The benefits of not moving house
There are many reasons why we might need a bigger space, or force you to think about how to extend your house. There are also usually many good reasons to stay where you are. Family, work, social life,
schooling, and transport links might all be encouraging you to stay put. Equally, they might all create exceptional challenges involved in moving to a new area.
The problem with finding a new property with more space in your immediate vicinity is often fraught. In London, many properties in an area were built around the same period and of similar size. Pockets of larger homes may exist but all too often the price is prohibitive. Of course, before you even get to the job of establishing yourself in a new area there are the onerous tasks of selling, buying, and removals.
Options for how to extend your house
There are some basic decisions to be made before you choose how to extend your house. Converting the attic space is often the first option considered. Alternatively, extending the property sideways if there is room, or into the back garden is the choice for many.
Of the three, the attic or loft conversion is the most common. You will benefit if there are already conversions in the street. This provides a precedent and makes the planning application easier. Though make no mistake, the local authority will want plenty of input on what will be permitted. The number and size of windows will be limited, as will the final shape.
Extending sideways or into a garden has another layer of complexity. Almost invariably this will involve the moving of utilities, pipes, and cables. If the new part of the building is to go over a sewage pipe the additional cost can be considerable. Especially true if a manhole has to be moved.
The homebuilding website lists no less than 25 things you need to consider. From site insurance and where to live while the work is carried out. Through to the need for a contingency budget and whether the boiler needs upgrading. Click here to see their comprehensive list.
It doesn’t really matter whether you go up, backwards or sideways. The process is fraught, time-consuming and expensive. Oh, and you may very well fall out with the neighbours.
But before you decide that, on balance, it might just be simpler to move home…
The path of least resistance might be the garden path
There is a beautifully simple option for how to extend your house. A London Town Cabin can be tailored to meet your precise needs. Whether your need is for an extra bedroom, a home office, a workout space, or the more traditional multi-purpose man-cave.
In regards to planning, almost invariably there are just some simple rules to follow. You are allowed to use up to 50% of the garden space. This is defined as the total land area minus the original area the house covered. So you will need to take into account any previous extension work, regardless of how long ago that work was completed. There are also rules around height, though these range from 2.5m up to 4m so never really a problem.
We would always recommend an early, quick call to the local planning office. Just to establish that you are not in some pocket of conservation area with a unique rule or two.
The important exception to this rule is when you are building a space that someone will sleep in. In our experience, the rules are sensibly only in place to enforce fire regulations and have never caused design issues.
A difficult decision made easy
So if the question is how to extend your house, we would answer, let us take care of it for you. You will be in the very best of hands. Dave, the owner here, got his degree, with Hons, in engineering. He then spent 10 years as a construction engineer prior to setting up London Town Cabins. With a professional team of tradesmen, he will create the perfect, bespoke, space to suit your needs precisely. About as far removed from a ‘dodgy builder’ as it is possible to get, which puts a line through another big concern if you are wondering how to extend your house. Dave project manages the entire build with every detail completed to his exacting standards.
The process is reassuringly consultative and you will be invited to share all your ideas. Dave will bring his experience to bear to help those ideas evolve into the perfect outcome.
Whatever it is you require from the extra space, it can be achieved beyond expectations. There is no downside to opting for this route. While the gains in terms of cost, speed, and simplicity of process will surely make the rigours of moving home look like a mountain to climb. You can call David now on 020 8341 9712 or send a message and we will get straight back to you.