Things You Should Consider Before Planning a Home Extension
As property prices rise, many of us find that it is better to renovate our homes or extend them instead of moving. It allows you to avoid the hassle of moving or changing schools. You don’t have to pay the fees to sell the home. However, home extensions are major projects in and of themselves, and you can make a mistake if you rush into one. Here are four things you should consider before planning a home extension.
The Importance of a Budget
Before you even begin planning your home extension, set a budget for the project. Bigger floorplans result in a bigger bill. Add a second story, and you have dramatically increased the cost of the project. The solution is to know what you can afford before you start creating concept drawings.
Share this number with your contractor and your architect and inform them of what kind of budget you are working with. Ideally, you should give them a number 10 to 15 percent less than you can afford, since you want this margin in case of cost overruns. When the contractor is aware of your financial constraints, you should get detailed plans that fit your budget. Then you are not left taking shortcuts and leaving things out because you are running out of money.
The Value of an Architect’s Advice
Not only will a good architect give you designs that will fit your budget as well as your overall vision, but they’ll be aware of what can and can’t be done within your jurisdiction. People like norrskenko.com.au architect services, for instance, have years of experience with extension projects and will make sure that your extension plan will be approved by the council. If you work with an architect that lacks the experience, you may end up waiting months to finally break ground on that new living area or mother-in-law suite your family needs. Work with a good architect who can maintain design continuity, allowing the extension to look like it was always part of your home and maximize the odds that it is approved by local planners.
The Impact of Construction on Your Life
Before you start your home extension project, determine how you could continue to live in your home. The honest answer may be that you cannot, and then you need to work out where you will stay while the work is being done. If you can continue to live in the home while the extension is built, consider anything else in your life that could get in the way of the project’s smooth workflow. After all, anything that interrupts work slows it down and adds to its cost. This is why you may want to discuss the extension with your neighbors before they fight the project once you have broken ground.
Whether you are adding one room or ten, home extension projects require a lot of planning if they are to be done properly.Take the right factors into account, so that you can truly live with the end result.
