Golden Rules for Extending Your Home

This is a collaborative post but all thoughts and opinions are my own

We all reach a point where our home feels a little tired and we are ready for something new. As family life and circumstances change, the need for more space can arise, and you can find yourself looking for somewhere new to live. But there are many costs associated with moving, and really, if you like where you live, with access to public transport, neighbours, and location, then extending your home could be an option. Then you get the extra space, but don’t have to worry about the hassle of moving and relocating. 

If you’re thinking about extending for the first time, or are keen for making sure that any extension that you make is a success, then these are some golden rules will set you on the right path.

Only Extend If It Makes Sense

In some circumstances, it can be better to move than to extend. If there is an extension that could end up spoiling the property, taking out the entire garden, or will be a case of over-development, then it could be the best thing to move. But if you plan to add an extension to the home, then you could be adding space, as well as value to the property. And when that will be the case, then it makes complete sense to extend.

Make a Considered Brief

If you want to make the most of an extension, then you need to think about what problems the extension can solve, which is when you could look to get residential architects on board to help you design it all and show you what is possible. You don’t want to simply say that you want to ‘add a bathroom’ or ‘make a playroom,’ you need to be more specific. While these are true, it can help you to think about the extra benefits that can help you to extend a kitchen. Thinking about things like where the light comes in, where you’ll have windows in, and so on. When you can be more specific, it will come up with some great ideas that can really help you to make the most of the space that you want, because it will cost you money, so you want it to be perfect.

Choose Materials Carefully

The materials that you choose are sometimes really obvious, and there are some existing materials that you’ll know that you need to use, because of the rest of the home. But if the house doesn’t have anything specific or any particular character or style, then an extension could actually help to improve that. The tricky part is deciding what is going to be best, and what will work for you. A bland extension on a pretty ordinary house, then it is simply bland. And it can also look bad with the wrong materials, and the whole impact can be ruined. So getting it right the first time, with the best materials to support your home, as well as making the extension look good and just like part of the home.