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Home improvements & fi ne furnishings


28 OCTOBER 2018 • MY PROPERTY, MY HOME


EXTENSIONS ARE A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO MOVING


increased from 3% to 15%. Which begs the question, why? Rising house prices and stamp duty


The ultimate extension how-to guide A


It’s no longer about moving up the ladder, but about sticking in one place and improving your existing space, discovers Helen Warwick, and here’s how to do it


recently published report by insurer Hiscox said the trend of building out rather than moving out has


are some of the main reasons. T ose buying a £486,000 house — the average London price according to the Offi ce for National Statistics — can expect to fork out around £14,300 in stamp duty, or £28,880 if it’s a second home. Becky Williams, an innovation


consultant, bought her current home in Cheshire specifi cally to repurpose it. “Our budget wouldn’t stretch to the size of house we wanted in our desired location. So when a smaller house in the perfect location came on the market I managed to convince my husband we could create the house we wanted but within our budget.” After an injection of around


£175,000, their two-and-a-half bed semi’s footprint has grown by an impressive 69% after a double-storey back-and-side extension, giving her children, Huwi, two, and Billie, one, a much bigger space to play in. T ere’s no denying the possible


benefi ts, but the journey can be an uphill struggle, as Helen Parker, a London-based journalist discovered when transforming her “damp and dark kitchen in a low and old rear- extension”. With around £75,000, she and her husband demolished the old kitchen and went out an extra 10ft creating a light and roomy


space which brims with natural light thanks to the bifold doors and two skylights. But there were ‘countless disasters’, and, as co-founder of the Interior Design Collective Fiona Duke puts it, “you should never underestimate how stressful the process of an extension is”. Here we reveal some key tips:


ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS It’s easy to get carried away with the idea of that dreamy island kitchen, but you have to ask, will it actually improve how you live in your home?


What you don’t want is for the “existing house value and cost of the extension to exceed the ceiling price of the road”, explains surveyor, Adam Burr. Managing director John Garrard


spent £200,000 on his house renovation in Wilmslow, knowing that on completion, his three- bedroom-detached house would be signifi cantly upgraded into a bright and stylish four-bedroom home with open-plan living area. “We’ve increased the fl oor space by 140% so for us it was a no-brainer,” he says.


EMPLOY THE RIGHT EXPERTS “Architects, structural engineers and interior designers are all trained to know how to make the best use of your space and can help come up with a solution that’s totally tailored to the way you live,” says interior designer Brooke Copp-Barton. T ey, too, are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the minefi eld that’s the planning permission that has to be considered from day one. It may sound obvious, but it’s key


to research both your architect and your builder. “Get recommendations and approach at least three builders for quotations. Make sure you have a complete package of drawings, specifi cation and information so they are all pricing the same thing. Check their trading history and insurances, too,” says architect Alison Taylor- Stokes, who heads up architectural fi rm, ICE Arch.


WORK UNDERWAY ON AN EXTENSION


DON’T ALWAYS FOLLOW TRENDS T e trend for open-plan living is still going strong, yet it’s not always wise to demolish every wall to create one large space. “A lot of clients forget when children grow up you’ll probably want some separate private lounge space. You need to think how long you’ll be living in the house and future proof it,” warns Alison Taylor-Stokes. T ere’s also the risk your brand-spanking new conversion will take up too much of your outside space. Interior designer Gemma Schofi eld of Lifestyle Interiors often


marks out a ground-fl oor extension for clients “so they can see how much garden it will eat into”. Bifold doors are on many people’s


wish lists. “But don’t use UPVC bifold doors. You end up with more frame than window, so it’s not great for letting light in, and the opening mechanism often breaks,” warns Lisa Raynes, architect and founder of Pride Road, a specialist in extensions.


STAY ON THE BALL It’s worthwhile to plan how you want to manage communication with your builder from day one. “You should never assume your builder knows what you want if it’s not been discussed or if it’s not on a drawing,” warns Schofi eld. Keep a log of everything you’ve


agreed with your builders and run any new ideas past them as soon as possible. As Parker discovered: “Sometimes I’d forget I hadn’t discussed a particular fi nish I wanted and would suddenly fi nd myself up against a deadline to source a product. Equally, be proactive and regularly ask the building team what the next decisions are and when they need to be made.” Finally, have a budget and


constantly review it. “As soon as you start your build it can quickly become a bit overwhelming,” says Duke. “T ere’ll be constant decisions to make and costs can quickly spiral out of control. Always have a contingency fund – around 10% kept to one side.”


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