Not sure where to start when planning a home extension? We’ve got our back with this helpful some point guide. A home extension can be a useful way to add space, liveability, and value to your home. The right planning, advice, and discipline will ensure that your home renovation project goes off without a hitch. Here’s what to keep in mind before getting started:
1. Where do we start?
The design stage of the project is the first step in any home extension plan. Every home extension requires a custom plan, which can be completed by appointing the help of a professional draughtsperson a building designer, or an architect. This is our opportunity to improve the liveability of our home, as well as the chance to add value to the property. For this reason, choosing the right person for the job is essential. Asking our friends or neighbors for recommendations when interviewing your shortlist of preferred designers. Doing so will help you to get familiar with the type of workmanship we can expect and will help you to make an informed decision.
2. Do we require planning permission?
By law, homeowners must ensure that any new building or renovation plans for their property have been approved by the relevant local authorities. Whether we want to build a new wall around the property; build a swimming pool; add on a room, a second story, or a new wing, it is important to liaise with the planning department of our local municipality as we may require planning permission before proceeding. This can be achieved by appointing a qualified architect or droughts person to draw up and submit the building plans to our local municipal planning department. It is important to also keep in mind the fee structure that the process entails. For smaller home alterations, a droughts person would be better suited and more cost-effective.
3. Who are we building for?
Many homeowners plunge ahead with their extension project but put very little thought into what it is they are trying to achieve. For this reason, it is imperative to establish what the purpose of our home extension is. Our extension plans should never be a listing of random thoughts and ideas we have collected over the years. Instead, it should reflect any personal and unique aspects which comprise the purpose of the extension. Clarifying what we want to achieve with your home extension is important as it will help us to create a detailed brief, which will also prevent overspending on unnecessary space and items.
4. Do we have enough space to extend?
Are we looking for a new living area that the whole family can enjoy, an extra bedroom for a new arrival or a home office? Knowing precisely what our home extension will be used for, will also help to determine what kind of alteration we may need to make to your home. This will give us an indication of how much space we will need to follow through successfully with our home plans. To visualize the amount of space needed, use a rope as a marker to map out the extension plan. Using the size of our existing rooms as a guide to gauge how big each room should be. Stand back and assess whether we are happy with the amount of space remaining afterward.
5. Up, down, or out to the side?
Deciding which part of the home to extend is the next big decision. If we don’t have enough space to extend at ground level, we may need to consider adding a second story. An additional level to our home is a great way to retain backyard space. However, it can be a costlier project as it requires more work in removing the roof structure, replacing it with a new floor structure, and supporting the new upper-floor walls. It is important to also consider what it will look like. Investing in a second story has the potential to enhance the aesthetic appeal of our home – if done so correctly. To avoid building a home extension that looks like it has been ‘tacked on, it’s essential to engage with a good architect or building designer to help us balance the practical and aesthetic considerations
6. Will our plan impact our neighbors?
It’s important to take into account the effect our home extension will have on our neighbors, especially if we are making major alterations to our property. If we share a wall with our neighbors, we will need to consider if our home alterations may potentially damage their property. There is also the social aspect to consider as our plans may affect their quality of life during the construction period, so it’s wise to keep your neighbors fully informed of our intentions right from the start.
7. Do our neighbors have a say?
While we should keep our neighbors informed of our plans to extend, there is no legal requirement from the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (NBA) requiring homeowners to submit or inform their neighbors of their building plan application. However, dependent on the area we live in and its policies, a neighbor can be at liberty to object to our home extension, if the area policy implemented by the local authority allows for it. In this case, a neighbor can submit their objection, but it won’t necessarily prevent the building plans from being approved. While the municipality can acknowledge the objection, it is up to the local authority to make up its own mind as to whether the plans should be approved or not.
8. What are the costs involved
One of the central elements of a home extension is the demolition work required and the costs that come along with it. It is important to bear in mind that each wall demolished will require the involvement of several tradespeople to complete the extension. This may include carpenters, plasterboard experts, and painters, and depending on the rooms affected, we may also need to enlist the help of electricians, plumbers and tilers as well. To be able to account for these additional expenses, it is essential that we take into account these costs in our project’s budget.
9. Will it brighten up the house?
One of the key considerations when extending your home is to investigate the most effective ways to bring more sunlight and warmth into the house. This should be one of your key priorities, especially if you are adding a living room or family room that you will spend a lot of time in. Having more natural sunlight will make it a more comfortable space to live in, and will also reduce the amount of artificial heating required. However, while an excessive amount of sunlight may be wonderful in winter, you can say the opposite for a scorching hot summer’s day and can make the space unpleasant. To avoid this, it is important to be very aware of the amount of sunlight the windows will be exposed to when including large windows in your design plan.
10. Would I need to move out?
Being able to live in the house throughout the build, can be less expensive and more convenient as we can avoid having to uproot our life and routine. However, an extension project which involves a significant amount of renovation work to an existing part of the house might be difficult to live with until the completion of the project. In these circumstances, we can arrange to have the extension project staged so that we can move from one part of the house to the next. However, a staged building project generally takes longer to complete which means it may be costlier.
11. How do we find a builder?
Finding the right building contractor is one of, if not the most, important factor to consider in a home extension project. It is crucial to appoint a registered builder who works with a professional, reputable organization. Recommendations are also important when looking for a builder. We should choose an experienced builder who can do similar work and within similar budgets to ours. Consider asking friends and colleagues for their recommendations and create a shortlist of builders to get quotes from. Based on the quotations we receive for their pricing and workmanship; you will be able to choose a builder that fits best for the job.
12. How long will it take?
For many cases, a quick and simple extension can take between four to six weeks, if you happen to be adding only a small amount of space under an existing roofline and don’t require a full range of tradespeople to complete the job.
A similar timeline would also apply if you were adding a kitchen or bathroom or anything else. However, for large extensions that involve a lot of renovations to the existing house, the time frame is more likely to be between three to six months or longer. This is especially so if the extension involves a second story addition.
It is advisable to set our self a strict timetable for completion. The chances are that it will over-run. However, if we lay down the ground rules for completion at the very start of the project you avoid living on a building site for months on end. Don’t underestimate the impact that building an extension can have on our quality of life, and trying to minimize that impact.
In case you need any assistance with your home extension project, don’t hesitate to contact us
