It’s strange how a house can all of a sudden start to feel that bit too small, and when you’ve got fond memories it can be hard to think about leaving. Perhaps your family has grown, you’ve acquired more stuff, or you just don’t seem to have the room you require. Whatever the reason, you may not need to move. If you love your house or the area you live in, building an extension is a great way to add loads of additional room to your home.

When you start looking at bigger properties you realise just how much an additional room might cost you, and it’s a lot! It’s a well known fact that the bigger the property the higher the price, however, it’s also true that the more rooms you require the less properties there are available.

It might not seem ideal to live on a building site temporarily, it will be messy and loud, but it might make the most financial sense. Plus, moving is never a straightforward process, who wants to pack and unpack everything they own.

Luckily, in recent years extending your property has become easier than ever. The laws surrounding property development have been liberalised, and this will stay the case for any property built before May 2019, making this is the ideal time to get planning your extension.

The basic rules were that any single-storey extension can be made to a property without planning permission, so long as it doesn’t exceed 3 meters in length. If you have a detached property this goes upto 4 meters from the rear of the premis. With the temporary relaxation of the rules, you can now build up to 6 meters behind an attached property and 8 meters behind a detached home, however, you will have to speak to your neighbours about it and gain their agreement.

Regardless of what type of property you have, you will still need to fully comply with building regulations and gain permission if you reside in a conservation area, or if your building is listed. Make sure you are fully informed of all rules and regulations before you carry any work out or plan the size of the extension.

Other things to consider before you start building are electricity, lighting and heating. You’ll want to know roughly how you’re going to lay the room out once it’s done so you can plan power sockets and window space. Try to get as much natural light in the extension as possible. Depending on where the extension is, you might also have to think about where the back door is going to go. It is always advised to do the designing with a professional, and they have experience and can offer great advice.

You’re going to need some wall space for a radiator to heat the extension up. Traditional radiators are great, but can take up quite a lot of room, and if the extension is fairly small this might not be idea. Companies like CNM Online offer vertical, horizontal and designer radiators, meaning their are more options available than ever before, some of which are great for saving space.

It is crucial to remember you’re going to be taking up some of your current garden space to develop the home. You may need to rehome some of your current plants and move sheds or patio slabs. You’ll have to check that no essential pipework is covered incase of future problems.

Although an extension does require some hard work and stress, it is worth it to save the money and stay within the home that holds your memories.