Home extension is a common practice and is an economic way of creating some new space. It is not ideal to move into a new location just to get that one extra room and this moving would involve packing and shifting a lot of stuff and the cost of moving is also involved. The best alternative would be to get a home extension and these home extensions are a great investment.
There are companies that can help you with the extension you need and they will carry out all the required tasks. You have to be very careful while choosing the company because the quality and the type of services will depend on the company.
Getting help with planning -
You can hire a professional builder or an architect to get a home extension and they can help you with everything related to it. You should start with the basics and get a proper plan and design ready on where you want the extension to be in place and what kind of extension you want. If you think that the planner will do everything and follow his plans you might not be satisfied with the end result as it is not your vision and plans to get the extension in place in a particular way.
Even if you are getting help from a professional architect/ planner or doing the extension by yourself there are some basic mistakes that you might commit. We mentioned 5 of those mistakes that you can avoid while planning a home extension.
5 Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Home Extension
1. Ignoring the design of the exterior -
You might think that the extension is going to happen indoors and space is created inside the house so there might be not excessive planning for the exteriors. No. This is wrong because most of the owners focus on the interiors and ignoring the exterior creates a weird look and trying to cover it up can also be a difficult task.
Working on both interior and exterior is suggested to create a perfect theme and make sure that nothing seems out of space. If the exterior is ignored the extended space looks like it has been lifted from somewhere and attached inside the house. Meet your architect and make plans about the interior and the exterior before starting the extension.
2. Failing to Consider Natural Light -
You might completely forget about windows and making provisions for natural light and this can become a problem. The extended space can be at an angle where it can be covered by shadows and having a dark and shadow covered space doesn't look natural. You would have to cover it up with some lights. Having lighting only in the extended space will also make it look out of place.
It is important to make provisions for adding natural light and adding windows can completely change the look of the room. You can also consider bifold doors, skylights and the positions of your new windows, and how many you will add in your new extension
3. Insufficient Electrical Power Sockets -
Having a limited number of power sockets is a huge problem and many planners and designers realize the requirement of these power sockets at the very end of the extension. Once the extension reaches the final stages, it becomes really complicated to add these power sockets.
It is better to plan out the requirement of power sockets as early as possible. You can make a list of all the appliances you will be using in the extended space and you should also write down the number of power sockets required. Plugging all the appliances into one socket using an extension is also harmful as it can lead to a short circuit.
Once you know the number of sockets required try to map put the use of these appliances and where you will be needing them. You will have to sit down with your planner and explain all the details. You should also work on procuring the required sockets and wires at the least possible price.
4. Insufficient Electrical Lighting -
The builder and construction laborers try to quote a high price at the beginning and then try to make a profit by minimizing the light sockets and reducing the number of circuits that are to be created. Most owners and supervisors don't recognize this and never bother to question them about the same but once the extension is done, the adverse effects of this can be seen.
It is hard to add the circuits after the extension is done because the walls are already plastered and everything is already painted. Adding these circuits will seem like a huge task
5. Neglecting The Kitchen Layout -
You might think that you can select the layout of the kitchen and the builder can get it right. No. The builder's get the plan's and the layout wrong all the time and it is really hard to get the plan's implemented as you want.
The plans might seem simple but implementing the colors and everything doesn't always go right. You should always consider the practicality of the idea and the kitchen layout should be carefully designed and tailored to you and how you will use that space.
The planner can suggest some plans and they might look attractive but all of them cannot be implemented and they might not work for you.
Conclusion -
Home extensions are a huge investment and getting them wrong can be a problem. You should consider checking all the facts and plan everything before implementing them. This will help you in getting the extension just as you planned. The planner might even suggest that you get an indoor swimming pool just just to make sure that you hire their swimming pool builders but you have to be firm on your decisions and add only those additions that you need. Even if you consider getting something that you didn't plan for, you should make sure you hire the experts from that field.
