There are a number of reasons why a house may require an extension - perhaps the owner needs more space, wants to add value to their home or merely wishes to increase the area of their property. Since the expenses and hassles of relocations are increasing day after day, most people have begun to realize that adding an extension is quite less expensive than moving. Moreover, most properties in UK possess untapped potential. As such, renovations can add to their market value and also make them more enjoyable for dwelling in.
Prior to planning a costly conversion or extravagant extension, it is important to get in touch with a local estate agent and seek information about renovations that are popular within the area. There is a certain ceiling value of every street, and over developing would not provide good returns on the investment. Meticulous research is also a crucial necessity in order to determine the most suitable type of conversion. For instance, a family-friendly extension would not be appropriate in an area full of youths. Planning wisely can help in achieving more value than what is spent.
While making plans to get an addendum, most people make the mistake of going directly to a builder instead of hiring an architect. By doing so, they skip the extremely vital stage of design. But it is important to bear in mind that builders are only good at building structures and not designing them. An architect possesses in-depth knowledge about different types of residential architectural design and would know better how to increase the market value of an extension by designing it accordingly. Besides that, they would be also be able manage everything pertaining to the project - providing assistance for securing building regulation approval and planning consent, looking for an appropriate builder, inspecting progress and standards on site, arranging for special input and overseeing everything right from construction up to completion.
After finding a qualified and experienced architect, one must request for seeing their portfolio. At least three recent projects must be examined and visited as well for performing visual inspection. Asking for references can be prudent, as good practices would always be in demand.
Another essential step that must not be skipped at any cost is sitting down with the architect and identifying what is needed to achieve and how the extension must appear. The details taken into account should not be way too overt, but well-defined as well as unambiguous.
