Credit: homeadviceguide.com
The best extensions either feel as though they’ve always been there or, as is becoming increasingly popular, exist as a striking/contrasting feature. They should make sense within the home, in terms of look, flow and functionality, so that what’s been added is valuable square footage.
When I was an estate agent, I lost count of the number of times someone would show me their perfectly nice sitting room and dining room, then apologetically wave their arm in the direction of a weird conservatory-style extension that was, as they say in Yorkshire, ‘neither nowt nor summat’.
“You could use it as a sunroom or a playroom or a summer dining room…” they’d say. But what I’d be looking at was just a dumping ground for stuff that didn’t seem to fit anywhere else.
Define every room in your home
The reality is, if you want your home to be worth as much as possible, you need to demonstrate that every bit of square footage is worth paying for. A non-specific space, tacked on to a property that already seems to be a decent size, is not going to inspire potential buyers to leap forward with a great offer.
And, in my experience, the vast majority of people struggle to visualise what could be done with the space in front of them. If it looks as though you don’t really value the extra room because you haven’t bothered to give it a purpose, they probably won’t either.
So, really think about what benefit the extension could add and style it that way. A second living or dining room might feel unnecessary, but what about creating a home office, hobby room, home gym, playroom, teen snug, dressing room or dedicated TV/gaming room?
For more ideas, see my page on ‘Utilising awkward areas’.
Avoid these 3 mistakes people make when extending:
1. Adding the wrong room
Too many people have built extensions simply because they’ve heard that if you want to add real value to your home, you have to add rooms. The mistake is not taking the time to really think about what kind of extra space would materially improve the property.
2. Overextending
Every type of house has a price ‘ceiling’, which is largely dependent on the immediate neighbourhood. The best house in any street is going to have its value limited by the price of those around it. So, if your home is in a street of 3-bed, 2-reception properties, it’s probably not worth investing in a two-storey extension that turns it into a 5-bed, 3/4-reception home – you may not make your money back.
3. Not investing enough
A good extension needs to be well designed and built property, so make sure you invest in a decent architect and builder. A cheap job will look cheap and may even devalue your home! So before you move ahead, make sure you have an appropriate budget.
Take advice
With any refurbishment, renovation or extension project, it’s well worth asking a couple of good local estate agents for their advice on what kind of work and finish would add most value.
Even if you’re not planning to sell in the near future, it’s always wise to protect your investment and not spend more than what the property will be worth when it’s finished.
Click below for a good list of extension dos & don’ts from Real Homes:
A few extensions I thought were rather good:
...and some not so successful ones - in my opinion!
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