If you’re one of nearly 60% of homeowners choosing to improve their home instead of move this year, then you may still be faced with the problems that make people want to upsize in the first place.
A growing family is often the main reason for homeowners upscaling. However, according to research from Comparethemarket.com, 59% of homeowners would rather make home improvements than move, due to reasons such as inflation, stamp duty and economic uncertainty.
To help make the most out of home improvements, we have put together our top tips for extending your home in a way that adds space as well as value – ready for if and when you do decide to sell your home.
Make your home extension an extension
Firstly, do not be afraid to make your extension look like an extension. All too often people will be fixated on a making their extension look like a seamless part of their house, without realising the potential desirability of an obviously extended house.
Finding materials that will match your property can be difficult, and even when the extension is completed, if you’re not working with a builder who is highly experienced in extending period properties or similar, the chances are that you will be able to notice a difference in the construction of your home and the aesthetics of the extension.
A cheaper, faster and often much more attractive alternative is to add a statement extension; something that transforms your house into a home that works for you, but also shows that the house has been developed and a brand-new aspect has been added.
Extensions can be particularly effective in adding character to a property that looks the same as everyone else’s in the vicinity, or to a property that is otherwise plain and bland. Take a look at modern alternatives and you may be surprised how a mixture of building materials such as glass or wood could complement your existing architecture.
Another benefit of this approach is that often planning permission isn’t required, as a transformative approach can be classed as remodelling under Permitted Development rights. For more information about this, please contact us to ask any questions that you may have.
Extend your home upwards
The sky is the limit (alongside planning permission) with home extensions. If you don’t have a large garden or much space at the side or rear of a property, then building up is the way to go. There are several benefits to adding more storeys, as well as saving space for your garden. There is more access to light available the higher you go, and usually it’s not much more expensive to add two storeys instead of just one – there will still only be one roof needed, so it’s really about adding the budget for extra bricks and mortar.
Add more light to your home
Additional light and a longer line of sight throughout a house can make it seem far bigger than it is – and especially, far bigger than it looks without lots of natural light. There are lots of ways to approach this with an extension, but a couple of our favourites are:
- Sliding doors – if you have an open plan space that you’re looking to extend or remodel, then sliding doors will act as a barrier for sound or to close rooms off, but can slide right back to the walls to maximise lighting. For improved lighting at all times, try sliding doors made from glass, which can still create privacy if they are glazed, or with the use of blinds or curtains.
- Sky lights – the more directions that light can enter your home the better. Even when the sun has moved to the other side of the house and therefore isn’t shining light into your window, a skylight will provide natural lighting whatever time of the day it is.
Add a mezzanine
If you have a high-ceilinged room, wherever it is in your house, the chances are it would make an excellent mezzanine level. You don’t even have to think big – some people use mezzanines to simply fit in a bed and bedside table or to create more living and storage space in the main bedroom below. Others create a whole new living area within a dining room or hall to create room to relax or simply space for storage.
To investigate whether a mezzanine would be right for your property, please feel free to get in touch.
Speak to local Loughborough builders about the best home extension for you
If you think that any of these options would be a great way to add space or storage to your property, in order to make it a more appealing and efficient place for you to continue to live in, let us know and we’ll be happy to look into this for you.
At Abell, we don’t just expect you to give us orders and leave us to it. We are skilled builders who project manage extension and renovation projects from start to finish, so whether it’s an architect’s drawing that you need, or a confirmation of what will need re-wiring, you can leave this to us to manage alongside the build of your extension.
For more information, call us on 01509 734550 or send us a message using our contact form so that we can get back to you.
