How to save money when building your house extension

House extensions are becoming a popular method to gain more space in your house for the present and build value on your property for the future. Often people opt to build a house extension rather than upsizing because it saves on moving costs, they like their current location and they don’t want to let go of a house they love. So, with this in mind, how can you save money when building your house extension and ensure you get the best outcome for you?

Budget – You have probably seen on shows like Grand Designs that sticking to a budget is a hard task. However, making sure you set a realistic budget and sticking to it is sadly the only way to succeed when keeping your extension from costing the earth. Ensure you account for all eventualities in your budget, include everything from paint to pipework, to unexpected labour costs. This way you cover your back and, even better, could potentially land yourself under budget.

Get professional advice – Make sure you do research into the professionals you want to use, look at reviews, get a variety of quotes from different companies and then you can make informed decisions. The easiest way to overspend is having to compensate for poor workmanship, so be informed and don’t let that happen.

High quality over cheap – Even though you are trying to make the most bang for your buck, choosing cheap materials will lead to expensive issues in the future. Choose roofing sheets that will give you long-lasting protection from the weather or double-glazed windows to save energy usage, it all makes a difference. You need to think of the longevity of your project and how using high quality products now, which may be more expensive, will actually save you money in the long term.

Stick to the initial plan – When you are on a tight budget and deadline, if something crops up that doesn’t fit under the essential list you planned, then it isn’t worth your time. Often companies may try to upsell their products or offer you discounted upgrades – don’t be tempted to take the bait. If you need it, you will have accounted for it.

DIY – Do it yourself! If you have the skills, experience and tools to do a DIY extension, work out what elements of the extension you can help with. However, DIY can sometimes replace quality so make sure you know what you’re doing. Question what you can realistically achieve and account for it when budgeting for tradesmen, it may be that you can save yourself some money on labouring costs.

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