You’ve decided to extend your home and want to create extra space, add value to the property, and get this right first time without making any mistakes, so what are the potential pitfalls you should look out for? Carefully consider every single detail from the beginning, employ the services of a professional architect, and don’t take shortcuts if you want the plan to be a success and your home extension to be perfect from all angles.

People often make mistakes when they are planning new building projects, but go into this with realistic expectations and have a clear plan of action from the start, and there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a practical and enviable home extension.

To make you aware, we highlight some of the errors that can and do happen when people get home renovations wrong, so you can steer clear of the same mistakes in the future.  

Missing the bigger picture

The whole aim of a home extension is to increase the size of your property by creating extra square footage which can be used for a variety of purposes. Careful consideration needs to be given to the design of the extension from the very beginning, so you can be sure this is the right scheme for the plans you had in mind without having a detrimental impact on other areas of the home. Think about what this extra space is going to be used for, if the design has been optimised as best it can be, and whether it represents good value for the investment you have in mind.

Speeding the project along

Home extensions take time, so there’s little point in rushing this process as this will only have a detrimental impact on the scheme as a whole. Be patient with the detail, especially with official processes such as planning permission, as you will need this in place before any work begins. Find out for sure if your project actually needs planning permission. Obviously, if you engage the services of an architect from the beginning this will be easy to ascertain, but for clarity sakes, the type of extensions that will need planning permission include: 

·         Front

·         Side

·         Rear

·         Wrap-around

·         Multi-storey

·         Roof

·         Basement    

Your patience will be well rewarded in the long run, and there’s little point in trying to rush the project along as this will only have a negative impact on the overall scheme of things.

Choosing the wrong contractors

Care and discretion need to be taken when you are choosing contractors to complete the construction of your new extension.  It’s tempting to go with the cheapest quote from builders, but this can be a risky strategy, as they might be cheap for the wrong reasons. The best advice is to get a few quotes from reputable builders that are trusted traders and have a good reputation in the industry. This way you can assess each quote in question and select a contractor based on their merit, feedback and standing.       

It’s such a major decision when you are planning a house extension, so avoid the basic mistakes and get the project off to a good start by eliminating potential problems before they begin.

Speak to us here at Brightman Clarke Architects if you are planning any type of house extension in the future. Our expert advice and guidance can make the difference when you are looking for architects in Sheffield and Chesterfield, so contact us today for more details, or call us on 0114 321 1869.