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Home Renovation, Extension or New Build?

Whether it be a house, flat or cottage, most of us take on property improvements at some point in our lives. Whilst these can be challenging and rewarding, ‘home is where the heart is’ when you create a place to be safe, comfortable and content.

Opportunities for improvement

Developing a house or undertaking a new build project enables tailoring a home exactly to your desire, affordability & preferred way of living. The decision to further enhance your home or start afresh with a new one, could improve your quality of life, accommodate an expanding family or meet the demands of a changing household.  Arriving at such decisions doesn’t come lightly or without careful consideration.  Revamping a property or building a new home allows freedom of choice regarding interior & exterior design layouts.

Planning for success

Whilst an existing building may have flexibility within its structure, sometimes multiple modifications can eventually equate to starting afresh with a new building!  This might be an extension to the existing structure, in keeping with the local area’s style, conservation & planning regulations. With an existing building, parts of the home & garden could be retained with some rearrangement or redecoration, whereas a new build will mean completely new designs. If you’re fortunate enough to find a suitable building plot, planning permission with good access provides the necessary elements to go ahead.

A complete knock down & new build in it’s place would be classed as a ‘replacement dwelling’.  Such situations could arise if a building has poor or no insulation, or requires too costly amounts of repair work to rectify the problems.  If the structure is unsound, seek advice from a professional surveyor &/or a structural engineer. If the property is a listed building, special permissions are required to carry out alterations. Services such as gas, water, electrics & drainage are usually in place with a renovation, or might just require an upgrade.  A new build could involve arranging for new services to be installed – unless you’re lucky to have a serviced plot that includes these already!

Time is money

Deciding upon a self build or renovation project doesn’t necessarily mean taking it all on your own shoulders.  If finances allow, you may choose to set-aside a portion of the budget to employ a Project Manager.  This depends on how much time & involvement you’re looking to allocate to daily decision making.  Alternatively homebuilding companies offer a turnkey solution which can relieve the pressure even further, especially with a larger scale building project. A well-planned programme helps to ensure deadlines are met. Tying in different trade services with each other, avoids delays which minimises unexpected costs & progresses you to the finish line sooner.

Budgeting should be high on the priority list, playing a huge part with both new build & renovation. There are multiple products & specifications to choose from such as eco-friendly, flooring, bathroom suites & furnishings. Going up or down on the financial sliding scale can determine extra money to spend on finishings or landscaping, or having to cut the cloth accordingly, instead of more luxurious items. There are many ways to be savvy when shopping around for brand new or second-hand goods. Buying smaller quantities of building materials at regular intervals with trade prices can be more cost effective, than purchasing too much ending up with unnecessary surplus.

Living arrangements

Whilst your project is underway, consider options to stay with family or friends, or rent short term accommodation. For a new build, you could contemplate living on the site itself whilst it’s being completed, although this will involve applying for planning permission first. Perhaps study the benefits of renting a self storage unit to store your belongings until the build is safe, secure & watertight.

End result

In the long run – renovation, extension of existing residence or starting with a blank canvas for a new build home, will be a rewarding task albeit with many challenges! Eventually resulting in a huge feeling of accomplishment & the satisfaction of achieving your goals.