House Extensions

Adding an extension to your house is obviously dependent on whether or not you have the available land adjacent to your property. If it is available an extension may be a more viable option compared to moving house, especially in areas where the difference in price of a house compared to the next size up is a daunting prospect. House extensions can create hassle - you may not be able to use your drive or garden for a few months. But you have the advantage that you don't need to move, and therefore, you are not dependent on selling your property and finding a new one that suits your needs - both within a time limit.The costs involved can add up as with moving house. You will have the initial costs of using an architect to draw up the plans and submit them to the council for planning permission and building regulations approval. And, of course, the council require a fee - in fact two fees - one for planning permission and one for building regulations approval. The fees for the building are, in general, going to be the largest outgoing, though you must remember that there may be additional costs depending on the type of extension you are planning.

For example, if you are extending a room by knocking down an outside wall, you will have to pay a structural engineer to calculate the size of the RSJ (the beam that supports the wall above the new gap), and a quantity surveyor to calculate the cost of the bean. Sometimes, plans have to change after work has started and this may involve extra costs. Builders, in general, will quote you for what they can see, quotes can change if extra work below ground is required.There may also be costs involving your garden, e.g. landscaping afterwards if you taken up part of your garden. If you are extending the kitchen then you may need to have a new kitchen fitted. And, of course, there will be extra flooring (carpets, vinyl, wood etc), curtains and possibly new furniture