Major Projects Profit From Extending Your House

Date Published:

28/05/2008

21st Century Gadgets

Building something from scratch - even an extension - gives you the opportunity to include clever, modern ideas and money-saving gadgets.

Think about including environmentally friendly touches - recycled, sustainable or energy-efficient products. A good place to start is the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). The Energy Saving Trust will also fill you with inspiration about solar panels other energy-saving ideas. Ethical Junction will put you in touch with ethical and sustainable products provided by its members. Also worth a look are www.woodforgood.com and www.greenconsumerguide.com. Also, Expanko sell recycled rubber flooring - ideal for areas of heavy traffic - and environmentally friendly cork, available in the UK via Floor:Source.

You can also harness technological developments to make life easier in your new extension. Getting an automated home means many elements - such as window treatments, lighting, audio-video systems, security - can all be controlled remotely from a central unit or from your PC. Simply Automate will fire your imagination as to what is possible. You could even have light-sensitive curtains that open themselves when the sun comes up!

Courtesy of Jefferson Smith

Open-plan family areas are among the top uses for a new extension. Many owners are keen to open up their homes to the garden and create a fabulous indoor-outdoor living space. Glass is a perennial favourite for extensions, because it reduces the impact of the extra building on its surroundings, while also allowing light to flood into the house.

Styling the Space

Thinking about the overall decor should start at the design stage. If you want a seamless addition to the rest of your home, make sure details such as the skirtings, wooden mouldings and internal doors all match. Extensions are also an opportunity to create a dramatic focal piece to a home. If you love entertaining and want to create a feature dining room with a fabulous table that seats 20, for example, source the table first to give you a hook into the design.

The raw materials you use can also be inspirational - raw brickwork or stone add detail without pattern, or exposed beams (think traditional wood or modern steel) can create an architectural feel.

Don't overlook the more practical considerations, either. If you do plan to use a lot of glass, for example, look for fabrics with built-in fade resistance and consider the prevailing weather trends. A stark white scheme in a north-facing extension may look very contemporary but it will feel blue and cold for most of the year, so a neutral with a touch of cream would be a better option.