House Extensions on a Budget
Having an extension built onto a home can add value to it, around 25% in fact, something not to be sneezed at if you’re thinking of putting your house on the market a little further down the line. The problem being the cost of building an extension can make a serious hole in a bank balance. Finding out if building an extension on to your house on a budget is a feasible option, is something just about every home owner would love to know. After all if it can be done on a budget, it offers the perfect solution to a problem you’ve been trying to solve for a while.
Factors to Think About
When it comes to budgeting for an extension there’s a few things you need to factor in to the equation, and they all have a bearing on your build costs. These include the following:
- Ground conditions
- Access
- Location
- Proximity to services
All of the above will have a real bearing on your build costs. Naturally the biggest variant when it comes to cost is personal specification, and then how you manage your budget. One of the most common mistakes home owners make is to over spend on material specifications which causes them to go way over their initial budget. Knowing exactly what you want helps; being indecisive is another fatal flaw that results in extensions costing far too much money to build.
Glass roofs on an extension offers a contemporary look to the home
Think About Doing the Work Yourself
By far the cheapest way to build an extension on a house is to carry out all the work yourself. However, if you are not a builder or a proficient DIY buff, you might just find out you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. The project may get off to a good start but the chances are things might just snag up not too far down the line. You might save yourself money on materials and the work that needs to be done, but you will definitely lose out on time.
As a rough guestimate by doing the work yourself, building a single storey extension on your home would cost you around £1,000 per sq. metre, if the extension measures 20 metre sq., whereas using the services of a contractor would cost you in the region of £1400 per metre sq. on the same size single storey extension.
Although doing the work yourself may turn out to be rewarding and you do learn a few more skills which you would need to pick up quickly, the job will be a time consuming project which may take longer than you had originally planned. Of course, sourcing the materials you need does mean you may save money on them as long as you know what you want, and are not going to deviate from a plan. When deciding whether to do the work yourself, ask is it realistic, for example if you are planning a skyframe that probably is not realistic, however if it is a new door this is probably more do-able.
Employing the Services of a Project Manager
The other route that’s definitely worth investigating if you are looking to build an extension on a budget is to employ the services of a professional project manager. They will help you keep the cost of the project down to a minimum as well as ensuring it does not take too long to complete the work.
It would fall to the project manager to purchase all materials needed for the project, and to employ any contractors making sure they are reputable tradesmen. It would be down to the project manager to oversee site supervision as well as the day to day management of all contractors working on the project to ensure everything is running smoothly and on time. This takes the onus off you and keeps costs down.
Conclusion
It’s a well-known fact that an extension can add a considerable amount of money to the value of a home. However, it has to be a well-built extension that suits the style of the property. By employing the services of an expert, you can build your extension on a budget knowing the work will be done to a professional standard. Not only will the extension add value to your home, but will aesthetically look brilliant too.
Image credits: Country Hardwood and martin glassbox
Category: Home Renovation, Housing
