If your budget is not large enough for buying a huge house, there is nothing to worry about! As long as you are adding maximum value to your budget and increasing it by around 20% by adding extensions, you are on the correct trail and can beat some of the highly-priced mansion!
No matter how small it is, every extension can make a big impact and boost up the overall space of your house. From adding a box window to creating space by adding a porch - each alteration can add up extra space.
Our company - HOUSE EXTENSION LONDON - serving the people of London, specializes in this very field. We aim to implement the ideas and creativity of both - our team of house experts and obviously, the owner of the house aka YOU!. We follow the simple steps of DISCOVERING, EXPLAINING THE CONCEPT, WORKING ON THE PRE-PROJECT, and then DELIVERING to you a brand new house with a ‘wow-factor’ in it!
Before getting into the details of the steps that can help you to maximize the space of your house, the budget for doing the same should be kept in mind as well. The answers to all your queries are mentioned below.
COST OF HOUSE EXTENSIONS -
The cost of each extension differs from house to house depending upon its size, location, structure, design, the owner’s ideas, and other factors like these. However, the default price that can be kept in mind by you can be £900 to £3,000 per m².
Sometimes, single-story building’s extensions might cost you more than a double-story building’s extension. Similarly, prices for various forms of extensions life, the addition of a new kitchen or bathroom, loft conversion, garage building, and getting a double story altogether can alter the overall cost for you. Therefore, having clear decisions in mind along with assistance from your house extension manager can help in this case.
HOUSE EXTENSION LONDON provides you with highly experienced and qualified project managers who work to explain to you the entire layout according to your plans to get your dream house, and that too at a very affordable and reasonable price! Take a look at some of the ways that we recommend you to consider while deliberating upon the decision of getting a house extension.
15 WAYS TO MAXIMISE THE SPACE AND VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE
If the living room can't extend enough to give rise to another because of a limitation on its width, one solution can be to enlarge it through extension. Doing this can make your living room more spacious and wider than usual. However, if there is a possibility of introducing a small new room, it can be done as well and then used as a utility room or a storeroom.
A covered path that can connect your home with an outside building, such as a garage, looks very elegant. A Glazed covering can look magnificent and can serve as a solution to connect two buildings where a direct connection might seem unusual.
Box dormers can work as a solution to deal with a loft that your house might be having that you are dissatisfied with. It helps in creating more full-height space. It can work as a loft bathroom or headroom for adding stairs.
Porches can provide both beauty and space to your entrance. Enclosed porches can help in buffering the elements of your house. Similarly, a small hallway connecting the entrance to the living room is also an option.
A window can be cantilevered on an existing structure to enhance the elegance of your house. Another benefit that can be derived out of it is the delivery of extra light in the room which can enrich its spaciousness.
In most houses, there is small outdoor space provided at the side of the house known as the side-return. Building a small extension and covering up this space can be a great trick to increase the size of the attached room, say the kitchen or the dining room.
Conservatories are very beneficial to build without any building regulation consent. This can give you a new living room if you are ready to invest in it.
Orangeries are somewhat like conservatories. However, it is better insulated, and it is easier to control the temperature of it.
A traditional option, Oak frame extensions are single-roomed structures with vaulted rooftops that can be built beside your house if there is open space provided.
It can play a huge role in transforming your entire house. An additional small house can add on to space for your kitchen or the dining room. It can also serve the purpose of being a utility room, a cloakroom, a laundry room, or even give you room for doing Yoga!
To enhance the visual features of your house, a box window may come handy. These glazed structures add on to the beauty of your house by maximizing the entrance of sunlight protruding out of the wall, appearing to be floating!
With a lightwell extension, the dark basement can get flooded with light and appear to be spacious and lighter! It can be a cherry on the top of the cake if the staircase from the basement opens up at a sunlight-struck courtyard.
A long length of glass or a series of roof lights can help immensely in the exaggeration of your extensions. Choosing the type of glass while doing so is also important because the entrance of light depends upon the width of it - whether the glass is slim or of an invisible frame.
With the permission of your real estate agent, if turning your garage into a new living space doesn’t damage the worth of the property - Go for it! This conversion might as well be profitable for you in terms of space and in some cases, during the sale of your house.
Another way of improving the looks of your house and ensuring the maximum reach of light is it is by building glazed extensions. You might need permission for doing so as these extensions are governed by building regulations.
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.
Extending a house space is a great way to add extra comfort and value to the property without moving, though it can be daunting when you first start looking into it. However, when it comes to an extension, there are quite a few rules, you have to follow, but this should not put you off.
House extension London can submit and manage any planning approvals, regulations or any kind of agreement approval work on your behalf, so you don't have to worry about anything. However, we are listing here a few important and necessary rules, which you may require for your house extension work.
