When you and your partner first moved into your home, it probably seemed perfect. Fast forward a few years, and you might have a couple of children and maybe a some pets too – your once spacious home can feel a little cramped. If you’re forever wishing you had your own home office or are fed up of running out of storage space, extending might be the answer. Here are a few ideas to consider.

Brick Built Extension

One of the most effective ways to increase the amount of space in your home is with a brick built extension. This could be over one or two stories depending on your budget. While this isn’t a cheap option, if you need an extra bedroom or bathroom upstairs and your kitchen just isn’t big enough for a family it can be the best way to go.

Conservatory

A conservatory is a great way of adding space onto your home. It could be used as an additional living space or even as a dining room which frees up additional space in the home. It’s worth spending the extra here since a well-built conservatory won’t overheat in summer or be too cold in winter. You could look at a conservatory price guide and see what’s available within your budget. Since conservatories are made of glass, they make a nice transitional space between the house and the garden and give you a nice space to sit out and enjoy the view, as opposed to a traditional brick built extension. They can make great party rooms too!

A Garden Room

If you have a large garden, having a garden room fitted is ideal if you’re running out of space in the house. It would make a great hangout for teenagers (and keep their noise and mess out of the main house!) or could be used as an office or even a guest suite if you have a mini bathroom plumbed in. These are so much more than just a shed or outbuilding, they’re fully insulated so can be used all year round, and in most cases don’t need planning permission. In winter it can act as a cosy little hideout, and in summer you can open the doors and use it in the same way as a summer house!

A Loft Conversion

If you have a small garden and don’t have the space to build outwards, going up instead could be a good option. A loft conversion could give you the perfect home office, hobby room or guest room. If you want to keep costs down and simply want the loft for more storage, a basic loft conversion will suffice, you won’t need to have any windows or anything added here and will just need a pull-down ladder and the floor stabilising. Then you can use the space for drawers, shelves and storage units and have somewhere to put all of your special occasion decorations. No more fumbling around in the dark for your Christmas tree!

Have you ever extended your home? How did you go about it?