Benefits of extending your home
Have you been weighing up the options of moving home or extending?
We all have those moments when we need more space, we imagine how good it would be to have a playroom or games room downstairs for the kids or maybe you want somewhere spacious where you can entertain guests?
While all of these things are possible in a new house, finding one that matches your exact requirements isn’t as easy. Not to mention the increasing cost of moving home in a volatile housing market, the stress of the house buying process and all of the associated fees. It has never been a better time to extend and modify your existing home rather than move.
There are lots of ways that you can extend, from a loft conversion to building over a garage through to extending into the garden where space allows. Not only will you create the additional space that you need, but you will also increase the value of your home too with a well-planned and carefully designed home extension. In this guide, we will explore just some of the advantages to extending your home and give you some ideas about how you can use your new space.
Home Extensions Explained
Home extensions are on the increase. Moving home is costly, lengthy and associated with all kinds of problems such as broken chains, finding suitable properties and securing finance. Before you start planning your new extension, it’s important to consider a few things first:
Will your plans add value to your property – When it comes to large home improvements, it always makes sense to check that your ideas are actually going to add value to your home. It’s always worth speaking to an estate agent to see how the addition will affect the value of your home.
Planning Permissions: Although you can complete certain extension projects without planning permission due to permitted development rights, you will need to seek permission if you are intending to extend a detached property up to 8m at the back of the house and the extension is a single storey. For a double-storey extension, the extension can only be 3m.
Building Regulations: Even if your extension doesn’t need planning permission, it must comply with current building regulations. You will need to ensure that the tradespeople who carry out the work are registered, approved or accredited in some way and they will liaise with building control as required to make sure all of the work is certified.
The Benefits of Home Extensions
1. Enjoy Outdoor Space
If you are lucky enough to have a property with quite a sizeable outdoor space, there’s nothing to stop you from extending into the garden area to make more space in your home. This idea doesn’t detract from the garden area and with a clever design, you can merge the two spaces. Conservatories or kitchen diners can provide convenient places to dine or to enjoy the outdoors. Some bi fold doors leading onto the garden or French doors can really open up space and flood your new extension with light, creating a welcome addition to your property.
2. Increase Living Space
If your family is growing, there may be a greater need for you to have separate areas to watch television and relax. With one living area, you can accommodate the requirements of different family members while giving your home that much needed extra space. An additional living room can serve as a games room, entertainment space or music room.
3. Guest Rooms
The addition of a guest room not only provides extra space for a growing family, but it can also be used to accommodate friends or family who come to stay. You could even double the guest room up as a home office, study, studio or games room. Adding an extra bedroom to your home will increase its value too.
4. Refurbishment
Maybe your home is tired, dated and in need of a makeover. A refurbishment in combination with an extension can really make all the difference and your new extension can give you all the space you need so that you enjoy your home again.
5. More Storage
As we grow older we naturally accumulate more personal possessions and if your collections are bursting at the seams and you never seem to have enough space to store everything, you can extend your home for a walk-in wardrobe, storage room or utility space to store away your washing machine, drier and laundry baskets. This utility area can also be used to store equipment, shoes or coats.
6. Remodelling
Many homes can be completely transformed with a little remodelling. Making homes lighter, more spacious or simply more modern are just some of the reasons why an extension can be an excellent addition to your home. A home remodel may be needed for many other reasons too such as accommodating changing needs of the family, including a home office, a creative studio or even a gym.
7. Adding Value
When an extension is planned and developed to complement your existing property, it can add a significant amount to the value of your home. It could add value in many other ways too, such as giving your family more space, allowing guests to enjoy the freedom to enjoy their own self-contained bedroom and en-suite or creating a functional utility area. Value can be added in all kinds of ways besides the monetary value that it can add to your property.
When it comes to choosing a building company to undertake your extension, it’s important to find one who have the level of expertise that you need to coordinate the project from start to finish. We have a significant amount of experience in the development of the single storey and two storey extensions for all kinds of residential properties. Our team bring experience, expertise and skill to understand your requirements and create a design that adds that much needed extra space.