Double Your House for Half the Money
PLANNING THE PERFECT EXTENSION
Double Your House for Half the Money
Origin bi-fold doors helped Oliver and Lucie Herman from Hertfordshire extend their home with a modern, open-plan kitchen and living area as part of a building project featured on Channel 4’s ‘Double Your House for Half the Money’, presented by Sarah Beeny. The episode follows the couple as they transform their £900,000 property, which once doubled as a dentist’s surgery, into a stunning new home.
The owners wanted to increase the size of their house and improve its appeal without breaking the bank. Bi-folding doors were found to be the perfect solution as they added value to the home and increased the size of the living area by creating a third, unique living space between the inside and outside.
If you are looking to create a similar look, here are Origin’s top ten tips to the perfect extension:
Consider how the space will fit with your lifestyle – Carefully consider what the function of the extension will be before you start, so that you can build in the features and design elements that you need, be it a kitchen, lounge, playroom or guest suite. This will help you avoid making changes later on that will cost money. Having a solid plan and budget before you begin is essential.
Hire an architect – You’re only going to do it once, so get it exactly right by working with an architect who can bring your ideas to life and help with design by getting the size, proportion and scale of the build accurate. They will also help with building regulations and adherence to other legal requirements.
Using the space – Go for as much space as you can afford. Incorporating bi-folding doors into the build will increase the use of space and create a unique third living area when the doors are fully opened. This can completely transform how the room is used. Bespoke doors can be created to fit almost any space, from bay windows or corner sets, through to opening up a whole ‘wall’ to really add the ‘wow’ factor.
Lead times –Project timings can hinge on the installation of features such as bi-folding doors. Standardindustry lead time for folding sliding doors is normally six weeks, but nobody wants to wait for longer than necessary.Origin’s unique ‘your lead time, not ours’ promise means you can have doors delivered according to your build schedule.
Avoid cowboys – Go for reputation when it comes to suppliers. The Federation of Master Builders will recommend the right people to see you through your project from start to finish. Ensure there is a contract drawn up with agreed timelines and budgets. Plus don’t be afraid to shop around for quotes and renegotiate labour costs.
Guarantees– You want your new extension and all its elements to last, so make sure all parts of the extension come with a guarantee. The longer the guarantee, the more you can rest assured you’re getting peace of mind with your purchase.
Inspiration – Get ideas by looking at what works with other houses in a similar style to yours. If the house doesn’t look in keeping with the neighborhood this could perhaps cause problems when you are looking to sell the house at a later date.
Look and feel – Your extension should blend with the rest of your house and look like it was always there. For example, make sure the bricks match the original ones and the shape of the roof is the same.
Doors and windows – These should match the original house. We recommend using aluminium for focal points such as bi-folding doors because the durable powder coating is available in a huge range of colour options to perfectly blend with the rest of the house. It also offers the right combination of strength and weight, allowing for narrow, more aesthetically pleasing frames and better sight lines.
Light – Think about how light comes into the property. Folding sliding doors and roof lights are perfect for making the most of how the natural light falls on your property. Research has also shown that spending time in brighter, light rooms is crucial to a good mood.
Neil Ginger, CEO of Origin, commented:“When planning an extension consider your existing space andhow you and the family want to use it, and then design the layout to meet your needs. Try to visualise how you use the extension, how you move around; once you have this visual map of the space, you’ll see where things need to be positioned andthe changesrequired toimprove your lifestyle.”