Eternal Truths Of Home Extensions

There comes a point the lives of most homeowners when it becomes abundantly clear that the time has come to extend your home, whether you’ve got family or just need a little more space for your hobbies. The problem, however, is making an extension that is both stylish and fits in with the rest of your build. Fortunately, there are some eternal truths when it comes to building new space on your plot. Here are your options.

Change The Layout Of The Old Build

When you add space to a house, don’t just think about what the new build could be used for – also think about how the old part of your house could be changed when you’ve got new space. Often you’ll find that an extension allows you to open up space in the rest of your house and perhaps even go open plan. For example, if your extension is for a living room, then you don’t need two. As such, you could convert your old living room into a kitchen-diner area with the new space you now have available.

Build Out As Well As Up

Contemporary extensions can look artificial, especially when paired with older buildings. Not only are they constructed with a different style, but they’re also a different height, making the home itself look like a sprawling mess. In general, it’s okay to mix modern with traditional, so long as other building elements, like the overall size of the extension, mesh nicely with the original structure. If it doesn’t, then it can end up looking forced from an architectural perspective.

The other benefit of building over two stories, of course, is the fact that you save on cost per square meter. Two floors usually work out as better value than one.

Build A Stylish Annex

Of course, the costs of building right onto your existing home can be high. This is why many owners opt for something like an Armstrong Steel building to be built separately from their house. They don’t want to change the original look of their home, but they do want a separate space they can go to work or store their cars. Annexes don’t have to be boring either. They can be constructed from steel to your specifications and make for an attractive modern alternative to regular builds.

Build High Ceilings

High ceilings are a perpetually missed opportunity when it comes to extensions. People are generally of the belief that they have to keep the same ceiling height as the rest of their homes, but there are all sorts of ways to adjust this, even on two-story buildings. One way is to go Japanese and dig down into the earth and have a semi-basement area in the new part of the house. This often gives three or four feet of extra height to a room, making it feel more luxurious and spacious. If you’re building two stories, you can also experiment with split level rooms with a small flight of stairs between the higher and lower areas. This helps to make the home feel more complex and opens up new and interesting design options.