Are you thinking about extending the size of your home? This is an effective way to increase the value of a property and add more features to it. However, there are many problems that can occur along the way, so it’s vital to consider the following factors, before you decide to extend your home.
Safety and Waste Removal
Before you even contemplate building a new extension, it’s essential to secure the area you will be working in. You may have to knock down walls, take down roofing and relay the foundations before a new extension can be built. This means there will be a lot of debris and waste products that need to be removed in a safe way. You can do this by putting them in roll-off dumpsters or by using other safe waste disposal methods.
Structural Concerns
For larger projects, it’s essential to find out if the work you intend to do will affect the current structure of your home. Ideally, you should consult with an engineer or other highly qualified building professional and find out if the extension work you want to complete is safe and won’t affect the roof, chimney, walls or other key structures in your home.
The Construction Company
When you have a clear idea about the construction project in hand and you’re certain that it’s safe to go ahead with the work, you need to find a reliable company to complete this work. Look for recommendations from people you trust, and where possible you should try to find examples of previous construction projects, completed by construction companies you are interested in hiring.
It’s also a good idea to talk to their previous customers and find out more information about local construction companies, such as the time it took to finish their work, the quality of their work and how well they communicated throughout a particular building project.
Price
Unfortunately, it’s very common for home extension projects to spiral out of control, with many of these projects eventually costing a lot more than they should have cost. To prevent this from happening, a homeowner should take a more proactive role in this type of work.
You should be able to get a close estimate of what an extension will cost and factor in any problems or additions that may increase this final figure. This will ensure that you don’t have any nasty surprises when it’s time to pay for the work done in your house.
Regulations, Permits and Permission
Smaller extensions are usually straightforward and should not pose any problems with the authorities or your neighbors. However, if your home extension is a large project, you may need to find out if you need certain permits or have to follow certain regulations. The work you’re carrying out, may also affect your neighbors, so you should consult with them about the work you intend to do.
As you can see, building an extension is not always straightforward. Before you decide to go ahead with this type of work, make sure you address each of the points above first, so that you don’t have any regrets later on.