Home Extension UK - How to plan, design and build a house extension.

Adding a home extension can be a complicated process in trying to establish which is the best layout or home extension design, who and how to engage a home extension architect or designer, dealing with the Council for Planning Permission and Building Regulation consents - and all this before you can even think about engaging your builder or obtaining tender buildings costs for your home extension.

This web site seeks to explain and demystify the process by breaking it all down into its component parts. The author of this web site is a Home Extension Designer of some 30 years experience in residential development. Our aim is to provide you (the home owner) with the information and tools so that you are well informed of the home extension process so that you can engage the correct professionals and avoid the many pitfalls and traps that lay waiting for the inexperienced.

An overview of this Home Extension UK Website.

How to select and engage your home extension Architect or Designer - are they really necessary?

Many homeowners struggle with who they should engage for professional services on extending their home. Most homeowners will refer to 'their architect' which in 90% of cases is factually incorrect - find out why and we explain what you should be looking for in your home extension designer.

Planning Permission - the dark arts of home extension design?

Understanding the Planning system and the Design controls they have can be fundamental for a successful home extension planning permission. Why your are not the only client or customer they have. Is pre-application planning advice a good thing? How you can improve your chances of obtaining planning consent at the first go. How to avoid neighbour complaints and how to deal with them when they do complain.

Permitted Development and the home extension - Can you really build a home extension without approaching the Councils Planning Department?

In October 2008 the permitted development (PD) rights or rules for a home owners property was meant to have been relaxed so that more householder extensions could be built without the need for formal Planning Consent. We explain how you can exploit the PD route to your best advantage and show you what to do. There are many technical traps when installing permitted development home extensions to your property - find out what they are and how best to avoid them.

The Building Regulations for home extensions - Everyone hates the term 'Inspector' but find out why they can be your best friend and protector.

The success or failure of any home extension scheme can often be found within these drawings and specifications. Make sure they are comprehensive and that your home extension design agent or designer is submitting the application in the correct method (many do not). Why many home extension architects or designers avoid this service or fail to provide the correct documents. You have choices of Inspector for approval of your home extension design scheme - understand the differences.

Extra consultants are often required for home extensions - Are they necessary?

From Tree experts to flood risk consultants. Bat experts to asbestos surveyors. Highway reports to sustainability goals. Structural Engineers to SAP assessors. Soil test reports to loss of light analysis. - This is just a sample of what could be involved even for some of the most simplest of home extension schemes. Some are unnecessary and can be avoided whilst other are mandatory and very necessary.

Competitive tendering for home extension builder prices - Is this still the best option for obtaining value for money?

After all the months of designing, meetings, planning, building regulations, incurring various fees and costs all to find out that the tender prices are over your available budget or finances and the home extension scheme needs to be aborted or reduced in scale. Why has this happened and how to avoid it in the future. Is the 'design and build' route building to a predefined budget with a one stop shop D and B contractor approach the best option or a viable alternative to engaging separate designers and builders for your home extension?

Managing the build or contract process of a home extension - Can you do it alone?

Most experienced home extension builders are well versed in the art of subdifuge and creating extras for cost increases. Can you decide what are legitimate and those that are real extras? Are you able to negotiate extra costs with the home extension builder without help from your home extension designer or architect? Do you need to pay your designer or planning agent for contract administration services to look after your interests during the build on site? 

Builders secrets exposed - Learn the tips and tricks they have for inflating a home extension costs.

A cheap builders price for a home extension based on cheap or inconcise plans and documents from a 'plan drawer' is a recipe for disaster. Most cowboy builders love these types of 'bare bone' plans with just enough detail to obtain Council approvals. Should you be using a preformed building contract for your home extension? What should or should not be included within a home extension builders price. Good builders simply want to maintain their margin on the works or any extras - Cowboy or fraudulent builders will want to exploit every trick they can to extract your cash with only doing minimal works before they vanish - can you spot the difference?

If these are some of your questions or issues when looking into research for your own home extension then these please do take the time to read through our web site. It is evolving and being updated all the time so please bookmark our site and return often.

Good luck!

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