It is a very effective way to stay where you are but have all the room you need. We have seen many families simply thrilled with their new spaces that they never thought possible until they considered a home extension.
A home extension can vary greatly from a simple addition like a bedroom or office, or the addition of a master bedroom and en-suite, or get very serious and add an extra storey (or two!) on top of your existing home. The options really are endless, it just depends on what you are trying to achieve and what your budget is. It also can depend on the structure of your current home and how conducive that is to being extended. Plus, the other factor can be the typ of land your home is built on.
As we have mentioned, some of the different types of home extensions we see are:
Single-storey extensions: One of the most popular and least costly kinds of extensions, this involves building a single storey room onto the side or rear of the home. Well liked for opening up the home to the garden and the relative simplicity of the project. These are great for uses such as a bedroom extension, office extension, entertaining area extension and much more.
Double or multi-storey extensions: These projects can be significantly more expensive than a single-storey extension and tend to face more issues when looking for planning approvals. On different floors, you can choose between adding new rooms or simply maximizing the potential space of different rooms. An important part of this kind of extension is ensuring that it meets the characteristics of the existing home, including materials used and room form.
Second Storey Extensions: If you can get approval, adding a storey can be the single most effective way of giving your home extra space. You can literally double up on the floor space available on a one-storey home will keeping just as much outdoor space. This is an expensive and extensive option but can be a great choice if you don’t have a lot of room to move out onto a smaller residential block. These are covered in another category HERE, but second story extensions are generally much larger and complicated renovations when there really is not a lot of room to move out, or yo are trying to capture breezes or views that extending on the current block won’t achieve.
Lift & Build Under:This is still classified as an extension – except going downwards! This either involves lifting the home up and building in underneath the home and really can have a raft of benefits. Many homes already have a concrete pad underneath, but are not quite high enough so one the home has been lifted, it is simply a case of filling in the space with walls etc. Or, sometimes excavation will need to take place to get the required height underneath the home. If you have a pole home on a fairly flat block, this type of home extension is certainly something to think about.
The best place to start if you are thinking about a home extension is to talk to a builder and ask if they have any ideas about what can be achieved as they may well have seen (or renovated) a home like yours before and can offer some practical solutions. If not, they should be able to put you in contact with a good home designer that could assist you in achieving more room with a home extension.