Renovating your home can be an exciting time.

It’s a chance for a fresh new start; for you to level up your home and make it a more functional, comfortable, stylish space for you and your family. Unfortunately, several caveats come along with planning a home extension that you need to consider before starting.

We’ve compiled a handy list of all the things you must remember to think about when planning your home extension.

Energy Efficiency is the Way Forward

Nowadays, there are much stricter regulations surrounding the parts of your home that will affect the environment.

Energy efficiency is one of the biggest considerations here. You need to make sure that your extension meets all the necessary standards for thermal efficiency, which can affect various parts of your home. The main things you will need to consider are your windows, insulation, ventilation and wall construction. This may impact your entire design, particularly if you were considering having large expanses of glazing. In order to meet requirements, you may need to install double or triple glazing.

Assess Your Foundations

Over the past 25 years, certain regulations surrounding house foundations have changed, requiring that foundations for an extension must be deep enough for an extra storey to be built later if needed. For this reason, you will need to take a look at your foundations and check whether or not they meet the required standard. If they fail in this regard, it may be worth assessing the rest of your property to see if the extension would be best placed elsewhere. This may be the best option if meeting the regulations prove extremely costly.

Know Your Limitations

Planning an extension can be difficult when it comes to considering your limitations. First, you need to figure out whether or not you will require planning permission to carry out the project. If you’re unsure, we recommend contacting your local planning department and letting them assess the situation.

Even if you don’t require permission, it’s always worth notifying your neighbours before you begin construction, if only to prepare them for any inconveniences when it comes to the building process.

Regardless of the size of your extension, you will need to make a building regulations application. Your building control surveyor will come and assess the space’s suitability for living, considering such elements as the structure, safety, energy efficiency, ventilation, insulation and the materials used.

All Building Control: Building Surveyors For Every Homeowner

There’s a lot that goes into planning, designing and building a home extension. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as having an idea and executing it.

Here at All Building Control, we understand how simultaneously exciting and stressful it can be. We make it our mission to help every client on their journey to happiness and safety in the home.

Still confused about the whole process? We’ve got you. Our expert team are always on hand to help you and answer any questions you have about building control. If you’re planning an extension and need building control services, never hesitate to get in touch with us. We provide unparalleled services in and around the London area and have a real passion for helping our clients build their dream homes.