For more and more of us, going up, digging down or building out is becoming the savvy way to own the ideal home. Improving rather than moving makes a lot of sense. You can improve your current home and add value for when you eventually choose to move on.
Step One: Do Your Research
Before you begin to plan a proposed extension, have a chat with a local estate agent and find out what types of improvements sell well in your area. There’s no point in spending a fortune on an extravagant extension that won’t bust through the ceiling price for your area. If you know someone who’s had an extension done, ask for their recommendations and advice.
Step Two: Planning Permission
With the relaxation in planning laws, you can now build an eight-metre single-storey extension to the rear of your property without planning permission. Plan to go double height? Then you can extend by three metres. You can also extend out to the side - no higher than four metres and no wider than half the footprint of the existing property. If this doesn’t provide enough extra space, then you’ll need to visit your local planning office to start the planning process. If you live in a conservation area, you’ll need to talk to the planning department before undertaking any kind of extension.
Step Three: Building Regulations
Whether you need planning permission or not, you must comply with building regulations that cover issues like insulation, drainage and fire safety. There are two routes you can pursue to meet building regulations - either submit a Full Plan Submission to the local authority and pay a fee for a building inspector to periodically oversee the work, or submit a Building Notice notifying the council you intend to start work in 48 hours and will comply with all regulations. It’s recommended that you submit a Full Plan for the least risk.
Step Four: Find an Architect
Whether you want to create something unique or simply add extra living space, you’ll need an architect. Contact the professional bodies such as Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), and always check that your architect has the relevant qualifications and professional indemnity insurance.
Step Five: Find a Builder
You can choose to manage the project yourself to help reduce costs, but project management can be difficult to juggle with a full-time job, especially as you’ll have to manage each individual tradesman. One solution is to use a design and build company - otherwise you’ll need to find a good builder who can deliver the work on time and to budget. Personal recommendations are a good start, as you can also check the workmanship yourself, but always get several fixed-price quotations to compare. Check that your builder has the relevant insurances and professional certification and is happy for you to check their past work.
Step Six: Move Out
Unless the build is likely to be very low impact or you're a single person, it makes sense to move out during the worst of the disruption. If you don’t have willing friends and family nearby, book accommodation locally - never go on holiday leaving the builder in charge.