guide on extending your home . . .

STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON EXTENDING YOUR HOME

1. Decide on your budget. Working out the cost of a house extension or loft conversion yourself is difficult because each one is different and costs often relate to the size of the project. A good source of costing is the Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which publishes The Property Makeover Price Guide, or you could get some idea from www.whatprice.co.uk or try the free estimator on www.growyourhome.com When you are working out the cost of extending your house, most advisers suggest building in a contingency of, say 10%, in case your budget overruns. And don’t forget the fixtures and fittings which can add to the cost considerably.

2. Consider how you are going to cover the cost of extending your house. If you need to borrow the money you will normally have the choice of either increasing your mortgage or taking out a personal loan. You will pay a lower rate interest for a further advance on your mortgage but bear in mind that if you spread your repayments over the rest of your mortgage term you will probably end up paying more interest overall than with a short term loan. Make sure to shop around for the best loan deal or if you do decide to increase your mortgage, consider re-mortgaging (see www.moneyfacts.co.uk for the cheapest loan and mortgage deals). You may be able to get a cheaper mortgage deal, which will help to cover the cost of the increased loan.

3. Speak to your neighbours about your plans, you may need their agreement. The Party Wall Act 1996 covers work involving party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring walls. You may need your neighbours written consent for the work, otherwise they could go to court to stop you proceeding.

4. Speak to your local authority to find out whether you need planning permission for your extension or conversion and whether it will need building regulation approval:

*Conservatories or porches built at ground level which are less than 30 square metres in floor area are exempt from building regulations but may need planning permission.

*House extensions will normally require planning permission and building regulations will also apply.

*Loft conversions only require planning permission if they alter the size or external appearance of your property, such as through the installation of dormer windows. However, they always need to comply with building regulations and if a loft conversion has not been approved you will not be allowed to use it for living accommodation or to describe it as such.

*Basement conversions which involve changing the structure of the building will also need to be approved under building regulations.

5. If you do need planning permission, decide whether you are going to employ an architect or surveyor to draw up your plans, find a builder and oversee the project, or whether you just want a professional to provide the plans and intend to do the rest yourself. Naturally, doing it yourself is the cheaper option, but if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, having someone to supervise will spare you considerable hassle.

6. If you have to apply for planning permission, the fee is around £135. It will generally take around eight weeks to get a reply from your local planning department. Check with your builders that they are dealing with building regulations compliance, otherwise you will have to submit an application and arrange for an inspector to carry out the required inspections. You will also have to pay a fee for these visits which will depend on the size of the project. Check with your local authority.

7. If you are appointing the builders yourself, get three itemised quotes in writing – not estimates. (A quote is a fixed price, an estimate is only an approximate price.) Ask friends for recommendations. Ask for your builders’ address and landline telephone number, don’t rely on mobile numbers. Choose traders who belong to professional organisations such as the Federation of Master Builders which have dispute resolution procedures. Look out for those using the Government-backed TrustMark logo which means they are obliged to meet certain standards. Don’t choose traders because they can do the job immediately. Bear in mind that good builders are likely to be busy so be realistic about time scales.

8. If your builder does not supply a contract, you could draw up one yourself setting out the work to be undertaken in as much detail as you can, with timescales etc. to be signed by both you and your builder. Or you could download a contract free of charge from the Federation of Master Builders website . If you ask for extras after the work has started, check how much they are going to cost before proceeding.

9. Be wary of paying in cash and always make sure you get receipts. If you can, it is worth making an initial deposit with a credit card as this will give you added legal protection. For work costing between £100 and £30,000, your card provider will have equal liability with the contractor for making sure the work is done properly. Do not pay the full price for the job upfront, pay as parts of the work are completed, holding back at least 5% until the whole job is finished.

10. To keep costs down you may want to do some of the finishing off work yourself, such as decorating. Steer clear of the electrical work, though, as new rules which came into force in January 2005 mean that work must be carried out by a competent person and will be covered by building regulations. If you use a registered contractor, you will be sent a building regulations compliance certificate by the registration scheme operator.

11. If your extension needs approval under building regulations, remember to keep the final certificate to confirm that the work is okay so you have it available for future purchasers of your property.

12. Finally, remember to inform your home insurance provider before you carry out any major home improvements such as a loft conversions or home extension, otherwise you may find claims for any damage to the house while this work is going on will be rejected. Add legal expenses cover to your home insurance policy as this may pay for any disputes which could arise with builders and other traders.

CALCULATING THE TOTAL COST OF EXTENSIONS AND CONVERSIONS

House extensions

Single storey with one window, 3 m x 3m: £15,200 to £18,500

Two story with two windows, 3 x 3: £25,000 to £32,600

Loft conversions

With Velux or similar windows, 4m x 5m: £14,100 (2 windows) to £18,500 (4 windows)

With dormer windows, 4m x 5m: £24,900 (2 windows) to £39,100 (4 windows)

Basement conversions (upper price includes tanking to walls and floor)

3m x 3m: £7,400 to £16,300

4m x 6m: £10,300 to £26,000

Source: Discount Plans Ltd Estimate from june 2009 Survey

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