The perfect remedy to homeowners in the UK who seek extra space and value in their home yet not enough to relocate is the dual storey extension. Not only does it double the area of the floor space you get over a single-storey construction, it also changes the way you live and use your home. The two-storey extension is one of the most successful activities to provide a new look to your property. Whether it is your wish to have an additional bedroom upstairs, a more spacious kitchen down the stairs, or just build your dream of the open-plan design.
Yet, the concept of planning a double storey extension is associated with a series of questions-most of them pertaining to the design, rules and above all, budget. In this guide, we explore everything you need to know before starting, including what a double storey extension costs, how it changes a home, and how Extension Architecture can help bring your vision to life.
What to Know Before Building a Two-Storey Home Extension
Constructing a double storey extension is a humongous endeavor and planning must be done in the initial stage. The first thing you have to consider above other things is to know whether your property can support such an extension. This includes doing a review of the current structure, available space and how the extension will fit into the already designed home.
When getting a double-storey extension, you may need planning permission even in a conservation area or when planning a new project next to boundaries. You should refer to local planning rules and address specialists who will be able to process such procedures on your behalf.
Other than the planning, consider the purpose of each floor. Usually, the homeowners prefer to have an additional room or bathroom upstairs and a stairway. They prefer an open plan kitchen, dining, or living rooms downstairs. Balancing is the trick. The main thing is to make sure that both floors are optimized perfectly and you feel the unity of the house.
How Much Does a Double Storey Extension Cost in the UK?
One of the biggest questions homeowners ask is: How much does a double-storey extension cost? The amount of extensions in the UK is averagely between £2000-£3500 per sq depending on place and level of specifications of the extension as well as the materials.
This means that the total cost of the project is £80,000-£140,000 per 40m2 extension (20m2 per storey). In the South East and London the prices are rather high as there is a greater cost of labour and materials.
Several key factors influence the final double-storey extension cost:
The volume of the construction: the greater the number of structural modifications and variations in layouts, the more time and cost.
Physical site of the property: the increased prices has affected Urban centers because of its accessibility and high salaries.
Materials: The budget is influenced by the kind of materials that are to be used; such as brickwork, glazing, roofing, and the interior.
Structural issues: when the bottom of your buildings have to be strengthened or there is complicated steelwork that is going to be involved, it will cost more.
Professional charges: The cost of the architect, the structural engineer, the planning consultant, and project managers are not left out.
What’s Included in the Price: Materials, Labour & Design
What is included in the quoted price is very important in controlling the budget of your expedition. The following are the things that a normal full-service double-storey extension project can involve:
Architectural design: This is the part covering your vision to what you want to see in a building, layout and regulatory notice.
Planning and Building control: All sets of submissions, approvals and liaising with the council are usually part of the professional packages.
Structural calculations: Structural calculations are necessary to make the extension safe and capable of signing off by the Building Control.
Foundations and groundwork: These are normally more large-scale than single-storey schemes in the preliminary work and such-like problems as the soil and existing drainage.
Construction labour: Construction labor shall include bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and finishers, etc.
Roofing and exterior finishes: The extension should be similar to your current house to add a line of sight.
Interior fittings: These could vary with packages as could include insulation, plastering, flooring and painting.
Before-and-After: How a Two-Storey Extension Transforms a Property
Hardly any home improvement can be more dramatic than a double-storey extension. Before the construction, most houses are either overly cramped in the kitchen, have no natural light, or even the correct number of bedrooms to raise a family. The difference is the visual and functional after the extension.
Consider, as an example, a normal three-bed semi-detached house. The kitchen could be detached to the rest of the house before the extension, there is no en-suite, and there is no home office up the stairs. Once you have designed a double-storey rear extension, you may get yourself a large, open-plan kitchen-diner, with doors out to the garden, a tidily hidden utility room, and upstairs so as to speak. An extra bedroom with a fairly large bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe.
A double-storey extension not only increases daily living but also adds to the curb appeal, as well as the future resale. Sophisticated colors, expansive areas, and intelligent interior designs are grand attractions to them among the current homebuyers.