Planning Permission -
If any changes you are making within the rules of permitted development, you may not require Planning permission approval. If it's not coming under the permitted development, then you can apply for planning permission through planningportal.co.uk or your local authority.
Permitted Development -
Permitted development permits you to do minor changes to your house without any planning permission, as long as your home is quite original and unmodified. You don't need to notify anyone.
If you are trying to get an extension that falls outside of the below parameters, you need to seek Full Planning Permission. Though you can increase your double-storey rear extension by using the following criteria:
However, there are a few reasons House extension London has listed here, why you still need to submit an application though you don't need approval.
What permitted development covers?
Rules for Multiple Storey / Two-storey extension -
Rules for Loft Conversion -
As long as the loft conversion complies with the few parameters, it can be achieved under permitted development. Thought it needs to follow below limits and conditions:
Where you re looking for an extension beyond the side elevation of the original house, you need to follow below extension rules:
House extension London is determined to help you to achieve your goals and increase the quality of your life. Reach out to us today to get started on your project.
House extension can be considered as the most efficient method to improve the home. Though a few homeowners may have inside trade knowledge, others may not be familiar with construction, architecture, or property designing.
A few critical tips will make you ready to start -
House extension London is working with an experienced architect on a several wide and diverse range of projects for a long time. We have learned a lot from our work and experience about the designing and planning of a house extension.
So, to provide you with some essential house extension tips, we've listed down the few tips which come up during the planning process and provided some handy tips and advice.
Planning -
Understand the different types of house extension: It can be a loft extension, basement extension, a kitchen extension, a living space, or a new bedroom. Choose the material very carefully from simple brick & block to more expensive, or those including structural glass.
House extensions usually include one or two storeys high, and covering everything from conservatories plus garage roof extensions to multi-storey additions, featuring their kitchenettes, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Get all approvals -
You may require to apply for planning permission, depending on the size, shape and scale of your extension work. As each council is different, so, there is no straightforward rule for designing extensions which can only mean one thing.
In some cases, you may not require any Planning Permission approvals; you may need building Regulations Approval to enforce construction. Speak with your council; they will let you know whether your house qualifies for permitted development or not, and about the fee payments and applications.
Set a Budget -
People often take it as the simplest step, though it's common to overspend on even the smallest projects, without proper planning.
Also, clear it in mind that not only you have the build budget for an extension. Additionally, there will be the designer's and consultants fees, government VAT along with local authorities fees for the applications. So, make a realistic budget to create a perfect dream house, as collaboratively Lots of factors create a beautiful and functional space.
Discuss with your neighbours -
Sometimes it's your neighbours, who can highlight a planning application in the eyes of the council, and create disputes to your proposal, which will never be an easy hurdle to overcome. Talk with them and make them on the side, discuss your planning and explain the designing with a proper reason why you are expanding it. Surely it will make them understand your point, and hopefully, there will be no objections.
Building regulations for house extensions -
The Building Regulations are a set of guidelines and standards, determined by the government and enforced by local planning authorities. It works to ensure safety and health factors of construction work accommodate, including how a structure uses energy and water to its fire protection.
The entire regulation list is so long and technical, and not a remit of an amateur developer. Unless you're willing to read hundreds of documents pages, it's best to refer your ideas to the house extension London to draw up your thoughts.
Consider the location and setting. -
If your home is situated eminent to the design of your extension, the best extensions would be sympathetic to their surroundings or across the spectrum which contrast their surroundings. No one extension is the same, so use your surroundings as much as you can as an opportunity to advance the barriers of construction technologies and contrast your innovative designs.
Think about the purpose of the extension -
This is a question; most people think they already know. However, it changes according to space and budget. Most people tend to make a compromise on their ideas, or you can choose a perfect designer, House extension London, to help you to achieve your dream extension. Mostly when a family grows, people require a different and varied outcome of space. Therefore, consider someone who will use the maximum space and turn in to the most valuable one and fulfil your craving for a bigger, brighter kitchen/dining open plan living area.
Research different materials -
Selecting the right materials is crucial for extension designing, as the material finishes bring the structure to life. Whether you want your extension to stand out from the crowd or be a shrewd improvement, accurate and suitable materials can fulfil your dreams. Though do your homework before searching the minefield.
Choose the right builder -
Choosing the right builder is critical for your dream construction as with the wrong one, your dream can convert into a nightmare. House extension London, is a well-known name in extension work, and you can have a look at our previous projects, can carry out numerous chats to understand the procedure or if you have any doubt, can contact us at any point of time. We follow all the local council panels set up schemes of boroughs, to assist clients with perfection.
To get your plan to fulfil without any hassle and failure, you must be open and honest with your designer. Because to turn into a reality in the hands of their interpretations from your brief. Extending home can be immensely rewarding and will surely make a big difference to your lifestyle, with a few insights and useful advice you will soon be on your way to living the dream.
