Things To Think About When Building A Home Extension
Building an extension on your home is a big job. Getting it wrong could mean you make the property look unsightly. It could also mean you upset your neighbors and end up in trouble. However, most people don’t consider that fact that poor planning could make the construct unsafe. That would put your family at risk and possibly other people. So, you need to spend time reading all the advice on this page. We’re going to discuss all the important elements, so there is no excuse for making an oversight. Think about all the information below, and you should create an extension that will add value.
Contacting an architect
Do not make the mistake of letting tradespeople start work without a professionally-created plan. In most instances, you will have to submit the blueprints for your new build to the local authority too. That means you need to get in touch with a reputable architect as soon as possible. They tend to charge a lot of money for their services, but it’s worth every penny. Once you have an expert design, your mind can relax slightly. At least you will know the planned structure of the extension is sound.
Dealing with foundation issues
It is possible that you will discover foundation issues before building your extension. It is critical that you handle them before it’s too late. You might remove access to the area with your new build, and so it will become more difficult to fix the problems. Make sure all foundation repairs are made before a single new brick is laid. At the end of the day, problems like those could mean your extension deteriorates and becomes damaged in only a few years. You want it to last for the lifetime of the building.
Deciding on materials
Most people will build an extension that is in keeping with the rest of their property. Homeowners who live in wooden buildings should stick with the same material. The same goes for those living in brick homes. However, you also need to think about the framework. Does it need to be incredibly strong? Do you plan to build on top of the extension in the future? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, you’d need to invest in some steel. Thankfully, there are many sellers of cheap and surplus steel in most states. So, you just need to take a trip to their business premises and get stuck into negotiations. Try to pay as little as possible, but make sure you get undamaged good-quality products.
The only other thing you need to worry about relates to keeping your neighbors happy. In some circumstances, the local authority will ask for their opinions on the job. That is usually done before work is carried out. They just want to know if anyone living nearby can see a potential issue. So long as you’re not blocking sunlight or creating an obstruction, everything should be fine. Now you just need to find a team of reliable local builders willing to undertake the job. Good luck with that!
