3 Vital Things to Know About Home Extensions

The most cost-effective and profitable way to invest in your home is to make it larger. Extra living space, particularly extra bedrooms, can send your property value skyrocketing. 

With the excellent return on investment on offer, it is easy to see why so many homeowners consider adding some extra, functional space to their home. 

Before you begin planning your extension, there are some things you should know. These tips can help save time, money, and stress and start your extension plans on the right foot.

Plan For The Worst, Hope For The Best

Every project comes with its share of risks and hazards. Building an extension to a property, whether a two-floored wing or a small conservatory and sunroom, will bring unforeseeable problems. Sometimes, extensions can come with an emergency or two for you to deal with.

Having a plan is one thing, but having a plan for when things do not go to plan is next-level preparation. Several emergencies and disasters strike a construction project, and knowing whom to call and what to do when the worst happens can save time, money, and even lives.

If someone is injured, you can call the emergency services. But who do you call when something breaks, bursts, or gets damaged? Get a list of emergency contacts for every disaster you can imagine. Building foundations for an extension can break pipes, cause water leaks, and add the cost of pipe leak repair to a build. Water leaks can also cause a lot of excess damage, and quickly too.

The water leak and pipe repair experts at Miracle Leak Detection will provide you with a quote following a free visual inspection of the affected area. This helps you to budget going forward, and their rapid response can reduce the amount of damage a burst pipe or water leak can cause.

Assemble A Team And Delegate Responsibility

Extending a property is too much for one person to do themselves. Big or small, there are a lot of responsibilities and tasks to take care of. To get the job done on time and as close to your budget as possible, you are going to need to assemble a team of helpers and experts to get the result you want.

Your project will need a manager who can handle day-to-day site operations and liaise with suppliers and local authorities to ensure the extension is safe, legal, and high-quality. 

This can be done by you, but by hiring a project manager you can save time and stress by experiencing the construction as a client, and not as a worker. You can still pitch in but under their instruction and guidance. If you decide you do not want to get involved in the build later, you can take a step back and influence the build as a client.

You will also need a team of skilled workers to get the finish you demand. Any extension you add to a property increases its size which massively increases property value, especially if you add bedrooms. If the quality of this work is below the standards, you and potential buyers expect in the future you will not see a return on your investment.

Choose your contractors carefully and try to see examples of their work for yourself. Both internally and externally, the quality of your home extension needs to match the rest of the home to have the greatest financial benefit.

Getting Planning Permission Is Easier Thank You May Think

The biggest hurdle that many people used to face when adding to the size of their property was planning permission. Sometimes homeowners could spend months or even years fine-tuning plans and would have to constantly reapply for permission after subtle changes were made. These days many local authorities have streamlined the process and made it more accessible to homeowners.

Though it is advisable to get the help of an architect to plan your extension, by working with your local authorities and learning some new skills you can help push plans through yourself. Many councils are eager to assist homeowners that wish to invest in their property, which is an investment in the community too. 

Before you commit to working with legal and architectural firms, make your local council your first port of call. They have a wealth of information and advice that can help speed up the planning and building processes and have local knowledge that can help you get a better return on investment.

When home extensions go right, the results can be both visually and financially impressive. Adding bedrooms, bathrooms, and conservatories get the best returns, but there are other options. 

You can give your home a private media room, or larger kitchen, and get the extra features you have always wanted while still getting a financial boost.