To increase the amount of space that you have in your home without having to move to another house and have all the upheaval and stress that comes with it, you might instead be thinking about building an extension.
This is a great way to gain the extra space that you want and you can also add value to the property too, however, a vital part of a successful home extension is finding the right people to work with who can bring your dream to fruition.
The first thing that you will need to do is get in touch with an architect who can help to design the extension. Look for someone who works with residential properties and have a look at work they have done previously to see if it is the sort of thing that you are looking for. Someone in your local area who has had an extension built themselves may even be able to recommend someone to you.
You need to have a good working relationship with them and communicate clearly what you want.
Once your architect has drawn up the plans and you are happy with them, you will need to get them approved. Getting planning permission is important, as the local authority can order you to take the structure down if you do not have planning permission for it. The architect may also be able to help you with this process as most architects will have experience of working with local planning departments.
All local authorities will have varying planning regulations, and other things that play a part are things like living in a national park or in a listed building which will have stricter planning rules.
When the plans for your extension are approved, you then need to turn the plans into a reality. Find a local builder like this builders Bristol based company who has experience in building extensions. Your architect might be able to recommend a builder to you who they have worked with previously. You may also need to find other tradespeople, like gas engineers and electricians to do some of the work for you. Making sure that you hire people who are skilled and know what they are doing is essential, as it needs to be done safely and to a high standard.