Having worked with many clients, builders and other property professionals, here are my top tips for optimising your Home Extension:
- Be very clear as to why you need a Home Extension, in terms of your ‘must-haves’ and your ‘nice-to-haves’. My definition of ‘must haves’ are your needs that must be delivered in order to make the Extension viable, in other words these are the deal-breakers which, if not achieved, will render the Extension not worth undertaking. The ‘nice-to-haves’ are the additional aspects which would be a bonus if delivered by the Extension, but are not essential. I reckon a good Architectural Designer should always ask you for these ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves’ and should also help you include elements which you may not have considered (e.g. vaulted roof/ceiling, inspiring glazing options, improved structural design to remove potentially unsightly pillars or ceiling protrusions).
- Consider your Design & Planning budget/timescales carefully. The Design & Planning phase of your Extension project will start with your needs as above, and will ideally complete with an optimised set of drawings which have the required planning permission (PP) or permitted development (PD). (Note: please call me if you’d like to elaborate on this PP or PD aspect further, as it can become complex). Planning permission may take time if there are controversial elements or your neighbours object, so this needs to be factored in also. There is a common quotation of ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ and this certainly applies to Home Extensions. Your Extension will only be optimised if you devote sufficient time and budget to the Design & Planning phase, as this is where the greatest difference to the end-result can be achieved. This isn’t to say your budget for this phase will need to be too sizeable though; for most Extensions a maximum figure of circa £1500 including 3D, should be realistic. Naturally, for smaller and less complex Extensions, this figure should be considerably less.
- The best Design methodology for you. There are three main Design methodologies for your Extension, these being 2D (standard black and white drawings), 3D (3D rendered images, 3D walkthrough videos) and Virtual Reality (ability to virtually be inside your proposed Extension and visualise in 360 degrees). I tend to find that many clients can visualise their proposed Extension far better with 3D or VR, as compared to 2D. However, some clients can manage perfectly with 2D only. It’s purely a personal perspective, although there are elements (e.g. new support pillars in walls, steel beam protrusions in ceilings) which can’t really be visualised with 2D only, but can make a significant difference to the end-result. It is certainly worth thinking about the best Design methodology for you to ensure the optimum end-result.
- Clarity on your budget and timescales for Build and Finishings. You may want the Extension to be completed within a defined timescale, so all elements will need to be considered together to ensure this can be achieved. The stages mentioned above are crucial, but there are also factors that need to be considered to ensure the Build and Finishings (e.g. kitchens, decoration, furnishings), can be sequenced correctly. These factors can often be expedited in the earlier stages (e.g. Party Wall Act, Build-over Agreements for sewers, structural calculations), so this opportunity should be taken if/where necessary. Also, budget is critical of course, so both the Build and Finishings need to be factored-in to determine the likely scope of the Home Extension Design and sizing. A good Designer should be able to give you the current ballpark costs for the Build based on your needs, so the Design can be complementary to this.
- Ensure the minimum amount of people between you and the Architectural Designer visiting, and working on your plans. Ideally this number will be zero, as you are interfacing directly with the professional who is visiting your home and producing your plans on a day-to-day basis. However, this isn’t always the case, as sometimes your Extension project may be outsourced to another company/person, or may be given to another person within the practice to deal with. I personally don’t like this latter approach, as I believe you need to interface directly with the professional visiting and producing your plans, so there are no ‘middle-people’ to confuse, delay or mis-understand.
These are my main tips, but I’ll be happy to discuss these and more tips with you.
info@housingplot.co.uk tel:02920214761