Many homeowners are working their way up the ladder, they buy homes when they first get an income and then as their careers and their salaries progress they look to upgrade their homes. For many this may be also as a result of their lifestyle changing, having children for example and there comes a time when everyone needs that little bit of extra space. For a lot of home owners who don’t want to move home or who have poor equity on their current house, an extension may be possible in order to create that extra space which they need. If you have been looking into the possibility of extending your home then here are some key considerations which you need to make.

Getting the Right Company

You could undertake the task yourself of arranging all aspects of a home extension, this however is incredibly time-consuming and is a round-the-clock task. A better option is to look at full service construction companies like the Chicago- based Jon Bunge offers where you get the full package from architects, project managers, foremen and of course, builders. Once you have hired a great company, sit down with them and talk through what you are hoping to gain from your project. They will then be able to tell you what is possible, give you options and draw up some plans.

Planning Permission

The large majority of councils require that you have sufficient planning permission before making any adjustments to your home. Planning permission laws are in place to prevent people from ruining landscapes, views for other home owners and preserving the quality of buildings. Your construction company will usually have an idea as to whether you will or won’t be accepted for planning permission.

What do the Neighbors Think

It is vitally important that you speak with your neighbors about your plans, there are a couple of reasons for this. The first reason is that your neighbors could well block your planning permission if they don’t feel as though it will add any value to the street or if they are going to have a particular view blocked or less sunlight into their homes as a result of your extension. The second reason is that during the housing extension there is likely to be lots of heavy goods vehicles coming in and out of the street, lots of materials being delivered and the possibility of debris and dust on the road, it is worth speaking to them out of respect if nothing else.

Finances

You need to ensure that you not only have the money to pay for the extension itself but that you also have enough money to pay for any unforeseen projects. The cost of materials could rise, a water pipe could be hit, the construction company may have financial woes or any other issue could arise which means that the project will cost more money. This has a tendency of happening with large construction projects and you need to be sure that you are going to have the money to pay for it.