather a bigger kitchen, and need an extension on the side of your house that would block an access route to the front or back door? If you really want this extension, feel free to go for it. But at the same time, think about if this is the best place to use the space. Could other areas of your house benefit more?
What are Your DIY Skills Like?
Most homeowners are unable to complete an exterior renovation project on their own, let alone build a fully viable and insulated extension to live in! As such, you should double check your DIY skills here.
Do you or your partner feel up to the task of preparing the ground, crafting a strong foundation, building upwards for stability, and then putting a roof on at the end? It could take a very long time if you don’t have any kind of support from a professional source!
It’s often best to reach out to a building contractor to get the job done for you. You can still pitch in, and provide the materials you want to use, but if you don’t have the skill for building what is essentially a mini house, you’re probably not going to brush up on the requirements in time. Don’t make the job harder by insisting on only working by yourself!
The Fight to Find a Good Contractor
It’s natural to want to do things in your home your own way. This extends to a literal extension too; you want to oversee the project and make sure it goes right, and achieves the shape and size you’re looking for. Hiring someone else to do it all for you doesn’t seem quite right, especially when you consider how many shoddy builders there are out there!
That’s why you should spend a good amount of time finding someone you trust to work with. Collect as many quotes as you can to get a good price range, and while you might be tempted, try not to go with the cheapest of the lot!
You might think this’ll save you a lot of money, but there’s a much greater risk of getting substandard work done. You don’t want to have to pay twice as much getting your extension fixed up after the project is supposed to be over and done with!
Materials are More Accessible Than Ever
Long gone are the days when you had to trust that a contractor knew who had the best materials in the business. These days you can find all the right materials for your extension project yourself. Head online, tap in the material you’d like to buy, and then click through to find the best examples of granite or polycarbonate on the market, just like you can view here.
In doing so, you empower yourself. As a ‘consumer’, the more you know about what a project needs, the better the end result is going to be. You can’t be talked around by someone who might or might not know what they’re doing. You’ve got your own ideas, and you’re willing to pitch them. That’s crucial during a time when you’re changing the very structural integrity of your home and safe haven!
Have a good look through online catalogues like these and find out what’s best used and what might be better suitable elsewhere. Take your time doing this, and make notes as you go.
You’re Going to Need a Healthy Construction Period
How much time do you have to get an extension built? Consider all your free periods over the next year or two – are any of them at least a month long? If not, you might not even have time to get any work done. You might think you can squeeze a project like this into a two week period you’ve got in February next year, but who knows if that’ll be enough time?
You should always pin a wiggle phase onto the proposed end of construction day. Even just the finishing touches can be disruptive, and if you don’t have an extra couple days to get these final details done, it could be a while until you can pencil them in!
Is Now a Good Time, Personally?
An extension is a pretty big job. It’s bigger than getting your kitchen redone, and it’s bigger than converting the loft into somewhere you can work from home. As such, you time it just right. You don’t want the work to get in the way of your life, which it could do all day long for weeks on end.
If you decide to get this work done at a time of the year when something else is going on, like near Christmas time or around the end of summer when everyone is heading back to work, the question of an extension could even cause a lot of arguments in your house.
These times of year might be cheaper for structural work, as they’re non-peak times, but will it be worth the impact on your home life and relationships?
Is This the Home You Really Love?
That’s the final thing to think about here. Do you imagine yourself living in your current home for more than five years into the future? If you’re currently in the midst of trying to find somewhere else to live, probably not! Or if you’ve got an idea of a ‘dream home’ in your mind and you’ve got alerts for similar properties on your phone, there’s also a good chance this isn’t your forever home either.
As such, an extension might not be worth it at all. You want structural work like this to last, so you can use it for the longest time possible. Building a bigger kitchen and then moving out two months later is no way to make a return on your investment! Even when you’re not looking to sell, that point matters.
If you want to extend your home, this is the way forward. Make sure you plan from the moment you first consider the idea right down to the most minute detail. The more you know about your desires for the home you live in, the easier it’s going to be to save time, money, and all that energy!
Plus, a good extension offers just as much value as an internal renovation. You shouldn’t be out of space for months on end, and you should never have to cancel the project right in the middle of proceedings. So, find a good contractor, trust your instincts, and buy your materials from the right people too!
Leave a Reply