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| Image Credit: Canva |
{This is a collaborative post}
If you are anything like me, you always need more space. As the kids get bigger, the house starts to feel smaller and it almost feels essential to find another room... from nowhere!
But fear not, there are ways to get an extra room in your existing house without it costing you a fortune and without bringing on board Phil and Kirsty to help you renovate.
Build a Lean To Conservatory
This option is pretty low stress, you shouldn't need planning permission (but always best to check before you start) and you may even find that you already have a footprint, and thus foundations from an old conservatory that was removed. If not, at least all the work is done outside of your existing home and thus mess in the house should be kept to a minimum. When you are building a lean to conservatory it is good to consult an expert and get it done right from the start.
If you enjoy some DIY work you may choose to undertake this yourself with the help of a friend or relative, but do make sure your foundation is sound or you'll find that in no time your glass walls start to crack or drop. And if you are building it yourself you'll want to make sure that you feel fully competent to put the roof on, as a glass or tile roof can be quite heavy and cumbersome to build if you are not experienced.
One big factor to think about before deciding this is the right route for you is to consider what the access is like to your garden. Is there a gate for easy access? Or do the supplies have to go through the house? Could a crane pull up alongside your back wall and pass the items over? It doesn't matter which is the situation for your house, but you just need to be aware and make the appropriate plans to ensure ease of deliveries and access for any trades you employ to help you.
Convert your Garage
A garage conversation can be a really economical way to get an extra room, or even two, in your house. In our last house we converted our garage and were able to gain a large extra bedroom/ playroom for the kids and a utility/ store room.
There were no foundations to consider, the brickwork was already there and we just had to get in a company to brick up the front and put in a window, insulate all the walls and dryline them, lay a raised concrete floor, bring the electrics through and put a door through to our front hallway.
I had not realised quite how much mess putting a door through would make, so if you go down this route, make sure you have a plastic-covered containment area to try to keep your house dust free, as it got everywhere and I was clearing dust up for weeks to come, and all the curtains and soft furnishings had to be deep cleaned.
However, we were so pleased with the space, as it blended perfectly with our home and was an economical option. Were were lucky we had side access to our back garden, as we may have had to think harder about doing it if the garage was our only storage space or route to the back garden.
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| Image Credit: Pexels |
Go up into the Loft Space
A loft conversation can be a really good way to gain space and depending on the size of your house, it may be multiple rooms that you can gain. But the first step is always to check that your loft is suitable for conversation and a variety of factors come into play - what kind of roof structure do you have|? Houses built before 1960 tend to have a cut roof and this is definitely easier and cheaper to convert. Is there enough ceiling height and are there obstructions like water tanks and chimney stacks that would need to be re-sited?
You've also got to think about how you'll be accessing the space, is there enough room in your upper hall to comfortably take a staircase and what kind of staircase would it be? Doing a loft conversation isn't a job for a novice, so it is good to get a professional in early on to design the conversation and plan the costs and actual work. The last thing you want is to be finished and find that it doesn't meet building regulations and there is remedial work necessary to ensure it is a usable space.
Put a Cabin in the Back Garden
It would be easy to think that putting in a cabin in your back garden would be the easiest way to create an extra room but as with all options, there are quite a few things to think through first. Do you need planning permission? Well, that will depend on the size and what you want the cabin for. If you are looking for an extra bedroom that will be slept in regularly and you want utilities like electricity and water to go to it, then you probably do.
You'll need to consider where you are sitting it in your garden to ensure it is not an eye-sore to neighbours, or blocking their sunlight, and not site by a large tree that may cause problems in a storm or through its root growth.
You see, there are so many ways to be able to get a new room and some of them are pretty reasonable, with costs under £10,000. All the best with whichever option you decide is best for your home.