If you are considering extending your home, be aware that there is a price to pay and we have summarized these items below.

1. Disruption

One of the main disadvantages of extending a property is the disruption caused whilst the work is being carried out.

In the majority of cases there will be times when you will not be able to use one or more existing rooms and you will face an ongoing battle to keep dust, noise and debris levels to an acceptable standard. It is quite likely that you will be living in the property whilst the work is being undertaken so make sure that your builder is aware if you want him to keep out of certain rooms or areas.

As well as internal disruption, often parts of the garden and drive will be unusable during the work due to storage of materials, access and safety reasons. If necessary, erect a temporary boundary such as plastic fencing to keep tradesmen away from areas that you and your family would like to keep to yourselves. Be prepared for a loss of car parking during working hours as the white vans will need to be parked close to the property.

Sometimes work will involve access to your neighbours land for scaffolding or carrying out the work (e.g. building a brick wall on the boundary line) and this can upset your harmony with the neighbours. Make sure when carrying out a project that you get an agreed completion date in writing and agree any access arrangements required with your neighbours before works commence.

Good builders will respect your home and understand that you need to get on with your day to day living.

2. Loss of Garden

Extensions by their nature will use up some of your existing land.

Consider this carefully when deciding on the overall size of a proposal including the potential cost of reforming patios, landscaped areas or drives which will be cleared as your new extension is formed.

Loft conversions and basement conversions do have the advantage that they are formed within the footprint of the existing property.

3. Control of Work

Most people have heard or seen on TV stories about cowboy builders and projects that have gone horribly wrong. As a homeowner you are unlikely to be building extensions every year and more often than not, the work you are carrying out will be done with a view to you staying put for 10 years or more. You need to make sure the work is properly carried out from day 1.

Despite all the advice given, many people employ builders and tradesmen on price alone and neglect to put into place basic contract procedures to reduce the risk of things going awry.

At myhome mygarden, our project management system is designed to take the hassle away from you as the homeowner and ensures that good practice is followed at all times For more details on this service, click on the link at the top of this page.

4. Impact on Existing Properties

Be aware that forming an extension could have an impact on existing rooms to your property and to your neighbours.

Try and avoid overlooking and excess loss of light to existing rooms. A good designer should be able to help you here.

5. Planning Uncertainty

Having agreed a fantastic design with your designer, it is not always certain that this will get approved by the local planning department. All authorities have policies on extensions and these can often vary from council to council.

Again, we would recommend that a reputable local designer will be able to advise you on whether your proposal is likely to be approved. Try and get informal advice from the council before making a submission. Some companies, including myhome mygarden will do this for you as part of an initial feasibility study.

6. Cost Uncertainty

If you are moving home, it is unlikely that the cost of the move will increase once you have agreed the offer. There may be some increase in cost due to discovering additional works in the new property but you can normally carry these out in your own time.

With extending, costs may vary from the original price quoted by your builder. often for valid reasons. Plans may have to change during the building process, particularly for unseen items such as drains and foundations. When additional costs are encountered you are unlikely to be able to defer the work until you have saved more money as the work will grind to a halt.

Builders, in general, will quote on the basis of the information you provide them so if your drawings and specification are poor, there is a higher risk that things will be left out.