How to Budget and Plan for Your Home Extension

Do you love your home but find it’s too small for your needs? For many people, this is a sign that it’s time to move to a larger home, but what happens if you love your neighbourhood and the bones of your house? Moving may not be the best solution for you; instead, a home extension could solve all your problems. You’ll get to stay in your house but expand the space and create a customised floor plan that meets your needs.

Here we’ll take a look at some tips and advice related to budgeting and planning your home extension. This will help to eliminate much of the stress and confusion you may be feeling.

Budget and Plan for Your Home Extension

Be Specific with Your Expectations

Before you get too deep into your extension project, you must have a vision in mind of what the result will look like. Sure, little things may change, but having a solid concept will help the project move along smoothly.

Experts suggest you look for inspiration and ideas to help you form your design concept. You don’t want to copy others, but their designs can help you to customise your plan. It’s also important to determine how the extension will be used.

COVID Is Still Having an Effect

While the pandemic has got significantly better in terms of it being more controlled, it’s still having a fairly significant effect on various industries. Home renovations are one area that is still suffering from a shortage of materials and labour. What this means is that you’ll probably need to be patient and timelines may stretch longer than you anticipated and hoped.

Materials in particular are going through several delays with many items being back-ordered. You can either wait until your items come in, or you may choose to pick something in stock so that the project isn’t delayed.

High-End Features Call for a High Budget

Being realistic about your budget will also be important. If you want high-end finishes, materials and décor then you need to be prepared to pay high-end prices. Sure, you may get a deal here and there, but you can’t depend on that, and it certainly won’t be enough to significantly impact the budget.

Homeowners often have to come to this realisation through experience. This means they need to start looking at materials and fixtures in-person and get quotes so they fully appreciate how it affects the final budget.

Keep in mind there are plenty of ways to style items to make them appear more expensive than they are, so don’t feel pressured to spend more than you’re comfortable with.

Make Sure You Have a Little Extra Saved

Speaking of the budget, no matter how diligent you are in your planning and how affordable the materials and projects are that you plan, there will still be unexpected expenses that arise. Accept it as a given and have a little extra money saved or put aside to cover these overages. Doing so will help to eliminate the stress that will otherwise occur at the moment.

Do You Need a Tree Survey?

One thing you may not have factored into the plan or the budget is whether or not you need a tree survey. Tree surveys can be necessary if you are renovating a property, adding an extension to your home or building on an empty site. For those with trees on their property, they have to be considered.

This survey is conducted by a qualified arboriculturist such as those available through 24 Housing. They will send out an arboriculturist who will look at the structural and physiological condition of the tree and then help the homeowner and professionals involved in the project make a decision on how to remove or keep a tree. Different types of tree surveys can be done, so it’s best to give them a call and talk about your project.

What Professionals Should You Hire?

If this is a major extension project then you need to hire professionals with the right experience and training to get the job done properly, on budget and on time. You can start with an architect whose job will be to draw up the plans. You’ll be able to work with the architect to provide them with your ideas and vision, and then they will bring them to life on paper.

You can then hire a build and design company that will be working off the plan the architect has drawn up. The architect will also work with the builder to make sure that all your plans are followed.

These professionals are ideal for large and intricate extensions. While it costs money to hire them, ultimately it can be a cost-saving since they can save you from making huge mistakes or oversights. You may even need a project manager if the project is large enough.

Cutting Down on the Costs Can Be Done

So, what if you’re reading all of these tips and you see nothing but dollar signs? Is there a way to cut costs? The good news is that there are steps you can take to lower the budget. Keeping the project and the design simple and small will significantly reduce the cost. It means fewer materials needed, less labour used, and a faster timeline.

Did you know that even the shape of the extension you pick will affect the budget? When building an extension on the back of the home, if you can keep it rectangular or square-shaped with a simple flat roof, it will be much cheaper.

It can also be tempting to do the work yourself, but keep in mind that this is risky. You probably don’t have the same skills, experience, tools or knowledge as a professional.

Creating the House of Your Dreams

Building an extension on your house can be the perfect way to create the house of your dreams. It will give you more space, it will change the layout in the home and make it more functional, and allows you to customise the final look. Using all of these tips will help ensure that your budget and plans can be adhered to.

 

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