Help Guide to Choosing the Right Extension for Your Home
With the cost of moving home running into many thousands of pounds, it’s not surprising that many families are opting to move up instead of moving on. With this in mind ITAS, in association with Which the consumer information service has compiled this guide to extending your home.
Loft conversion
Loft conversions are a popular choice and are generally considerably cheaper than an extension as much of the structure is already there. A one-bedroom, one-bathroom loft conversion will typically cost between £8,000 and £20,000. The average two-storey house can gain up to a third more space as a result (depending on the roof's pitch), without having to lose any of the garden.
Extensions
Building an extension is probably the most expensive and complicated option. Even the most basic, straightforward single-storey extension is likely to cost more than the average loft conversion, as the building work is starting from scratch.
Single-storey extensions are particularly good for providing an extra living room or a larger kitchen. Two-storey extensions can give you an extra bedroom or bathroom above. If you can't afford both storeys straightaway, you could build a flat-roofed ground floor extension that is strong enough to support a second storey later on. Alternatively, you may be able to add a room on top of your garage if the existing structure and its foundations can take it.
Conservatories
A conservatory is ideal for providing extra living and entertaining space, and can make a great children's play area. Adding a basic to middle-of-the-range conservatory is generally the cheapest way to obtain extra space, although a luxury Victorian style custom-designed and built conservatory can cost £30,000 or more. While few people are likely to pay anywhere near this much, it could prove a false economy in the long run to go for the cheapest possible lean-to DIY version for around £2,000.
A conservatory is generally the least intrusive and disruptive form of extension as most of the work is done outside. Plus a simple structure can take as little as a few days to construct.
Adding to the front of your home isn't usually allowed so you'll probably have to build at the side or back of the house. Much will depend on whether you'd rather have easy access to the rear of your property or as big a garden as possible.
Rules and Regulations
If you're going to alter the external appearance or structure of your house, or the way it's used, you'll probably need planning permission and building regulations approval. Planning permission governs what houses look like from the outside, what they are used for, and how any changes would affect the surrounding area. Building regulations approval is intended to ensure that buildings are structurally sound, as well as safe and healthy to live in and around.
Planning rules, and the way they are interpreted, vary throughout the UK, and may differ if you live in a conservation area or area of 'outstanding beauty'. Always check with your local planning authority first. Ways to improve the system (to make it easier for people to apply and obtain, for example) are under way but hadn't been finalised as we went to press. Building regulations are broadly similar throughout England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but differ in Scotland.
You should also notify your mortgage lender (if you have one) and your house insurers before any work begins.
Permitted development rights
If the alterations (conservatories included) fall within the stated 'permitted development rights', you probably won't need planning permission (unless you want to add dormer windows that face on to a road or project above the roof line).
For a terraced house in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the maximum increase allowed is 50 cubic meters or 10 per cent of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater, up to a maximum of 115 cubic meters. For all other houses the maximum increase is 70 cubic meters or 15 per cent, up to the same maximum allowance. This is generally enough space for a small single-storey extension, such as a utility room, or possibly a single garage.
The amount is an overall figure, so any previous extension work carried out since the house was built or as it stood in July 1948 (October 1973 in Northern Ireland) will be deducted from your allowance. You'll also need permission if the extension will alter the roof, be nearer to the road, exceeds 4m in height, and comes within 2m of a boundary. The extension mustn't cover more than half of the original garden area.
Building regulations
Most extensions and loft conversions have to meet building regulations requirements covering areas such as structural safety, energy conservation, ventilation, drainage, and means of escape in the event of a fire.
Conservatories with a floor space of 30m2 or less (8m2 in Scotland) are currently exempt from building regulations, providing the glass sections comply with safety glazing requirements. This exemption is being reconsidered. The usual rules concerning things like means of escape, drainage and ventilation still apply.
Getting Permission and Approval
Contact your local authority's planning department to find out more about planning permission or to obtain an application form. It's sensible to discuss your ideas with them informally before you apply.
Your local authority's buildings control department will be able to advise whether you need building regulations approval. The two main ways to apply in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are for you (or someone you've employed) to submit your full plans with the fee and wait for approval, or give them what's called 'building notice'. This includes presenting less detailed plans of the proposed work and the fee at least 48 hours before the work begins. A site inspection by a building control office will be necessary either way to make sure the work complies with the regulations. In Scotland you'll normally need to get a warrant to build beforehand and a completion certificate afterwards.
