If you’re looking for a way to open up extra space in your home and add value to the property at the same time, you’ve probably already considered getting an extension. Particularly with the housing market the way it is right now, we’re seeing more and more people decide not to move, and instead to stay in their home and extend them to meet their needs. Generally, this is a great alternative to moving and is often much cheaper, but an extension can also be disruptive to your life for a while. So it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself in for, and make sure you get it right the first time. If you’ve never gone through a house extension before it can be difficult to know what to expect, and since we do extensions every day, we’ve put together 10 questions you should be asking your builder to make sure you’re getting the most of your extension project.
What Building Regulations Apply To House Extensions?
Even if your house extension can be built under Permitted Development rights, you will still need to get Building Regulations approval. These regulations set out minimum requirements for:
- Structural integrity
- Fire safety
- Energy efficiency
- Damp proofing
- Ventilation
- Other key aspects that ensure the building is safe
While repair work is generally exempt from building regulations, new building work like extensions are required to meet these regulations. Knowing what regulations your extensions need to meet is crucial, and is a good way to determine that you’re working with the right builder.
How Big Should I Build My Extension?
It’s very easy to get caught up in how many square metres your extension will be, especially during the planning phases when it’s all designers will talk about. But you also need to think about what that size is adding to your house, and the impact it will have internally. After all, bigger isn’t always better, and we’ve seen many people end up with huge extensions they can’t really fill, leaving their house feeling empty or disjointed. There are often other ways of creating the feeling of more space without adding extra square feet, you just need to think outside the box. Ask your builder what they think, and how they would create that feeling of extra space in your home.
What Do I Need To Know About The Party Wall Act?
Your neighbours can’t stop you from building up to, or even on the boundary between your properties, even if it requires access to their land to do it. That is providing you have the relevant planning permission and there are no restrictive covenants in place. This is thanks to The Party Wall Act, which allows you to carry out work on or up to neighbouring land and buildings, formalising arrangements and protects everyone’s interests. If your extension requires you to dig or build foundations within 3 metres of the boundary, party wall or party structure, then you will need to hire a surveyor to ensure you’re compliant with the Party Wall Act (unless you’re in Scotland, where it doesn’t apply).
Are My Foundations Strong Enough To Extend Over The House?
It’s often appealing to extend above a single story level of your house, like a kitchen or garage, but you need to make sure those structures can support the extra weight an extension would bring. The last thing you want is to damage your existing house and cause a collapse! If the original structure is surveyed and isn’t strong enough, then there are some options. You can underpin shallow foundations, strengthen or bypass the existing foundations with a steel frame bedded into new concrete pas footings, or demolish the structure and rebuild a two-storey structure from scratch. A good builder will be able to do asses this for you and talk you through the best options for you.
How Will Access Affect My Extension?
If you like in a terraced house, you might be wondering how builders will be able to access your property to do their work. Honestly, this will have a big impact on the type of extension you can have. For example, you might not be able to use certain construction methods, or you might need to speak with your neighbours and make arrangements to use their land for access, temporarily remove fence panels etc. Again, a good builder will be able to advise you on this when they see your property, and provide some solutions to achieve your dream extension.
At DNA Brickwork and Builders, we are experts in all things new build, renovation, and extensions. We can support you through every step of the process, from planning and design to construction and finishing work. So all you need to do is figure out what to do with all your extra space! And because all of our work is bespoke, you won’t get any prefab builds or cookie-cutter extensions that look like everyone else’s – just a unique extension that reflects you to a T. For more information, just get in touch with the team today and book your free, no obligation consultation.
