However exciting it may seem, selling your home and moving to a new one is not always easy. This is especially true if you grew up on that property, and there are many memories tying you to that place. Nevertheless, you have to ensure that your home can perfectly accommodate your growing family.
When in this situation, a lot of people decide to invest in remodeling and house extension. After all, it is the right solution because you will be getting the best of both worlds – you will be able to plan the layout and add extra space that you require, and at the same time, you will remain at your property.
As you can assume, just like any other big project, this one also requires some time and a lot of planning. If you are not sure where to start, keep reading this article because we are going to give you some tips, and hopefully, get the ball rolling.
1. Take your time
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A lot of people get too excited about this type of project, and who can blame them? They finally have the opportunity to expand their living area and improve their quality of life. However, this is when a lot of them make the first mistake – they want to get everything they need, and they want it fast.
When this occurs, they make rash decisions, which usually aren’t the right ones. So, after some time, they realize that they could have done some things better, and more importantly, cheaper.
In order to prevent this mistake from happening to you, you have to take things slow. Yes, we know, it’s exciting, and you cannot wait for everything to be over, but still, it is of crucial importance to plan everything carefully. You will have to do a lot of research, design the layout, decorate everything, get all the permits, and hire the best professional crew to work for you, and so on. You cannot complete all of these tasks overnight, so take all the time you need.
2. Don’t go with the cheapest option
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Okay, we are not saying that you have to spend every last dime, but hear us out. It is a fact that home extension is a project that requires significant investment. We all want to save some money here and there, but this project might not be the best one to do it.
Hear us out. When you start looking for materials and contractors, and other stuff, you will be presented with multiple options. It is completely understandable if the first thing that attracts your attention is the price, but still, you have to be cautious.
There is an average price, and if you want an option that costs much less, it is probably one of those “too good to be true” things. It might seem like you have won the lottery, but keep in mind that the cost of material is low for some reason. Generally speaking, it means that it is not of top quality, which means that it won’t last you a very long time, i.e., you will have to replace it soon, and that’s just the additional cost.
Due to this reason, our advice is to come up with a budget and start exploring different options. Make sure to learn the ins and outs, contact manufacturers and professionals, communicate with other clients, and so on. Basically, this is the only way you can rest assured that you have made the right decision.
3. Hire professionals
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With all the people involved in this project, professional expenses will take the biggest chunk of your budget. Unless you are an architect, a constructor, or something else in this line of work, and therefore, understand every aspect of the process down to the last detail, our advice is not to skimp on the professionals. After all, this is a large project, and this is the only way you can ensure that everything goes perfectly.
According to KPD Construction, nothing can beat experience, and we couldn’t agree more. We are not only talking about making the right choices along the way, but some unexpected things can happen during the process, and you will need someone who knows how to solve all the problems in your corner. The last thing that you want is to go over your budget, or on the other hand, extend the project by a month or two.
4. Should you move out?
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This is the question that most people have before this project begins. Generally speaking, it all comes down to you, since it is possible to stay on the premises during the entire process, but experts will advise you to move out, if possible, and there are many reasons for this.
First of all, if you choose to stay at the property, you will be in their way, which can significantly slow down the process. They will try to do their job around your everyday life, but as you can imagine, this is not easy at all.
Secondly, it is probably wise to find temporary accommodation to preserve your own sanity. Not only will there be a lot of debris, mess, and dust, but don’t forget about noises. Your ordinary life will be disturbed in so many ways, even more so if you have a baby or work from home.
5. Put some money aside
Source: follyhome.co.uk
There is one thing that you have to understand – almost certainly, some sort of emergency is bound to happen, sooner or later. We have already mentioned that in order to deal with these in the best possible manner, you need to have a team of professionals on your side, but still, sometimes, issues cannot be avoided.
These issues cannot only cause delays, but they also might present you with some additional expenses that you did not anticipate. Due to this reason, our advice is to put some money aside, just in case something goes wrong. Put in layman’s terms, this is the only way to ensure that you will be able to cover all the cost and keep the renovation process on schedule.
