5 Things To Consider Before Planning An Extension
The thought of extending your home is an exciting prospect. The possibilities are endless!
Forget the horror stories, myths, and misguided advice. Having your home renovated can be an amazing experience. This is why people keep doing it all the time! It does tend to be addictive!
But first things first, let’s iron out the kinks before you start planning an extension.
Your design plan
Every home extension project requires a design. Mapping out a design is an opportunity to improve the livability of and add value to your house.
Obviously, you are going to need professional help as early as the design stage of your extension project. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can identify impractical design ideas.
Engage a building designer or an architect with a track record of having years of experience working with a design and a budget that is similar to yours.
Why you’re planning an extension
Don’t be one of those people who embark on an extension project without enough clarity about what they actually want and need. As a result, they give random design thoughts that cannot produce a cohesive design.
You have to ask yourself what the purpose of the project is. Is it for your children? Or for your husband or wife? Are your parents going to stay with you in the future?
Your design should clearly address very personal and unique aspects of your life with consideration for the future. This way you can avoid spending on unnecessary wants.
The amount of space you can spare
Be clear about what it is you actually need. If you want a home, a new kitchen and a new bathroom, all that is gonna cut into your backyard space.
You can visualise how much space you might need by using rope or other markers to map out how big the new spaces will take up on your property.
Consider how much space the extension is going to take up and see if you are happy with what’s left.
A building team who will work with your budget
Soon after you establish a working design for your home extension, it’s time to understand the scope of the works. You will need the help of a professional architect or home builder.
A reliable home builder can quote you a price for your home extension project and it should not go overboard 20 percent the quoted price at any point of the duration of the project.
Then you will figure out whether you can afford to do everything you want all at once or you’d have to extend in several stages.
Obtaining quotes from a builder, engineer, architect, quantity surveyor, plumber, electrician, tiler etc. to see what you’re in for can be very daunting.
Engaging a full-service company of designers, builders, architects, etc takes the stress out of sourcing the services from all directions.
Plus, a home builder can work full time throughout the renovation process and oversee that everything is going according to plan.
An outstanding full-service company of designers and builders
A full-service home-building company is worth their weight in gold. They will save you money, time, and all the stress that goes with a home extension project.
Pick a home building company that specialises in extensions and not just renovations. And for goodness’ sake, pick one that has been in the business for more than a decade.
Seek out their testimonials from clients and view examples of their recent work. An outstanding home building company will insure their contracts with the Home Building Compensation Fund. They will also give you a detail of their obligations during the course of the project.
Addstyle: We have all the experts you need for your home extension project
Addstyle is a family of designers, architects, and builders who will help you plan your home extension according to what you need and create a practical design with careful consideration of your budget.
We offer the considerable advantage of being able to give you accurate costing advice at a very early stage in the project.
We have been expertly integrating home extensions with the existing structures and offer a style of living that homeowners from the North Shore aspire to.
Call us now and let’s begin working on your home extension project!
With Addstyle, there will be no surprises, no additional work, and no additional costs. Everything you need, all in one place.