Unpermitted development
If planning permission is granted, it is normally valid for five years. You can appeal against any decisions to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (or the Welsh Assembly Government, Northern Ireland's Planning Appeals Commission or Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit, depending on where you live). But be warned, most original decisions are upheld. If you go ahead without approval, you could be forced to put the building back to its original state.
If the work undertaken doesn't comply with building regulations, you'll normally be told to put everything right within just 28 days. If this deadline is not met, the Building Control Body will probably take you to court, which could prove costly.
Getting the Work Done
Now you have decided on which type of project you are going to undertake, here's a beginners guide to getting it done.
Most people will need to hire at least some help. If you're considering doing part of the work yourself, break the project down into stages to help you decide what you can manage. For example, you might be able to help prepare the site at the beginning and add the finishing touches at the end, but haven't got the time or skills to do the middle part.
Surveyors and architects
Surveyors and architects can carry out a range of tasks, from putting your ideas on to paper and getting regulatory approval, to taking charge of the whole project. There are no recommended charge-out rates, but you can contact the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to find out whether the quote you've been given by an architect is at least reasonable. You can ask the Architects Registration Council, RIBA (or the equivalent in Scotland and Wales) or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) whether a person is qualified or a member. RICS will also supply a list of surveyors in your area.
Whom to hire?
If possible, use only people who have been recommended to you. You can find a local tradesman that has been fully vetted by ITAS by clicking on vettedtradesmen.org.uk/search.asp.
Quotations and contacts
Get at least three written quotations for the work, letting each contractor know they are competing for the job. Generally, a quote is a detailed breakdown of the work to be done and how much it will cost, while an estimate is just a rough guide. Make sure all the quotes are like-for-like comparisons (using the same materials, for example) and include VAT. Also, find out for how long they are valid. Ask contractors whose quotes are extremely cheap or expensive to justify them. The cheapest shouldn't necessarily be your first choice, while the most expensive won't guarantee high-quality workmanship.
A signed fixed quote is generally binding but it's worth drawing up a detailed contract. This should state the start and finish dates, the payment agreements, and the insurance cover that's in place while the work is being done. Putting everything in writing makes it absolutely clear who's doing what and leaves you in a stronger legal position should anything go wrong.
Living through the disruption
Warn your neighbors a few weeks before the work is due to start. If you are employing contractors, make sure you set the ground rules. For example, agree the best route into or through your home, which facilities they can use during their lunch and tea breaks, and how the site should be left at the end of each day or at the weekend.
Payment
Pay for large jobs in stages rather than up front. If possible, pay for any work costing between £100 and £30,000 by credit card, as the issuer will then be jointly liable with the contractor for any breach of contract. If the contractor then goes out of business before work has been completed, for example, you can claim against the credit card issuer.
Inspect the finished job carefully before paying the final installment. Check both the outside (the roofing and pointing, for example) and inside (including all light fittings, central heating system and plumbing work). Give the contractor a list of anything that's sub-standard and allow them a reasonable time in which to put things right. Consider withholding part or all of the final payment until this work is done.
Worth the Investment?
An extension, loft conversion, or conservatory, if done well, should boost the value of your home - upwards of £10,000, according to Abbey National. A two-storey extension will probably have the greatest effect. Major alterations won't necessarily make your home easier to sell - they can simply push your house into a higher price bracket. However, the value and saleability of your home will be determined largely by its location. A basic house in a desirable area will almost always be preferred to one in a less popular neighbourhood, no matter how much work has been done to it. Plus there's a limit to the amount by which the value of any house can increase. If you can buy a four-bedroomed house in an area for £200,000, then buyers will be reluctant to pay more for an extended three-bedroomed house in the same area.
The extension's design is crucial. If you get it wrong inside, you won't be getting the most from your investment. If it looks like an eyesore from the outside, it will probably have a negative effect on the house's saleability.
Think carefully about the extra space you'll get from the conversion or the extension you've planned - remember that doorways and staircases can take up a lot of room. Plus make sure the outside blends in with the original house as much as possible - for example, try to follow the existing architectural style, build it with as similar materials as possible, and line new windows up with existing ones. Look at the design of extensions attached to similar houses in your area for guidance. Lastly, it's usually best to install a pitched roof rather than a flat one as the latter, although far cheaper, never looks as good and isn't as attractive to future buyers.
Whatever work you decide to do, remember to reinsure your home afterwards, as your existing cover probably won't be enough.
