As property prices make their way up and up, more and more of us are choosing to renovate our homes to add value and to add more space in cities where space is at a premium. Plenty of people choose to renovate because it’s hugely advantageous as compared to moving house, and it’s a great benefit for people who have kids already settled in their homes. Another benefit to adding on an extension is the fact that you don’t have to pack up and shift out – and on the contrary you can decorate and even buy MORE furniture! I can’t remember the last time I switched on the TV without landing on one of those renovation shows where every one of the contestants is each charged with a vision to transform their respective homes into something glorious.
I have absolutely no problem with these shows, and on the contrary I really enjoy them – mainly because I’m currently renovating my own home and have tackled on an extension. I have been working on this with my husband and together we’ve gone through the rigmarole of getting a building permit approved, getting a new extension sorted out and juggling all of this while raising three young children! It’s nothing really! I want to go through some of the tips that I have learned in this process and want to share them with you in the hopes that you’ll save some time and hassle with your own home extension.
What do you want to achieve?
You need to consider the major things that you’re hoping to achieve with your home renovation and house extension. If you’re looking to get a parent’s retreat sorted out, then you’ll need to consider things like the layout of your existing home and whether it’s worth using a space in your current home and using your extension to repurpose a different space. Also, you need to consider where you’re going to be living during the works that will be taking place in your home. Plus, consider whether you’re going to have any other factors that will get in the way of your renovation – like babies or children! I know that it was a concern of mine having kids and worrying about the building site, but it just meant we had to be more vigilant.
What is your budget?
One of the biggest things that will impact on the work that you’re going to be doing is the budget that you have to work with. Once you know what you want to achieve with your building, you can then get down to the part that is often the most fun or the least, depending on how much you like budgeting! You need to work with a builder or an architect – and this will help you to work out the costs. You may need investment property loans. If you need equipment hire in Melbourne, it can blow up the cost a little bit so it pays to know what kind of budget you have in place and to conduct your research.
What is the design?
This is the fun part – the design! You need to consider the design of your existing home and work out where you can blend your existing home’s structure into your extension. This will ensure seamless blending of your home’s design and the new component.
Have fun!
Don’t forget that you’re going to be going through the potential hassle and heartache here in order to tack on a new addition to your home and that this is going to be a happy place for your family to enjoy together! Make sure you enjoy it and have fun with it where you can.
Good luck with your home extension, I hope that your building works turn out to be a great time for your family and that you have a brilliant new part for your home.
I agree that knowing how much is in the budget is important for doing any home extension. I tend to overspend when I don’t have my budget in writing. I will have to get it nailed down beforehand. I know this will give me one less thing to worry about.
You are completely right! A house is more than just a shelter but a home where we settle in for years. It will be difficult for us to just get up and leave our home. But with time, the house seems to get smaller as the need for space and room grows bigger. Your four tips to consider in planning a renovation truly helps. It looks so easy to want a place and just go adding pieces anywhere. I do have a fancied design to achieve and a perceived budget to go with it, but with all the hassles of upsetting our day-to-day family life, I would still need to consider the fourth tip. Having fun during the project would be difficult unless I can find a great home extension builder that understands my needs and comfort.
I like your tip to consider things like where you’ll be living during the work as well as the home extensions themselves. My husband and I are planning on building onto our kitchen to create a dining room as well and we are wondering how to go about it. We will definitely start thinking about where our family can live during our home extension product as well as what service we might use to help us.