Home Extension Project: 4 Things to Think About
Families often need to move to a larger space for various reasons. A growing family could be one reason, another reason could be the expanding needs of every member. However, moving to a new and bigger space is not always the most practical thing to do. Searching for a new home would require you to hire a real estate agent, and the same goes for selling your home.
You will need to move and transfer all your things to a new location, and that would require another expense too. Moreover, the entire family will need to adapt to the changes like adjusting to a new school for the children, making new friends in the community, and finding your way around your new neighbourhood.
If you need more space for your home and do not like the idea of starting over, you have one more option. That is to stay in your current home and plan a home extension instead. If you are considering this option but do not know where to start, we have here four basic guidelines to help you:
1. The Project Setting
There is a lot of decision-making to do when planning to extend one’s home. For sure, you already know your goal or ultimate reason behind choosing this option. Now, you need to get into the details of the project.
First, identify your requirements. Which part of the house will you extend? What are the items you will need? Will your family need to relocate for a while? How long will it take? You need to consider all these possibilities in your budget setting.
Second, you also need to have an idea of how much value the renovation will add onto your home compared to how much you think you would spend. It helps in assessing if the project will be a worthwhile investment.
Third, identify all the possible potential problems that will arise during the renovation. Anticipating problems and developing possible solutions can help you to better prepare for the situation.
2. The Budget Setting
Now that you have an idea of what to expect, you will need to get down into details. You need the help of a professional in this step. Consult with an architect, a building designer, and a building contractor to help give you an estimate of how much you will need to make this project come to life. Here at Embury, we offer a service from design to construction to make things easier for you.
Do not also forget to allocate a contingency budget of at least 10 to 20 per cent of your project budget for emergencies and unanticipated expenses.
3. Finding the Design
Sometimes you need to have an inspirational look at other projects to know how much you need to spend to achieve your dream extension. However, you can also work backwards by having a budget first and knowing what changes you can achieve within the budget you have. No matter what comes first, what you need to ensure is that your home extension should blend in with your existing home look.
4. Finding the Team
Having an architect or a building designer to help you with planning how your home extension would look is the ideal thing to do. They sketch and layout your space not solely based on inspiration photos but based on your lifestyle, your use of space, and your house’s floor plan. If there is someone who can help you maximise your given space, hiring an architect or building designer can do that for you.
You also need to find a builder that you can comfortably work with. You need to be able to express your concerns and thoughts to this team confidently, and you need to ensure that they specialise in extensions. To find the right team, search for options, ask for multiple quotes, check reviews and testimonials from past clients, and do not forget to talk to them directly to assess how they work personally.
CONCLUSION
Building extensions in one’s home will also require hard work. Finding the right team to help you with your home improvement plan can make the project look less overwhelming. Once you address the four primary concerns we presented, your project will get going, so do your best to find the people you will trust and will help you achieve your dream home extension.
If you need local builders in Richmond, UK to help you with your home extension project, we are here to help! We have 20 years of experience in designing and building homes and extensions is one of our specialisations. Contact us today!
