7 Stunning House Extension Ideas

House extensions are an increasingly popular lifestyle choice at the moment with more and more time being spent at home. They are extremely beneficial for many reasons and can add significant value to your home whilst improving your quality of life within the property. With people conscious about the housing market, many have opted to invest in and extend their current home rather than move. The range of options available is huge and with many styles and innovative designs at your disposal, you can create a dream addition to your home with a reasonable budget in a short space of time.

In a small house, which rooms are ideal to extend?

In small homes every bit of space is vitally important to maximise its potential and is imperative when it comes to design and implementation. In a small home, choosing the area to target can be tricky so take your time and seek expert advice prior to any final decision. The optimum opportunity will be any space at the rear that can be extended into which will provide an extensive internal layout. The plan would be to grow the existing living space without compromising the feel of your home whether this is to incorporate a working area, play area, or relaxation zone.

Dictate the space

If you live in an apartment or flat where extending into a garden isn’t an option, then re-evaluating existing features will be crucial to your next step. By highlighting any wasted or under-utilised space, you will identify opportunities for expansion or renovation to make the area more functional and productive. Ultimately you need the space to fit into your lifestyle not adapting your ways and habits to fit with the current provision. It is your house and it should be the way you want it. Converting bedroom or bathroom space that you are not using or could use differently are amongst the many options.

Budget-Friendly renovation

If you are concerned with the ongoing costs of the building work and only have a small budget to work with then planning ahead is even more important. You will need to be extremely precise with the minor details to ensure your budget is not compromised once more expensive materials are offered.
The existing roof space is going to be the cheapest area of the house to renovate providing the headspace is adequate in your home. Just think about the amount of unused room up there that can be used for something practical and of value to you. Simple decorating on top of extra insulation and a new floor once you have decided on an access route suitable for your purpose will leave you with just the lighting to sort out which should be relatively cheap and manageable for your budget. Below are a number of home renovation ideas you may wish to consider for your house extension plans; 

Garage conversion

There are not many who use their garage for cars these days. The garage is often a dumping ground or wasted area of under-utilised space. With that in mind, if you are one of the thousands of people that has a garage not being used for its purpose, why not convert it? It is a very valuable option, particularly in a smaller home where space is scarce.  Making the most of your garage space with an extra bedroom, bathroom area or an extended kitchen or living space could literally change your life. 

Glass panels to capture light

The installation of glass panels and sliding doors is designed to incorporate your garden and link indoor and outdoor living. The space will open up completely to the garden beyond the glass panels which will attract and reflect light, instantly giving a feeling of gained space and extra room. 

The impact of a side return 

A side return is mostly a straightforward project that can enhance space in a kitchen for example, and has proven to be an ideal option for extending particularly narrow kitchens by maximising redundant space outside. Typically used in terraced houses, but not exclusively, side returns provide opportunity to steal an extra metre or two which can prove valuable despite its modest measurements. 

Kitchen elongating solves problems

You don’t have to make huge structural alterations to change the perception of space. If you elongate your kitchen with the addition of double doors which open out into the garden, it automatically creates a larger and free feel to the area without actually expanding anything. 
Even the smallest of extensions has the ability to transform the downstairs layout of a home. An area extended beyond the existing kitchen allows extra space for the room to become more functional where narrow kitchens are concerned.

Functionality in small areas

Kitchens are often the hub of the home. Cooking, socialising, relaxing, eating and drinking all occur in this room. So if space is a concern then try to incorporate as many multifunctional and multi-purpose items, appliances and accessories in your small kitchen as possible. The more you utilise these versatile facets the more you will get out of the space you have and the less you will need to sacrifice in terms of quality time spent in your kitchen with friends and family. Make it as usable as possible by extending out to the permitted border where you can. 

Bring the outside in

The more flow and less of a noticeable transition from out to in, the better. Linking the two key areas of your home can be extremely advantageous and save money whilst increasing space and the way in which you use it. Retracting doors on a glass extension will do wonders for your seamless link of the outdoors to the interior of your home. A more natural feel and expansive touch with style and comfort all year round. It is a move that prevents a small kitchen from feeling enclosed and offers extra socialising options at the same time. 

Double-up the floor plan on the ground

Design can be a problem in some houses with some architects having their hands forced into some awkwardly shaped provisions in order to fit in all the required components. Nevertheless, there are always options no matter how narrow the corridors may be or if the adjoining spaces in the hallways are like corridors. A compact design structure unfortunately can highlight and promote the fact that it is a small area but adding a moderate open-plan extension can work wonders. Working across the back will open up the downstairs to make the whole house feel more generously spaced out.

Get in touch

Ready to get started on your stunning home extension? Get in touch today to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Refresh Renovations specialists.