1. Finance

How to finance the job is the first question you need to ask before you even get a quote. Have you been saving? Remortgage? Lottery winnings? Having a financial plan to pay for your project will save a whole list of headaches for you and your builder.

2. What do you want to accomplish?

A kitchen extension is way different than a plain room extension. There are many factors to consider when detailing the type of space from the size to what function it will serve you. Most popular is a kitchen extension. Most extensions would open us the kitchen by about 4 metres into the back yard to facilitate half a kitchen area dinning room/breakfast bar and wide 5 panel bi-fold doors.

As simple and often as we’ve done this job, it has a whole host of planning and decisions only you can facilitate.

3. Architecture

Now you know how you can possibly finance a big project without breaking the bank, you know what you want – so you will need to get it on paper. I’d advise you do a rough sketch of what you want and great detail on a notebook trying to visualise as much as you can the final product to the colours on the walls and kitchen cabinets. Doing research on site like Pinterest adding pictures to some sort of mood board library of a mixture of ideas you would like to put together and organising each section into something somewhat cohesive. try showing it/explaining it to a third ear and running it through a few people you may know who’s had work done.

All this before you actually hire an architect. And there goes your first lot of cash!

An architect would basically measure out and detail your ideas into a blueprint and show you what you can and can’t do (it’s more complex than that btw) they would advise and let you know a few advanced details on the plan you are about to embark. 

Most times they would point to you to the structural engineer. These fellows would take your drawings and make sure the resulting building is structurally sound. That’s… that’s another bit of cashhhh out! gone finnitooo, whoosh see you later. XD

Typically you would need RSJ steels to hold up your house for hundreds of years to come and the structural engineers come in to make the necessary checks to design the structure. The structure can seem a bit overkill sometimes but they factor things like wind, weight, location, type of foundation and ease of installation for the builders. They need to make it somewhat “easy” to install else your house comes crashing – simple as that!

4. Planing Permission – Council & Neighbours

Ooh if your neighbours are about to sell their house, sometimes you can’t count on them to sign your permitting papers. I’ve seen it happen.

Apart from that, depending on the size of the build you would need to get permission from your council using your architectural drawings – don’t show them yours you can burn that notebook now!

There are restrictions you need to be aware of, but your architect will guide you there so that’s a no on the 3 story building with a golf course and pool and heli-pad… just no.. sir!

5. Building Control

Ok here’s the good, the bad and the ugly truth.

The good – You need them

The bad – you still need them

The ugly – You are still reading this, but you still need them!

I like building control myself – is something only I would say I think… just keep in mind they have your best interest in mind. They are there to keep you, your home and neighbourhood up to current standards. There are rules and they enforce them. They basically have a check list that needs to meet the standards before each phase of the job can continue. Think about it this way – a builder can just say to you – I dug this foundation and 2m deep and you wouldn’t have a clue. A building control would have to come to verify that is the case and what the requirements are before the pour.

 

To be  continued…