If you’re thinking of extending your home, you’ve probably got a few things on your wishlist that you’d like to add. Extending your house is all about creating more space, so if you need another bedroom, an extra bathroom or just a bigger kitchen, it’s a great way of giving you some breathing room without having to completely relocate. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that building an extension can create a lot of disruption to yourself and your family. You’ll have to live with dust and noise for a few months, and that’s just the start of it.
Before you get started on your extension, there are a few things you need to do to get ready. A comprehensive plan ensures your project is completed exactly how you envisioned it. Good preparation also helps to avoid hiccups and bumps in the road.
Take a look below for some tips on how to prepare for the loud and dusty days ahead:
Remove Valuable Items
Extending a house can get pretty messy, which means your belongings are going to get covered in dust. Unfortunately, some of your belongings may also get damaged or even go missing, so it’s a good idea to clear the area being extended of valuable items. This might mean moving ornaments to other rooms in the house, or it might mean using self-storage units to pack large furniture away for the duration of the construction work. These storage units prices might be useful to know if you’re considering this option.
Warn the neighbours
Your neighbours should have been notified when you were granted planning permission for your extension, but you should also give plenty of notice before construction work actually begins. This gives your neighbours the chance to plan around the disruption the builders will cause. To show that you’re sorry for the dust that will make its way into their home, you could also offer to pay for a professional cleaning service to clean your neighbour’s house once everything is over.
Declutter
Building an extension offers a great opportunity to remove clutter and rubbish from your house. The fewer things you have, the fewer things there will be to get in the way of the construction work. Make your way through wardrobes, cupboards and drawers and give the garage and loft a good sort. Once you’ve removed everything you don’t need or want, you will find you’ll have a lot more space to breathe as the building work surrounds you on all sides. This will help to reduce stress and also helps to keep the house tidy, even when it seems like your whole house has been turned upside down.
Make Provisions for Kids and Pets
A building site can be dangerous, and you’re going to be living in the middle of one. If you have children or pets, you need to make sure there are safe spaces for them to escape to. Consider installing baby gates to make sure they can’t access parts of the house that are hazardous and keep the garden fence intact so that if a wild toddler or hell-bent puppy tries to run for it, they’re still safely enclosed.
Try to keep some areas of the house exactly as they always have been too. Kids and animals like routine, but if their favourite room is completely changed, they may struggle to adapt. If you’re having a kitchen extension, for example, keep the living room as it is so that they can still snuggle up on the sofa.
Pick a Suitable Season
The time of year can have a big impact on the preparations you need to make to your home before construction begins. For example, if you’re starting your extension during the winter, it might be a good idea to get your boiler serviced to ensure your home stays warm even when windows and doors are left open and holes are being made in the roof and walls. You should also consider how muddy things might get, so if you experience a monsoon season during the summer, you might need to lay plastic sheeting on carpets to ensure mud doesn’t get trodden through the house by builders.
Wrapping Up
Building an extension is an exciting project to take on board. There are plenty of things you need to think about, but hopefully some of these tips will help to keep your project moving smoothly.
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