Extra Space..it's The Final Frontier

May 11 2008 Donny Sheridan

Has The Banks'mortgage Misery Left You Unsure About A Move? Here's Donny's Guide To Extensions.

Growing panic in the housing market has forced many owners to stay put and look at improving their home instead.

But what do you do if you need more space and have already converted the loft, basement and garage?

The obvious solution is to build an extension, which can be a relatively straightforward project..

An average extension can be built for £15,000-£30,000 depending on the materials used.

Sandstone, for example, will cost more than common brick and any special product that can't be bought off the shelf will also cost more - such as marble kitchen worktops which have to be cut to fit.

Once you have decided to go ahead with your extension the process is relatively simple.

You'll need to hire an architect to provide the drawings - make sure your choice is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Architects (RICA).

With his help you can work out the style, type and likely cost of your extension. The drawings are then submitted to your local council's planning department.

Once the drawings have been approved you need to notify your neighbours of your plans.

If there are no objections from them or the planners it is likely that planning permission will be granted and you can start work.

APPOINTING A BUILDER

There are a couple of ways to go about this. You can have the architect provide the drawings to three different builders and get them to give you a price.

Or if you are lucky enough to know a local builder or one that is recommended by a friend or family, you could go with them instead.

Don't be put off if you need to wait a couple of months for them to start, this is a good sign as they are obviously in demand.

Once you choose your builder think of them as part of the team and work together.

ARCHITECT

Your architect will make sure all the drawings and specifications are in place to satisfy your local authority planners.

He may also take on the role of contract administrator, which basically means they handle the builders and any related issues that will undoubtedly crop up.

Nine times out of 10 something will happen during the building process and these unforeseen problems need to be managed in an adult fashion.

You as the homeowner might get emotionally involved and lose the heid a wee bit but a professional will stay calm and get it sorted.

The architect will charge a fee for acting as contract administrator, usually a percentage of the overall building cost.

But it's well worth paying extra for this.

It requires lots of different skills to manage a building project so be warned.

If you have the time to deal with a small construction project then be prepared to answer any queries and take calls from 8am until 8pm.

Next week I will tell you a few things to look out for, including builder etiquette - such as two sugars and milk in the tea and what biscuits to buy in.

DONNY'S LITTLE HELPER

This Allen key set is a real pound shop bargain. It can be used for adjusting windows, building flat-pack furniture, erecting a trampoline fixing or adjusting the steering on the kids bike and all for £1. Brilliant.