At Evis Build, we build all manner of house extensions in Surrey, Kent and London. Our professional builders will work hard to make sure your house extension is completed to exactly the specification you require and provide you with more internal space as well as add value onto your home’s sale price should you decide to move.
Key points to consider about house extensions – Surrey, Kent or London
Although we can help design your proposed house extension in Surrey, Kent or London, and work through the finer details before we start your building work, there are a couple of points we think you should first consider before you give us a call.
Location
You will need to decide upon the position of your extension. You should consider where you will access your new space and how that will link with everyday movement around your home. You should also consider the outdoor space you will be losing to build your new extension and what impact that may have on you and your neighbours’ amenities.
Number of storeys
In deciding upon whether you want a single or multiple storey extension, you should consider the benefits of the new space, your budget, any potential impacts on your neighbours’ amenities and the likelihood that you will receive planning permission, if required.
Single storey house extensions
If you are only wanting to extend your downstairs space, possibly for a new kitchen or family room, a single storey extension may well be all you need. It is often more straightforward to gain planning permission for a single-storey extension and quicker to build than multiple-storeys.
Additionally, access between the extension and existing space only needs to be created downstairs, which reduces the amount of disruption in the upstairs rooms.
Multiple storey house extensions
Although two-storey house extensions are the most common, depending upon the height of your existing home and its height in relation to your neighbours’ homes, building more storey’s could be feasible. For example, if the height of your existing home is lower than that of your neighbours’ homes, it may be possible to build an extension which is higher (and has more storeys) than your existing home, but is still in-keeping with the height of your neighbours’ homes.
Multiple storey house extensions in Surrey, Kent or London are one of the more contentious areas with town planning. Large house extensions can often impact the amenities of neighbouring properties with a loss of light and an infringement on privacy. Where the separation between you and your neighbour’s home is small, a side extension can create a ‘terracing effect’ where the spacing is reduced furthermore.
However, where a multiple storey extension is suitable, the time and cost to build additional storeys is exponentially less than what is necessary for a single storey extension.
External wall style
You will need to decide upon the style of the external walls and whether they should match that of your existing home or stand-out as new additions. For example, you may prefer to have your extension clad in timber or rendered with sand and cement, whilst your existing home is constructed from exposed brick.
You should also decide upon the location and extent of glazing that you would need and how it will fit into the internal space which you want to create. For example, you may want an entire corner of the extension to be glazed floor to ceiling or simply match the size and style of your existing windows.
Roof style
Finally, you should decide upon the style of roof you would like and whether you will want it to match the roof of your existing home. If your home already has a traditional tiled roof such as a gable, hip and valley, gambrel, mansard, jerkinhead or skillion (lean-to), then using this same style on your extension often yields the best aesthetic results. However, depending upon local planning legislations, you may be restricted with the height of your extension and the style of your roof. In such cases, a mansard flat roof (a pitched roof with a flat roof behind it) tends to yield better results than creating a completely flat roof.
If you are looking to distinguish your extension from your existing home, a metal roof façade such as one created from zinc, stainless steel, copper or aluminium; or a green roof which is formed of grasses are also options to consider.
Local authority involvement with house extensions – Surrey, Kent or London
Once you have made some decisions about your house extension in Surrey, Kent or London, you may want to know whether you need planning permission for your house extension.