This post is provided by Kane Hughes.
You are not alone if you are considering building a house extension but need to find strategies to lower the cost of your extension. Since the cost of labor, materials, household furnishings, and fittings has all increased recently, people considering an extension may be approaching it cautiously.
Most likely, you are adding an addition because you need more space. While it is reasonable to be concerned about how your budget may be impacted, there are solutions to cut costs. Instead of not developing, you need to learn to manage your costs more carefully.
In light of this, we will outline various strategies for preventing out-of-control expansion costs.
Get Professional Advice
Planning will help you avoid spending much money and suffering later on. Write out your goals and desires and what you hope to accomplish as your first piece of homework. Then, instead of nice-to-haves, list your top priorities or must-haves. It is crucial to know what is feasible, given the budget. In this situation, an architect can be helpful.
A talented architect will suggest additional design options that you or your builder may have yet to consider. As a result, you can accomplish your goals without spending money on a new extension. For instance, you might modify your home by tearing down interior walls or cheaply turning a loft or garage into a livable space.
Avoid Scam Artists
Like any other trade, the architectural and design industries have their fair share of con artists. These include those who grossly underestimate costs, either out of ignorance or to get a job; those who charge more for changes or "extras"; and those who request some or all of the payment upfront, leaving you with no recourse if they do not produce quality work.
Always ask for references before choosing someone, and check them out.
Additionally, only pay for work you are satisfied with after finishing it. Never pay for supplies up front. If a builder is unwilling to provide the materials, you should buy them yourself.
Pick A Straightforward Style
Keep your extension's design straightforward. Keep your designs square and rectangular. Stay away from strange forms if you want to prevent your extension costs from spiraling out of control. Building curves and L-shapes are expensive. A gable or pitched roof's exact shape makes it simple to build. However, a hip roof with slopes on all four sides requires more labor, and a curved roof is ten times more.
Extensions with only one story are less expensive and easier to construct than those with two stories. Select standard-sized windows and doors because they are less expensive and easier to install. Avoid building close to drains or other underground facilities to save money on costly groundwork.
Limit Changes To The Structure
When building an addition, you must consider how to make the remainder of the house accessible to the renovated space; this sometimes necessitates tearing down interior (and occasionally exterior) walls. Think about which of these layout modifications are required.
Construction will require much more labor and money if structural changes, such as pulling down walls, are made to the current building. However, you can significantly reduce the cost of structural steel by designing your addition so that the window into the current open garden will serve as the new entrance to the kitchen addition.
Save On VAT
VAT of 20% will be charged on several extensions for labor, supplies and professional services. Hiring self-employed tradespeople and specialists with a turnover below the VAT registration requirement is one option to reduce your construction costs. This might save you thousands of pounds on your construction expenses.
Some additions, including those made to buildings that have been empty for two years, are eligible for VAT exemption. However, since you cannot personally claim the tax, you must hire a builder registered for VAT to be eligible.
Do Not Overextend
It would be best if you weighed the cost of your addition against the increased value it will bring to your house. Then, before extending, discuss the effect it will have on the value of your home with a reputable local estate agent. Then, moving rather than improving could be more cost-effective.
Repair, Recycle And Reuse
Instead of throwing away existing resources, they can be repurposed or sold. It is possible to clean and refinish old flooring, doors, kitchen cabinets, and other items. What you are unable to use, sell or exchange.
Remember that purchasing salvaged materials can often be far less expensive than purchasing brand-new ones, and they also instantly provide character. For example, roof tiles, brickwork, interior doors, wood flooring, and fireplaces are inexpensive items.
Reducing waste will also result in lower skip rental and disposal expenses. Also, remember that you are free to dispose of rubbish at your neighborhood council tip as a private citizen.
Identify Your Spending And Saving Priorities
If you want to stop your extension costs from spiraling out of control expansion, figure out where you can spend and where you should save. There are many ways to build a space with a wow factor without breaking the bank. Spending time and money working with a professional designer and architect may help you lower your overall expenditures with creative, cost-efficient house expansion ideas.
Be Your Own Project Manager
To compensate for their time supervising a project, builders often add 15% to 25% to the total cost of labor and materials. Therefore, you can save money by acting as your building contractor. To do this, you must hire tradespeople like electricians and plumbers, coordinate their work, acquire materials, communicate with your architect and the local government, and rent scaffolding and skips. Of course, it takes a lot of time, and your extension will take much longer to complete, but the savings could be significant.
Muck In The Easier Tasks
Decorating the expansion yourself after it is constructed will lower the overall cost. Another option to save money is to sweep up the site at the end of each day. But it is usually advisable to hire a professional for the drawings, blueprints, electrics, plumbing, bricklaying, plastering, and roofing to minimize costly errors.