Extending your house is definitely a great idea when you need more space. Whether you are running out of free space, your family is getting bigger, or you wish to build a home office, adding an extension to your house is surely more advantageous and easier than looking for a larger house. Moving to a new place will implies numerous costs, a long process of finding a new property suitable for all your needs and requirements, and a lot of stress. However, converting a single storey extension to double not only that is definitely less expensive than buying a new house, but it is also extremely simple if you get help from professionals and you know all the insights which the process implies such as they are explained in this great guide here. Single or double stores are perfect for small houses and are the easiest and cheapest way to increase the living space of your house. Read below the most essential aspects which you need to keep in mind when converting single storey extension to double extension.
Why should you add more space to your house?
If you have been considering adding more space to your house by converting a single extension to a double on but you are still not convinced whether it is worth it or not, you need to be aware that extending your house with a storey extension is a great way to add value to your house by making it more spacious and fashionable. Moreover, as mentioned before, you might need extra space for various reasons such as a larger family or the need of building a new room for a specific purpose, moving to a new house is definitely going to be costlier and more complicated as the process of finding a new property takes a lot of time and there are numerous extra expenses which you are going to have to pay for.
Think about the costs
No matter what type of home improvement you wish to make, you need to consider the costs. Knowing your budget is always the first step before starting to invest in something because it helps you to stay organized and know exactly how much you can afford to pay for the construction of the storey extension. When thinking about converting a single storey into a double one, you need to consider expenses such as architect’s fee, building control charges, construction materials, a party wall agreement with your neighbor if needed in case your storey extension will have a shared wall with the house of your neighbor and the costs for a certificate of lawful development.
Get approval
One of the most important aspects which you need to consider when thinking about converting a single storey to a double one is the fact that you are going to need approval for it. For interior home improvements, you do not need any approval from anybody else since it is the property which you own and it does not become an inconvenience for any of your neighbor. However, when extending your house with a storey whether it is a single or a double one, you need to make sure that you obtain approval both from the neighbor living next to you and site access approval. If you live in a semi-detached or terraced property with a share party wall, extending your house with a storey extension could bring damage to the property of your neighbor living next to you such as affecting the foundation of their property if you have to dig a lot for the foundation of your storey extension, as well as it could impact your neighbor’s privacy deprive them of sunlight by overshadowing. Secondly, access to site is also another issue which you need to consider because by extending your house by constructing a storey extension you could affect the driveaway space which can be a problem for deliveries, trucks, or lorries to reach your house and the properties from the surroundings of your house.
Building regulations to consider
Before converting the single storey extension of your house to a double one, you need to consider the necessary building regulations. Whether you will require planning consent or not, you still have to make sure that you will comply with the building regulations which imply a range of factors such as access and fire to insulation and drainage. For building regulations, you can either submit a full plan submission by sending plans to the local authority or an approved inspector for approval, or a building notice which is a statement who tells the local authorities that you are going to comply with the building regulations in converting your single storey extension to a double one.
Don’t forget about exiting electrics and heating
After you have obtained all the necessary approvals and you can start converting the single storey extension of your house to a double on, you also need to consider another essential aspect before starting the construction. Exiting your heating before you start the construction means that you need to check whether your heating system is large enough to cope with the extra space which you are going to add to your house. Also, the electric system which you already have inside your house or the single storey extension needs to be added a circuit which will go directly from the distribution board to the new space.
No matter the reason for which you wish to add more space to your house, in order to convert your single storey extension to a double one, you need to make sure that you work with professionals who can ensure a high-quality building which will add value and style to your house and will fulfill your requirements and needs. Choose the right architect who will pay draw the best building plans which will not change the style of your house and will make the exterior of your house look more fashionable and choose to work with a building company which will convert your single storey extension to a double one without affecting the foundation of your property.
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