If the living space in your house looks cluttered and cramped, and you don’t think it’s feasible to find and buy a new home due to falling property prices, a house extension can transform your way of life.

There are many different reasons to opt for a home extension. Regardless of the purpose, if you are planning to go for one, you should know about the council requirements, the costs involved and whether it’s even feasible to renovate in 2021.

In this blog, we’ll cover important points associated with house extension in London 2021:

Benefits of House Extension in 2021

A house extension is a tremendous solution to expand your living space and get that new-home feel without facing the hassles associated with relocating. With a home extension, you can change the entire look of your home and incorporate features like natural lighting. Depending  on the type of extension you opt for, a home extension project can significantly increase the value of your existing home.

House Extension Council requirements

Regardless of whether your home extension is built under Permitted Development rights or not, you must get the Building Regulations approval.

The minimum requirements you must meet to obtain this approval are related to structural integrity, energy efficiency, ventilation, fire safety, damp proofing, and some other safety aspects.

To learn more about house extension council requirements, visit the official planning portal.

How Much Does a House Extension Cost?

There are various costs involved in a house extension project. The primary cost is associated with construction, which depends on the type of extension you go for. If it’s a single-storey extension of more than 3 meters, you will incur around £206 for planning permission, which an architect will help you obtain.

The extension cost for single-storey extension in London could be anywhere between £1,800 and £2,300+
per square meter. That means a total cost of around £39,200, on average. The fees for hiring an architect and structural engineer, planning application, and building regulations, typically goes up by 10 to 15%. When you include VAT and professional fees, the final cost will be between £40,000 and £67,000.

If you wish to know what exactly an architect will charge you, work out the architectural cost as a percentage of your total budget. Since they charge between 5% and 10%, if your budget extension budget is £70,000 overall, you will need to budget between £3,500 and £7,000 for your architect.

If your architect charges by the hour, then you can calculate accordingly. According to ITJobsWatch, the median hourly rate for architects in the UK is £35. A full structural architectural building survey costs between £900 and £,1800.

Depending on where you’re located in London, the average cost of a two-storey extension can cost
anywhere between £55,000 and £70,000. Since the 2 storeys share the roof and foundations, the per square-meter cost for two storey extensions is lower than the cost for single storey extensions.

Yet, the complexity and size of a two-storey construction can make it difficult to obtain the planning permission resulting in higher costs.

Basement extensions, however, can cost more than a single or two-storey construction. The structural complexities involved, especially the groundwork, can result in costs ranging anywhere from £4,000 to £5,000 per square meter on average. The total costs may even go up to around £80,000 in London.

Final Word

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