Guide to Planning Your Home Improvement Project
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Sterlingbuild - Advice & Guidance
- 9 Oct 2019
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- Reading time: 4 minutes
Guide to Planning Your Home Improvement Project
It's no secret that gaining space is the primary motive behind most home improvements. But deciding how best to utilize that space requires a more personal approach.
By Larry Bohan on 09 October 2019
It begins with asking "what do I want to achieve?". Are you designing an easier setting for entertaining and dining? Is it that wow factor? Should energy efficiency be at the heart of design? Or are you simply looking to add as much sell-on value as possible?
All planning should stem from this original question and consider the needs of all the family, young and old, and the potential benefit/impact.
What Do you Want to Achieve?
Ground floor extensions are vitally important to get right with the kitchen often the busiest and most family friendly room in the house. It's important to invest in design.
Would your extension be better served by having a more sociable, open flow running through it, or sectioned off zones each used for a specific purpose.
If you often find yourself working from the kitchen table, why not designate a corner for a study, or if you have young children, create a separation between kitchen and play area in a design where sections work independently, but blend together.
If the garden is where the family spends most of its time, extending into the outdoor space may not be worth it and a loft conversion could be the more practical option for extra room to work or play.
You could even reverse the living entirely and have your kitchen and lounge upstairs in the loft if garden space is too valuable or in short supply.
Why not film the family for a week using the existing space for a better idea of exactly how the family lives to help you decide what is needed.
Tailoring Your Space
Alongside structural design, furniture and fittings are vital to creating a space that feels like an extension of your home and not a bolt on.
Do not just think about what looks nice where, think about practicality, for example what you'll be looking out at when cooking or sitting at the dinner table.
The positioning of the windows and doors is of vital importance. Consider which way your new roof will be facing. North-facing extensions are harder to get sunlight directly into, while you don't want to cause overheating with south-facing glazing.
Most modern renovations strive for low energy costs and as much natural sunlight possible. The two go hand in hand. Read our article 'How many Roof Windows Do I Need for my Room?' for guidance.
The additional glazing will help account for some of the extra heat needed to warm a larger area. Consider underfloor heating and/or upgrading your existing boiler system to optimise comfort levels.
If you're converting your loft into a bedroom or study and live near a busy road or park, roof windows come with special sound insulation glazing to keep out noise.
How Big Should it Be?
Extensions are considered Permitted Development (PD) and do not require Planning Permission if certain limits and conditions are met.
If you already have 2.4m of headroom available in the roof space, a successful and undisruptive roof window conversion should be easily doable under PD. Find out more about how to successfuly transform your Loft here.
For storage, use all of the space available to you, such as in the eaves. These can be ideal spots for books, ornaments, baths etc.
When you're adding space try not to waste it. Large expansive doors can make a stunning feature, but might leave less room for other possessions.
Under recent Building Regulation changes, extensions can now stretch further out into the garden- read more here. If you're short on space, consider a side or wraparound extension, such as this extension in Teddington, or a garage conversion.
Remember rear extensions will move light away from the original building. Rooflights and doors are therefore essential to compensating for this. For help deciding which roof windows you need for project, see our guide.
Deciding Who to Share Your Vision With
Unless you are a builder, you are going to need a helping hand to bring your plans to life via an architect, structural engineer, builders etc.
Finding the right team for your project is the most crucial part of planning. They'll provide ideas you may not have thought of and offer clever money-saving advice. But remember, only you know how you live. It's important to convey this to your architect and/or builder- don't let them dictate to you.
TrustATrader is a reliable website for this. Remember to get at least three like-for-like quotes from your brief and check for VAT, accreditation and references.
Get a contract, payment schedule, schedule of works and warranties in place with crystal clear paperwork and contracts.
It is important to decide early on whether to live on site during the work. Read our article on Living with the Builders for some pros and cons.
The best recommendations you can get are from friends and families. Or, have a walk around your local area to find homes similar to yours that have been renovated. Don't be afraid to knock and talk to the owners.
