Is it worth EXTENDING?
The amount of value an extension will add to your property depends very much on the space gained and the area of the country you’re in.
‘In most cases, adding an extra bedroom to a two or three-bed home will give the most high-value return. In some areas, it can add between £50,000 to £150,000 depending on the local housing market,’ says Jason Orme, a property expert for the Homebuilding & Renovating Show. According to checkatrade.com, a double-storey extension to an average threebedroom house that creates more living space downstairs and an additional double bedroom with an en-suite bathroom upstairs can add up to 12% to the value of the property.
Single-storey kitchen extensions can also add a lot of value – particularly in high-value, highdensity areas such as the South East – as most agents tend to do a basic valuation based on square footage. ‘We still have this strong desire for open-plan living – and we live in the age of the bifold door that brings light into the house and allows you to feel like you’re in the garden, when you’re not,’ says Lucian.
If you live in a house that is not listed, has never been extended and is not in a conservation area or on any other ‘protected’ land, you can usually build an extension of up to six metres (or even eight metres if your house is detached) without planning permission. However, it’s worth having a chat with the planning officer at your local authority to be sure before you start any works.
The bad news is the cost of building an extension has shot up recently due to inflation, export duties, the war in Ukraine and energy costs. ‘The cost of materials is at an all-time high, with steel and cement skyrocketing in price,’ says Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). ‘We have seen material costs pushed up to 20% in some cases. This is putting immense pressure on the bottom lines of small, local builders.’ Because prices are so volatile, builders may not be willing to offer you a fixed-costs contract, where you know in advance what the cost of the work you are asking them to do will be. Instead, you will be expected to pay more for materials as prices rise during the building work. For this reason, it’s even more crucial than usual to have a contingency budget – ideally at least 10% of the estimated build cost – and to compare quotes from several different builders, to ensure you are getting the best value.
You don’t have to employan architect (some local surveyors may offer architectural drawings more cheaply) but it’s likely to save you both money and heartache in the long run if you do, especially if you need to apply for planning permission. A good architect can foresee and solve potential pitfalls that may come up during the build. ‘They have knowledge of the differing local authority planning policies and can guide you as to whether your potential project is feasible,’ says James Botterill, director at HSSP Architects. When choosing an architect, look for accreditation by CIAT (the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists) or RIBA (the Royal Institute of British Architects) and ask for recommendations from friends and family.