Building an extension to your home can at once be an exciting and terrifying prospect. Although everyone would love a little bit of extra living space in their property, an extension poses some serious questions that need to be answered before the project can begin in earnest.
Today we’d like to discuss some of the things a homeowner should know before embarking on a home extension.
DO I NEED PLANNING PERMISSION FOR A HOME EXTENSION?
In Ireland, you don’t necessarily need planning permission to add an extension to a home. Providing of course that the extension complies with certain conditions.
The floor area of the home extension must not exceed 40sqm. This 40spm restriction is only valid in cases where the property has not been previously extended.
The height of the home extension should not exceed the height of the existing property.
To be absolutely sure your home extension doesn’t require planning permission we recommend requesting for a section 5 declaration – certificate of lawful development – from your local authority.
BE MINDFUL OF YOUR BUDGET
Before starting a home extension, it’s important to be realistic about the total cost of the project. At A Giffney and Sons Ltd., we pride ourselves on our cost-effectiveness and our accurate quotes.
We urge clients to set a realistic budget that takes into account labour, materials and the time-investment necessary to complete a quality home extension.
LET’S THINK DESIGN
Even if you are planning a very small extension, thought should be put into the extension's design. Factors to consider when working with a builder include how the design will look on the property. and how the extension will look in relation to other properties in the area.
A professionally designed home extension -- like those provided by our design team -- should seamlessly integrate into the existing exterior design of the property.
TELL THE NEIGHBOURS
More a courtesy than a requirement, letting your neighbours know that some building work is due to take place lets them prepare for the noise and machinery that inevitably surrounds a building project.
The above is by no means a complete list of everything you should know before beginning a home extension, but it will get you thinking of all the factors that go into a property extension. If you are interested in learning more, we invite you to get in contact with our team today, or visit our extensions page.