EXTENDING YOUR HOME

Going to the effort of adding space is a big undertaking, so it is important that you are doing it for your own enjoyment and comfort and that it will add value to your home and how you live in it. We are delighted to share with you what we feel are important house extension considerations.

Transforming your home from inside to outside

One of the first things to do when extending is to look at the orientation of your home and focus on maximising the natural light. 

As every home can be different, there is no one-size fits all when it comes to designing a single storey extension.  You may have the same style house as your neighbour who has a rear extension, however, the style, layout and function of their extension may not suit your specific requirements. 

You have a different lifestyle to your neighbour and how you live your day to day will be different.  This is why, when you get the opportunity to extend your home, you should do it to suit how you and your family live and focus on what would enhance your overall experience living in this space.

A new extension should never be rushed.  You should invest time and energy into carefully planning the various aspects or otherwise you could end up regretting poor decisions.  Making a wrong move at this stage could mean that you have to live with it unless you enjoy and lotto win and go at it again! You may find this previous blog post helpful House Extension Top 14 Tips

Optimise Views

Take a new kitchen for example, many homeowners tend to include a kitchen island high up on their agenda.  If you go too small with the island, it will look out of proportion and likewise, if you go too big it could end up over-powering the space.

If you position it in a certain considered location, you could benefit from a stunning view out to the garden.  Or if you choose to keep it clear of a sink or hob, you could end up facing into your kitchen wall space while cooking - unable to interact with others in your open plan living area.  Poor decision choices could have a detrimental effect on your entire extension and you could be kicking yourself afterwards.

You can decide whether to connect the new addition to the old with a structure that is more in-keeping with the existing or you can choose to contrast it by making a bold statement – a contemporary style extension on to an older traditional style home.  You will need to ensure that any aspect of the new extension does not appear like afterthought.

The roof structure is another area that you should carefully consider.  A flat roof structure could allow for a generous ceiling height which will give your new extension a great sense of space and the wow factor. If you have a lean two structure already in situ, it might make sense to work off the original wall structure.  For a bungalow with a pitched roof, it may make sense to continue this roof style for the extension.

Function Matters

When extending your home, it is important that the new structure works in unison with the old. There is little point adding space to a home, only to make parts of the old home redundant.  You should aim to get as much as possible from your existing and new structure in terms of function.

The type, style and location of new doors and windows should be carefully planned.  You need to think about the openings of same, for example what direction to open your slider so that it won’t impact on the flow of this space or will you have sufficient space to stack your curtains. If windows are not fixed, you should be mindful that the framing will not take away from your garden views etc.

While a south facing rear garden lends itself to ideal situation for a rear extension, you need to be mindful and introduce sufficient natural light with additional windows including roof windows.  It will be imperative that you get sufficient light into what will be the older mid-section of the home.  You need to decide whether you will need to open these or not. Choosing electric roof windows will avoid hardship trying to open and close these especially during the summer months.

Designing a well thought out functional space that connects seamlessly to the existing home and to the garden is very important.  If you can connect your new internal floor levels with your external levels, this makes perfect sense.  If you can create a stunning view from your new extension, consider framing it with a picture window. 

Maximise Opportunity

For most homeowners, the prospect of achieving a vast open plan space that incorporates a new kitchen, dining and living space is what drives them forward.  You might like to take a read of some of our previous blogs relating to open plan living and extensions Open Plan Living Single Storey Rear Extension

Normally when you extend to create a more open plan style of living, you can end up with less wall space.  Consideration should be given to gaining back wall space in your existing footprint, perhaps by blocking up an internal ope, for example double doors into another room or perhaps an external door to the side that you rarely use or a window without a decent view, for example facing a neighbours concrete block wall. 

Depending on your specific needs or if you wish to future-proof your home, you could aim to introduce a downstairs shower room into your new footprint. This could be planned alongside a new utility room.

Most older homes tend to lack storage so it is important to introduce clever storage when feasible.  A home can be greatly enhanced with some smart practical storage solutions, a well-designed utility room or boot room or dedicated home office space can make life so much easier.

With some extensions, you may end up with nibs or columns which can easily be extended to create the ideal location for the kitchen run, storage wall or to incoporate a new vertical radiator. For some homeowners, a more broken plan approach can appeal and this can easily be created with clever design.

In terms of layout, additional floor space will only serve you well if it has purpose and has sufficient natural light.  There should be a good sense of flow in the space and the best way to ensure this is through spatial planning and design.  You could easily diminish the benefit of a new extension by introducing a corner sofa or dining room table that is simply too generous and overpowers the room.  There is nothing worse than having to maneuverer your way around furniture, squeezing past chairs on the way out to the garden. 

Less is More

Less is more when it comes to layout.  Think about choosing an extendable dining room table that fits beautifully in the space but when extended - still works! 

Always consider the proportions of your home and garden.  An extension may result in taking from your garden footprint. 

One of most important house extension considerations is to absolutely factor in the layout of the existing home with the new extension.  You want to ensure that no spaces or rooms in the existing home will become redundant as a direct result of the extension.

The secret sauce to making your extension work for you it to ensure it fits your budget, your unique style and most importantly, your lifestyle!

If you would like to have a chat to explore the possiblity of exending your home, get in touch for a chat by contacting us here