Suppose you were considering selling up and moving because you want more space or need a change – that can still be done without the mad stress of moving. Besides, the housing market isn’t doing anything exciting right now, so you’re better off staying put and extending what you have.

This is a great way to save your time and money and the beautiful memories that your home holds. But before you go knocking down any walls, getting a roof conversion for your home extension or tearing out floors, there are a few things that you need to consider.

So here are all the essential things you need to ask yourself before you do anything drastic.

What’s your budget for your home extension?

This is one of the most critical questions that need to be answered before you go any further. Don’t even think about calling in builders and architects for meetings until you know your price range. How much money have you got to work with? Or better yet, how much are you willing to spend? As soon as you’ve got a number in mind – stick to it. It’s far too easy to go off course if you’re not strict with your final decision.

It is a good idea to price up all of the materials so you have a good idea of exactly where your budget will be spent and where you need to spend more money or areas you can cut back on. Knowing the different Types of Concrete you may need and their cost, along with all of the fittings you require, contractors, and getting any legal permissions you need to be looked at prior to contacting anyone. This will avoid major issues such as running out of funds during the build.

What do you want?

What exactly is it that you want? A new living room, a bedroom built into your house, or have you got your eye on the fancy conservatories by James Oliver? If you don’t know exactly what you want, have a look through different sites and magazines to get some ideas. The sooner you’re sure, the sooner you can prepare for what alterations there are to be made.

How long will it take?

If you’re expecting this to be a quick fix that will happen overnight – you’re wrong. Even waiting for specific paperwork to come through and be approved can take a few months in itself – so don’t make promises to anyone about it being done when you aren’t sure.

Just be patient, and prepare for interruptions within your family life once the building has begun.

Will it affect the neighbours?

You should always consider your neighbours when planning on expanding – especially if you’re doing something drastic. Think about whether anything you do may cause potential damage to next door, like if you share a wall that runs through the bedroom or a fence that goes along both of your gardens. You should also think about the social aspect of things too, like all the loud noises while construction is going on. This will affect their downtime, too, with constant banging and drilling, so make sure you talk to them and keep them in the loop of things.

What’s your timetable?

Make sure you plan well in advance for your home extension, and you can do this by setting a strict timetable to follow for the completion of each job. One thing to remember is that it will most likely run over the time you noted, but if you’re firm enough, there is no reason that the job should be done way over the date that had been agreed. So get advice from the appropriate professionals so you know realistically how long this will all take.