Home Extension Ideas that Instantly Add Value to Your Home

Home upgrades are common events with homeowners. People do home upgrades all the time, and for different reasons. Whether their target is to attract more money during a resale or just improve the state of living for the family members, these are things we see every day.

These projects can range from the minor home upgrades like adding an extra seat or painting your kitchen, to major home extensions like adding a carport or even changing the entire roof.

Today, we explore the major home extensions that actually add value to your home.

Add a Two-Storey Extension

One of the best extension ideas that can help you maximize the value for your money is a two-storey extension.  This is not only because of the reduced average cost for every square meter but also the numerous incredible designs you can integrate.

If you are looking to achieve extra living space without moving out of your house, this type of house extension will serve you best. And, if you think the cost of building a two-storey extension is a bit excessive, that’s actually not the case.  The project is usually cheaper than moving into a new bigger house or even adding a single-storey extension.

Usually, the average cost of completing a two-storey extension project is around £60,000. This will, however, depend on where you are, as well as the size of your extension.

And it’s not only applicable to your house. You can do it on other structures in your compound like garages, as long as their foundations and structural designs allow.

So, if you are planning to upgrade your home’s value, a two-storey extension can be a perfect consideration.

Building a Sunroom or Conservatory

For those looking for an even cheaper house extension idea, a Sunroom or a conservatory would be a great option. Smaller conservatories are often fairly inexpensive, require no planning permission, and are not included in the Building Regulations. All this makes conservatories some of the most prevalent home upgrade projects.

One thing you must, however, note here is that despite all those advantages, conservatories still have some drawbacks. For instance, they can be quite challenging to cool in summer or heat during winter. Also, they ought to be detached from the main house through exterior doors, which helps to moderate energy loss.

If, however, you don’t want a conservatory, a sunroom is a great alternative. This is a house extension that consists of large windows to allow abundant daylight while still sheltering you from harsh weather. Unlike the conservatory, a sunroom’s roof is built with normal roofing materials like tiles.  A sunroom also allows for easy control of temperatures.

Reconfiguring the Current Space

This is one perfect extension idea for people with limited space. It involves redesigning the existing space to help maximize it. With reconfiguration, you have a chance to come up with the optimal layout, which maximizes the use of natural light, views, privacy, and access.

You can achieve this by adding or removing some internal doorways or walls, which offers the required space to include a new extension.

One way to do this is to consider redesigning the position of the entrance or the central hallway. These should offer efficient access to the living room, and to the rest of the rooms in the house. It would be best if you also consider the connection between some key spaces in the house—for example, the proximity of your dining space to the kitchen.

With this in mind, you can easily optimize the use of your current space to offer the best value.

Energy Efficient Fireplaces

The increased emphasis on energy-efficient homes has seen many people block or forego open chimney flues in their home upgrade plans. However, there are still some energy-efficient fireplace options that tackle the energy efficiency question while still giving you the value of real flames in your house.

The first option here are the Flueless gas fires. This option doesn’t require any chimney or flue, and it is 100% energy efficient. Here, a catalytic converter is used to clean all unsafe combustion gases, while emitting just water and CO2. The two most famous designs are:

• Traditional fireplaces or stoves
• Modern hole-in-the-wall designs

The second energy-efficient fireplace option is the room-sealed wood-burning stoves. These stoves are linked to an internal source of air, which prevents any draughts. They are incredibly energy efficient and are available in stunning modern designs.

This means that if a modern fireplace was your house extension plan, energy efficiency shouldn’t stop you from dreaming big.

Vaulted Ceiling

A vaulted ceiling is an incredible idea, whether you are building a new home, or just need an extension to your house. It offers great opportunities to achieve something different with your ceiling. And, although most people are accustomed to flat boring ones, vaulted ceilings can bring more appeal and volume to your interior space.

These ceiling designs are perfect for both the single and double-story houses alike. They come in various configurations, including curved and angular shapes, which also make them ideal for both traditional and contemporary homes.

Some of the unique ways you can include these architectural features in your house include:

• Partially vaulted design
• Timber clad vaulted design
• Curved vaulted design
• Bridge landing

Key Takeaway

Adding a home extension always seems like an uphill task to many. This, however, shouldn’t always be the case. There are numerous home extension ideas that are unique, cheap, and less complicated. Also, with a good contractor, you won’t have to worry too much about the project. You can relax as they do all the hard work for you.