PLANNING YOUR HOUSE EXTENSION – 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

With the pandemic sweeping throughout the globe and many people being stuck at home, now is the time to start thinking about renovations or even an extension to your property.

Before you jump in and start buying new windows to get started on your house extension, there are a few things you need to consider.

National Association of Building Contractors have put together a guide to your new house extension before you find a builder.

1 – WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET?

This is probably one of the most asked questions – and it is usually the first thing we have to ask our clients.

So, before you do anything, sit down, and decide how much you have to spend.

Don’t forget to include extras like costs of your planning application if necessary. builders will quote net of VAT, so do not forget to add the 20%.

2 – WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR EXTENSION OR RENOVATION?

Are you looking for a new living area that the whole family can enjoy or a loft conversion for a new home office?

What you want to use your extension for and what you want to do in it will determine what kind of alteration you make to your home.

3 – HOW LONG?

House extensions don’t really happen overnight and getting planning permission approval can take time.

You may want to consider the time of year, factor in things like holidays, family events and other occasions for which you will want full use of your house without the builders being in.

4 – DO YOU NEED PLANNING PERMISSION?

For some property work such as loft conversions and single storey extensions, or certain rooms, you may not need planning permission.

But you are well advised to check all local planning regulations and requirements first before making any definite plans to proceed.

National Association of Building Contractors can guide you through a call that covers everything from planning permission, building regulations and how to find a builder who is fully vetted. The Kick Start Consultation can save weeks of your own time in researching everything yourself.

5 – DOES YOU HAVE AN ARCHITECT?

Projects such as loft conversions or external home extensions are not simple jobs, and we’ve seen them go wrong too many times when people have had a go themselves.

If and when you decide on an architect, you will need to factor these costs in.

6 – WILL YOUR WORK CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS?

This is a particularly important consideration, especially if you are making major changes to your property.

Do you share a party wall, and will your new building extension damage their property?

Once again, National Association of Building Contractors will be able to advise on any potential issues.

7 –CONSERVATION AREA?

If your house is in a designated conservation area or is a listed building, there may be very strict controls over what you can and cannot do.

8 – LOCATION?

Where you put your 2 storey extension is the next decision. Garage conversions are increasingly popular so if you have the option of converting your garage space into a new room without any external signs of extending the property it’s definitely worth considering.

The most common option for simply gaining extra space either is either a single storey or two storey extension, for which you may want to build out to the side of your home.

Again, National Association of Building Contractors will help you decide which is the best option for you.

9 – FIND A BUILDER?

Having an extension built on your house can be one of the most exciting projects you may ever take on, you have taken the plunge, had plans drawn up and planning permission has been given.

Now is the daunting task of finding a builder. Don’t be put off by all the publicity about many builders. It wouldn’t be news if all builders were the same. The large majority of builders are reputable and will do a good job on your building work.

We specialise in helping consumers find the right builder for there project by giving them peace on mind by knowing all of our members have had to go through our strict vetting process before joining.

During this process we check three or more references from other customers who they have carried out work for. We also ensure they send us a copy of their up-to-date public liability insurance that we hold on file and conduct regular on site visits to inspect the quality of their work. If we find substandard work, we reserve the right to terminate a contractor’s membership.

We keep in regular contact with our customers to receive feedback as shown on many reviews sites and have strict standards for how we expect our builders to conduct their business.

10 – TIME FRAMES?

You should always plan well in advance.

Set yourself a strict timetable for completion. The chances are that it will over-run, but if you lay down the ground rules for completion at the very start of the project you can avoid living on a building site for months on end.