At the beginning of a new year, many of us vow to transform our homes. For lots of people, the key issue that they have with their property is the lack of space it offers. Rather than move away from an area that you love though, why not consider extending your home instead? You could add an extra bedroom, expand your living space or create an entirely new room. With the added reassurance of a measured building survey being carried out, the options are endless!
Taking the time to have your home mapped out will make for a much smoother extension project. Building a good extension is not just a case building a box extension in the garden and then trying to fit everything in. It is vital to plan in detail and take advantage of every bit of space you have to get the most out of your extension. An additional 20cm to the side, for instance, can make the world of difference to your living space. One of the biggest regrets many people have when completing an extension is that they did not make it large enough.
What is it?
A measured building survey is essential for the successful completion of an extension. They are available for projects of all sizes, from single room extensions to huge multi-level works. So what exactly is a measured building survey? Well, it’s as it sounds. It’s a highly accurate survey that clearly shows all architectural features and structural elements within your property. These kind of detailed floor plans will help you to get an accurate representation of a building.
The latest tech
Your surveyor will carry out the survey using the latest technology. Laser scanning is a favourite, as it generates the most precise results. This will result in not only amazingly accurate floor plans of your home, but will result in a survey that’s quick to carry out and causes as little disruption as possible. So you can invite a surveyor to your property with complete confidence.
Don’t delay
An extension is one of the easiest ways to transform a home and make it liveable for years to come. By taking the time to have a measured building survey carried out, you can be sure that your extension will be carried out smoothly. Of course, there are other building professionals that you should liaise with during the process, but a measured building survey is a great way to get a project started.
How do you know if you need planning permission. If you do, how much does it cost? We want to do a kitchen extension but aren’t DIY-ers in any way, so will choose a hood builder. Also, how do we know we can trust the builder or how are we sure we’ve found a good builder? Do you get an architect in first and then a quite from the builder? Obviously you can see we have trust issues! This is our first house too!
Hi Nadia, you don’t always need planning permission, you can do a lot under Permitted Development. But, sometimes full planning is a good idea as it is much clearer than everything is in order when you come to sell the property. If you do go the PD route, still put it through the council planning website. I’ll be posting a new blog about this soon.
Regarding builders – one that comes recommended by a friend is generally best. Regarding architects, best to know what you want before hiring one. You may not need one, if you have time to draw some plans yourself. The important thing is Building Control sign off at the end, and for that you may need some technical drawings / engineering plans.
Council websites list costs of submitting applications and building control etc.