Building an extension to your property is one of the most popular home improvement ideas there is, but it is crucial to find out whether it is the best solution for your specific requirements.
A home extension project is a large undertaking – both structurally and financially. It will likely require you to seek planning approval and could take months to finish.
However, there is no doubt that there are several benefits attached to building a home extension. Most obviously, it makes your house larger, which gives you more space for another bedroom, a bigger kitchen or living area, or perhaps a home gym or movie room.
This extra space can unlock the rest of your house, making other rooms feel larger too.
Of course, as with any large-scale construction project, it is imperative to assess the pros, cons and realities of a home extension, to decide whether it is the right path for you to take.
This is what you need to know:
You Could Fit a Conservatory Instead
If you want to extend your house, then chances are you are unhappy with the current size and want to increase the square footage. Perhaps your living area is too small, or you want to add a more striking feature to your house.
This is understandable, but a full-scale extension is not the only way of achieving this effect.
You could instead opt for a conservatory, which can both give you extra space in your living area and provide a new architectural feature.
Modern conservatories are designed to link seamlessly with the rest of your property in much the same way an extension would, but they also provide a bridge between your living area and outdoor area. This makes it an ideal garden room and can serve a variety of purposes during the summer months.
While a conservatory can never be as large as an extension, it is far more cost-effective, requires less planning permission and is typically a much faster build. This is worth considering, especially if your budget is marginal.
Create a Detailed Budget Before Reaching a Decision
Talking of budgets, they are one of the most important building blocks of your project.
If you don’t know how much anything is going to cost, then you will have no barometer that tells you whether you are successfully sticking to the original plan or not.
Without a workable budget, you can end up spending well over the odds for everything from labor to supplies, so do your homework and make an educated estimate of your project’s budget.
This will also help you decide whether a house extension is a viable plan or not.
Extensions Can Add a Great Deal of Value to Your Home
House extensions are one of the most tried and tested ways of adding a meaningful amount of value to your property.
Everyone appreciates a larger and more imposing house, so with the extra room that an extension brings, you could increase the asking price when the time comes to sell.
