I love the idea of extending my home. What’s not to love? Rather than moving to a bigger property, you’ll be able to improve the one that you already own. This means that you can avoid all the tension and stress that we associate with moving home. Instead, you just need to think about how to complete a home extension. I’d like to tell you that’s a lot easier, but you still need to be careful. It’s easy to fall into the trap of building an extension that doesn’t meet a high level of quality. Or, by starting the extension and then giving up halfway through. On this post, I’ll show you the steps that you need to take when completing work on your home extension.
Plan What You Want
Your first stage is to think about what you want from your extension. For instance, I’ve always loved the idea of adding a conservatory onto the back of my home. I think it could come through my back wall, connecting with the living room. Before I even consider starting this project, I need to think about a few things. I need to consider how much it’s going to cost, what tools I’ll need and what I can and can’t DIY. It’s possible that you’re going to be able to complete most of the extension work yourself. But even someone who’s incredibly skilled in DIY won’t be able to complete the entire project.
Once you’ve laid out your plan you’ll have a budget you can work with as well as a time frame to work within.
Get Permission
If you’re building an extension you will almost certainly need planning approval and permission from local authorities. This is particularly true if you are changing the aesthetic of the home. For instance, adding a second storey usually requires extensive approval. For a conservatory, I think you will probably get approval within two months. Assuming that it doesn’t affect anyone living nearby you.
Buy The Tools
There are a number of different tools you will need to build your extension. You can hire or buy these yourself if you are controlling the project. For my hypothetical conservatory project, I’ll need to prepare the foundation for the new room. To do that, I’m going to have to cut concrete, so i’ll need to look into purchasing diamond blades. Once I have the blades, I’ll be able to make quick work of the concrete in my backyard, using the right drill. Some contractors that you hire will use their own tools. Others will expect you to provide them for you.
Alert Your Neighbors
Lastly, you must make sure you alert your neighbors of the work that’s going to be completed. Just imagine how loud that drill will be when I or my contractors are working through the concrete. It’s unfair and unwise not to alert neighbors of the work being completed. If you don’t do this, they could complain, stopping the work on the extension dead.
However, once you’re finished, it will have all been worth it. You’ll have added something like the room in the picture below to your home.
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