There are few things as exciting as planning your home extension, and there is nothing quite as nerve-racking as trying to keep the project on track when things don’t go to plan. Whether you’re going to be relying heavily on a team of builders and designers or you’re planning to do most of the work yourself, extending your home is a huge undertaking. With so many moving parts, there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. As a builder and carpenter Melbourne residents come to for their home extensions, we’re very familiar with the kinds of pitfalls homeowners run into. The vast majority of the time, these problems could have been avoided altogether with a little forethought and planning. In this blog, we’ve put together a list of five important things to think about when planning your home extension.
This might seem like an obvious question, but you’d be amazed how many people rush into a home extension without really thinking through the end goal. Ok, so it’s probably safe to say you want more space, maybe another living room. But if you’re building this for your family and your kids are almost at the age when they’ll be moving out, is it really worth the investment? People tend to assume an extension will add value to their home, but this isn’t always the case, especially if your aesthetic doesn’t match current trends.
Building an extension can be an extremely disruptive process, and while you might think you can deal with all that noise now, you may feel very differently a month or two in. Be realistic about the level of noise and disruption that you and your family can handle. Extension builds also have a habit of running over schedule, so work this into your calculations as well. If you do decide to stay, you should have a backup plan in case it turns out to be too much.
Some homeowners attempt to handle the whole extension themselves. That kind of ambition is admirable, but unless you have plenty of experience with this kind of thing, we seriously suggest you work with a team of qualified builders and designers. Without experience, we pretty much guarantee that you will go way over budget and overschedule, and in the end you will probably need to call in the pros anyway. Again, it’s about being realistic.
Once you have even a rough idea of the kind of extension you want, make sure you find out what kinds of permissions you will require from your local council and if they have any special restrictions. This is definitely something you want a professional to look over.
Specifically, with a home extension, you’ll need to decide if you’re going to match the existing style. This can be tricky, especially with older style homes. If not, you’ll want to choose a style that contrasts with, but also compliments, what you already have. This is a delicate operation and getting it wrong can spell disaster and shear tens of thousands of dollars off the resale value. Again, we recommend getting professional assistance.
Melbourne Construction Solutions, we have over 15 years of experience with home extensions, renovations, and new home builds across Melbourne. To speak to one of our team members about planning your home extension, visit the contact section of our website today to get in touch.
