Are you thinking of extending your home? There are many things you need to consider before you decide to extend the home such as the budget, requirements, timelines, renovation company etc. You have to really think things through before you proceed with a renovation company.
You should have an idea of why you are looking to extend the home.
This will be a question that you will be asked by the renovation company as well. Knowing the primary reason will give direction to the design and building efforts. Maybe you have decided that this is going to be your retirement home and want to make sure you have the maximum space for your requirements. You may already have a property but it may not be adjusted to your lifestyle or way of living. You may also want to improve the efficiency of your services. There are contractors that specialise in efficiency building so that you are able to lower your utility costs as well. Most of the time, furniture and the room layouts will be decided by the previous owner and this may not fit your requirements. But think of what you want in a home and how these things can be achieved.
There are also homeowners who are looking to improve the value of their property with the intention of selling it later. In this case, it is best to speak with an estate agent as well to get an idea of the weak and strong points of your home and the additions that can be done to increase its value. It is very important to consider the cost of the building. You should have a budget in mind when you decide on the extension. And you need to let the contractor know of this budget so that they can adjust their materials and finishes accordingly. Sometimes the budget will be too limited to carry out all the adjustments you want to do. Having a proper budget before the design stage begins will make it easier for the designers to come up with something that you can actually afford. Otherwise, you will need to make more changes once you get the initial estimate and this will cause a lot of delays. What usually happens is that people are looking to achieve a bigger brief that will not be possible with the budget. So it is important to know what is possible and what is not from the beginning.
In addition to the budget
You should also be specific about the time for the project. You may already have a timeline in mind. Maybe you have a deadline such as a wedding or some event that will take place in the completed building. But the contractor will be able to let you know whether the construction can be done within this time. You also have to consider time taken for surveying, designing, planning, finalising drawings, obtaining approval, tendering in addition to the construction time. There can also be delays that can arise due to approval delays.
