Extensions, Conversions and Remodelling
There is no denying that moving home is costly, stressful and expensive. Many people therefore choose to adapt the property they are currently in to create the space and environment they wish for from their home. Here are 10 ways to develop your property to tackle these issues.
Extend
Adding a well designed extension is one of the best ways to add space and value. An architect or architectural designer will give you ideas and produce a plan which incorporates your family requirements. It is estimated that a single storey extension will add approximately 30% to the value of your home whilst costing around £1,500 per m2. If you look to incorporate a double height extension you create more space for your money with the cost per m2 £1,250 to £2,000 adding 35% value to your property. By ensuring the materials used for the extension are the same as the original build a 2 storey extension of this nature will flow well with the rest of the property, but equally with good design and choice of materials a contrasting extension can work very well. Your Architect or Architectural Technologist will really prove beneficial here.
Open Your Living Area
Opening up your living space can give you a more versatile accommodation as well as allowing more flow and light throughout the property. Whether the walls you wish to knock down are load bearing will be a consideration but the services of a good architectural designer will help you come up with a workable solution. Opening up living space can cost anything from £1000 upwards but can add considerably to your properties value as well as making the property more attractive to buyers and a better place to live.
Garage Conversion
If like many homeowners your garage is rarely used to park your car, a garage conversion will utilise unused space and is cheaper than a loft conversion. A typical cost of £15,000 – £25,000 could add 20% return on the value of your property, although creating living space at the expense of off street parking may not add value. Your design will probably need new windows or rooflights and foundations may be required to support the new wall replacing the garage door. A great cost effective and fast way of creating extra space.
Loft Conversion
By converting your loft you are utilising existing space with the potential to add a further bedroom, which is understood to be the best way too add value to your home. Building up the floor, adding steelwork, adding insulation and rooflights or dormer windows will add to the expense of a loft conversion so you can expect to pay around £25,000 – £40,000 for a typical conversion but there is an estimated added value of 35% to your property.
Basement Conversion
A basement conversion will require excavation work as well as structural engineering and waterproofing but it can provide a large versatile space. An average basement cost is £3,000 per m2 which is by no means cheap but you can achieve a 30% gain on the value of your property.
Cellar Conversions
If your lucky enough to have a cellar in your property this can be an ideal room to convert in order to achieve more usable space. You are also unlikely to require planning permission as it falls within permitted development. Underpinning may be required if you are expanding but a basic conversion can cost approximately £750 – £1,200 per m2 with a more complex conversion up to £3,000 per m2 adding 25% value to your home.
Add an En Suite
Adding an en suite can provide a helpful solution to those properties with a lack of bathrooms. Taking an area from the corner of the largest bedroom or altering one of the other bedrooms to incorporate a bathroom are possible options.
Include a Conservatory
Adding a conservatory to a property can be beneficial in providing additional space in a fairly straightforward way but it is paramount that to achieve a good result you employ a good architectural designer to produce a workable solution for your needs. Providing a usable space for anytime of year will depend upon the glazing, insulation and heating systems put in place but they are reasonably priced at £800 – £2,000 per m2 with an average return of 8% on your property value. It is important to employ a good designer to ensure you create a conservatory that offers usable living space all year round.
A New Kitchen
A new beautifully designed kitchen is upon many people’s wish list when looking at adapting their home. Making more practical use of the space you have whilst including new units and worktops can add a 10% return value to your property although cost can vary depending on the materials you choose for your new kitchen.
Make Better Use of What You Have
A cost effective method of adding space ad value to your home is to look at the space you already have. Are there areas which can be utilised as storage. Bring in more light by adding and changing your glazing. A beautiful set of bi-fold doors can give the impression of more space allowing you to open out onto the garden.
At Dylan Morton Design & Architecture we have expert knowledge and our no obligation free consultation means we can give you ideas and solutions to suit your requirements. We provide our services within Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire. So from listed building consent, planning in a conservation area or advice on the process and fee structure, for more information please give us a call.
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