Be fully expanded
The expansion of current home can be easier
to perform, because in most cases you will not need to find a building
permission. However, you should find out what you can and cannot do before
starting to do anything.
Recently we have investigated a change in
the joint house’s attic which follows Victorian design. The attic change
belongs to the Permitted Development, which is an aspect of the rural and urban
planning in Britain. It allows the landlord to make these small developments
without the need of building permission. With the permitted development, we can
create an attic room with the size of 40m3 in the house, or 50m3 in other
houses. There are limitations in the construction, and other restrictions
depend on the type of extension. By comparison, the application for a building
permission for attics in the area will limit our roof windows on the back (post
expansion roofs) as 40% of the roof surface, creating a much smaller room.
Should consider this in the planning stage.
For example, if you want to add an extension and create a change in the attics
of our area, you had better make attics which follow the permitted development
categories under the planning and expansion to increase maximum space that you
will have.
There are many useful tips at
www.planningportal.gov.uk / permission, including interactive tutorials and
animated charts presenting basic principles. You should also call your local
planning office, because they are happy to explain anything or give general advice
before filing officially.
Money Matter
Obviously, the problem is finding money to
pay for everything. There are many stories on TV about the self-construction
and remodeling homes where the project has doubled the original budget.
However, at first, calculating the actual budget can be a challenge. Your best
method is to use a spreadsheet to track financial and construction costs.
The numbers such as 1000 pounds/m2
construction can often be discussed. You will find a detailed cost calculation
at BuildStore’s website. We cannot guarantee its accuracy, and obtaining more
accurate estimation can be difficult. We asked Jeremy Barton, a real estate
developer, about how he calculated the price a construction project.
"An experienced architect will be able
to give you the rough estimations," he explained, "but you really do
not know how much it will cost until he make the detailed technical drawings
and give it to the builder. Detailed technical drawing splits the construction
into separate tasks and gives details of work and materials needed for each
job. "
However, Barton continued to emphasize that
although the contractor agrees a fixed price based on technical drawings,
things can spin out of control that is not the fault of the contractor, and
sometimes things will need to change. There is always a list of additional
costs that you and the architect and builder argue about. As Barton says,
"One advantage of having his architect is that he will take his side in
you. The contractor's price usually includes an additional 5%, 10% or 15% for
the unexpected things. It was in the price, so some work can extract that
money. "
Barton explained that the unexpected costs
are normal while renovating or expanding the old house, because you cannot be
sure what will happen until you start. But he added that the new building has
its own problems. If soil is too soft when you dig the foundation, you can
spend more money to build the better base right before the start of
construction.
There are other costs before construction
costs. Land cost is obvious, but you also need to allocate budget for the
application fees (building permission and building regulations), legal fees, and
survey, construction and insurance fees for architects. It can easily increase,
depending on the size and complexity of the building, and the level of
architectural services.
Website of the Royal Institute of British
Architects, www.architecture.com, cited an independent survey to check the
architect's fees and found that they accounted for 3 to 5% of construction
costs for the design and the application of construction, or 8 to 12% for full
service where the architect looks after the building. This percentage may be
higher for the expansion, repair and conservation of the historic building.
Architects can be pleased to work with a
fixed fee or even hourly fee. The latter may be a wise choice if you are in
early stages and need help with a study about feasibility, explore the
consistent growth patterns with the land. If land price is below 125 thousand pounds,
you do not need to pay registration tax. From 125 thousand to 250 thousand
pounds, it is 1%, up to 3% for 500 thousand pounds. The new building is also
subject to VAT 0% for materials, but you should claim it back when the building
is completed. If you find a small construction companies which do not charge
VAT, you can save money on VAT on the wages of the contractor (20%). Just make
sure those companies in accordance with the immediate task.
When you calculate your budget, remember to
compare it to what you expect to complete the building. It will be easier to
use services like Rightmove, by examining similar buildings in the area.
An on-time sketch
When you have overcome the obstacles about
budget and construction permission, it is time for fun. Many software packages
can help you develop ideas. However, as the architect James Allison pointed
out, it is often best to start with paper and pen.
"It's good to have a natural flushing
out of ideas, and sketching out the initial ideas can encourage this," he
added. "Sometimes the computer can stop your creativity. It is best to try
all your ideas, and the outline provides a quick and convenient way to evaluate
each idea. You can lose a few ideas as they are not appropriate, but you will
have a really good design. "
One of the main privileges of the design of
a building or extension is that you can change it as you want. If you want a
home cinema system in your living room, you can choose a wall to let a
projector to show on it and avoid arranging any door or window on it. Furniture
should be outlined at this stage, because it gives you a sense of proportion
and encourages you to think about how people will use these rooms.
You will find that the limitations in the
budget, building permission or land can bring inspiration on how to promote it.
The consideration of how to fix any problem is usually easier than looking at
the white paper frame. If you need inspiration, try the photo gallery at http://tinyurl.com/grandpics.
