Maximising Space: Small House Extension Ideas
With the costs and inconvenience of moving higher than ever before, more homeowners are looking for ways to maximise the space they already have. Making the most of a smaller home can be more challenging – but there are plenty of positives that come along with the extra effort. In this blog we share the basics of maximising space in more compact properties, along with some small house extension ideas for inspiration.
What are the features and benefits of small house extensions?
Extending smaller homes is a great way to maximise existing space while maintaining aesthetic appeal. There are plenty of reasons to prefer staying put over relocation, whether it’s close proximity to schools and family or simply living in an area you love and don’t want to leave. Enhancing both the functionality and value of your home, extensions are versatile and can be configured in many different ways to suit your unique requirements and wishes.
Before starting your project, there are a number of factors to consider from budget and design to layout and the type of extension that will work best for your property and goals. Every home and homeowner is unique and any development needs to be flexible enough to evolve with your changing needs, so it’s important to take time to consider your main objectives and what’s possible within the constraints of your property and planned spend before embarking on a build. Space optimisation is key in small home extensions – so a carefully-planned approach is required to ensure that your development delivers on expectations. Although smaller builds tend to fall under the umbrella of permitted development, in some cases planning permissions may be required depending on the size and location of the extension. Consulting with an architect or professional can streamline the planning process significantly – more on this below.
Popular Small House Extension Ideas
Although each home is unique, there are certain types of extension that are better-suited to small homes, each with their own benefits. Some of the most effective extension types for smaller homes include:
Rear Extensions: Ideal for expanding kitchen or living areas, versatile rear extensions help to maintain garden space. Rear extensions are one of the most popular types of home expansion and can add significant value to your property as a result.
Side Return Extensions: Popular in urban environments for terraced houses and properties with a reduced external footprint, side return extensions utilise smaller and narrow spaces effectively.
Loft Conversions: Concealed in the eaves of your existing property, loft conversions add functional space without altering your home’s external footprint. Due to their location in the home loft conversions can be somewhat restrictive when it comes to use, and they’re often used for additional bedrooms, guest suites and home offices. Two major considerations for loft conversions are insulation and natural light, and there are different types of loft conversions with varying suitability and benefits for different properties, all of which can be taken into account during the planning stage of your project.
Garage Conversions: Like loft conversions, garage conversions are another option which maximises existing underutilised space in your property. These fairly straightforward and cost-effective developments transform unused garages into living spaces with many versatile uses. As is the case with loft conversions, extra consideration (and budget) may be required to enhance your space with essential features such as insulation and windows for increased natural light.
Creative Design Solutions for Maximising Space
As well as considering the practical and construction aspects of your extension, it’s also important to think about how expanding your space will change the internal layout and features of your home. Professional support is often needed to help put together blueprints that will make the most of your property’s existing footprint and really transform your inside space. There are a number of innovative design strategies that can help to make small spaces feel larger and more functional, such as:
Open Plan Living: More homeowners are opting to introduce versatile flexi-spaces as opposed to more traditional layouts. Smaller properties often aren’t naturally expansive enough to accommodate an open plan layout, so an extension can make this a possibility. Introducing an open plan design to living spaces such as kitchen diners and living rooms creates a sense of spaciousness and can improve the flow of your home, as well as enhancing daily living. If you’re hoping to transform your current space into an open plan area, take time to focus on layout aspects and innovative approaches to make the most of your new extension, such as using furniture to create zones.
Multi-functional Furniture: When planning the functionality and layout of your new space, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and browse and pick out furniture ahead of time to help you live in and use your extension as quickly as possible. Versatile multi-use pieces like foldable desks or sofa beds can be excellent options to maximise utility.
Vertical Space Usage: A challenge that often comes with some smaller properties is a lack of external space to build out into. Expanding vertically is a great way to make the most of your property’s surroundings and original footprint. If you don’t want to go for the traditional style of two-tier configuration, you can maximise vertical space with mezzanine levels and tall storage units to make use of the height such as built-in shelving.
Light and Colour: In smaller properties you can easily create the illusion of more space and an expansive feel by using lighter colours and neutral tones. Mirrors can make spaces feel larger, whilst natural light enhances room brightness – so this is something to consider when putting together blueprints for your extension. Windows and skylights can be strategically placed to help flood the extension with natural light, which can then flow through your home.
Budgeting and Planning for Your Extension
Carefully considering your budget and realistically outlining how much you have to spend and how much your project will cost is crucial in order to ensure a successful extension project (and avoid costly mistakes and stress during construction). Planning and managing finances effectively is essential to ensure a successful outcome and desired finish.
Key considerations when setting a budget for an extension include:
Establishing a contingency fund
Even with the most robust and realistic budget, a project can still go over on spend for a variety of unforeseen reasons. Running over planned costs is fairly common, and can be due to unexpected price increases of certain materials during the project, unscheduled and unavoidable delays and issues such as weather events and supply chain disruption. Creating a contingency fund helps to ease the anxiety of going over budget, as it creates a financial buffer which can be used if anything unexpected comes up. The more you can save the better, but a contingency fund of £1,000-£3,000 is usually sufficient for smaller projects.
Sourcing cost-effective materials
It’s important to ensure that your extension is of the highest quality and has been built to stand the test of time, but that doesn’t mean that you have to blow the budget on expensive products to ensure a premium finish. Cost-effective materials can reduce overall expenses and in many cases could be better in terms of practicality and functionality than more expensive options. Your professional team can advise and recommend products which allow you to balance the best of both worlds in terms of budget and performance. Reclaimed materials are another great way to bring down the overall cost of your build and enhance its eco-friendly credentials at the same time.
Ensuring legal considerations are covered
Although in some cases a smaller extension or conversion will fall under permitted development, planning permissions are mandatory for most extensions. It’s important to check local regulations and request advice on your project as early as possible from your Local Planning Authority (LPA). Planning permission often seems scary if you’ve never had to go through the process before, but it’s better to know what you’re dealing with and it can be incredibly smooth and straightforward in lots of cases, especially if you have professional help. You can learn more about who needs planning permission and how to get it with our dedicated guide here.
Enlisting professional support
Where budget allows, getting as much professional advice on board for your project is highly recommended, as this helps to avoid costly mistakes and ensures a successful and smoother process from start to finish. Consider using a quantity surveyor, architect and any other professional who could manage parts of the process on your behalf. At Eagle Build we offer full-service design & build option for clients who would like the benefit of a trusted team including a dedicated project manager.
Bringing Your Small House Extension Vision to Life
In this blog we’ve covered the most important considerations for anyone with a smaller property looking into expanding the current space within their home. From types of extensions and interior design considerations to planning permission and budgeting, to get the most out of your new space it’s important to approach small house extension projects with creativity and careful planning. Thorough preparation is crucial for a successful outcome and ensures that all aspects are considered.
Any extension is a blank canvas and can be customised to suit your unique requirements. Investing in innovative, creative design can transform even the smallest spaces, whilst professional advice can prevent costly mistakes and ensure a high-quality finish.