There can be many reasons like having an extra room or an extra space for a home office or just a play area for children as to why someone would want to get a home extension. Whatever may be the reason, adding an extension to your house is always a good idea because when built correctly it adds value to your property and looks attractive.
Building an extension is an expensive project and takes a lot of time and manpower so it becomes important to consider a few points in advance of diving into the project. Some of these are,
What do you want?
Before any planning, hiring, and construction it is important to have a clear idea of what exactly do you want to be done in the extension of the house. Adding space seems a very good idea but it is a waste if you can't maximize the utility of the space that you have. The best way is to have a vision of what to do and think of some ideas before you hire a specialist so that you know what you want and you are not forced to just accept what the architect or the engineer says.
Budget and cost -
Having big and fancy ideas for your house is a good idea, however, you need to know how much money you have before you plan grand and lavish designs for the house. While setting a budget, be realistic about how much the construction will cost but also put a full stop at how much you can spend on the same.
Once the budget is set, you will start getting quotes for the project because it is important to know how much it will cost beforehand. If your budget doesn’t match the cost of the project, it is best to wait for a while and save some cash to get what you want and not just some designs that you don’t even like.
Permissions -
Homeowners must ensure that any renovations or extensions made in the house have been approved by the local authorities responsible. Once they have permitted your project after assessment of the site, you are good to go and start the dream extension that you have thought of.
Sometimes permission is not required so it is suggested that people stay informed about the process in their states and work accordingly.
Hire an architect -
To fulfill your ideas of a perfect extension, it is suggested that you hire an architect. To hire the right architect it is also important for you to know what you want as that will decide what kind of architect you hire.
The right architect will put all your ideas into the best possible design so make sure to brief them vividly even about things that you consider are not told. They will also use their expertise and guide you to make better decisions if required and will give you technical information as well.
Talk to neighbors -
Though there is no legal obligation for you to tell or inform your neighbors about any ongoing or future building activities that you do in your own house, however, it is nice if you keep them in the loop. It is better to give them a heads-up as any major or even a small construction activity can cause disruption and inconvenience in the lives of your neighbors.
Informing them early avoids any major conflicts down the road in the process of house extension.
Insurance -
It is a good idea if you take a good look at your insurance and see what it covers and what it does not as it might be possible that the insurance does not cover the costs of the construction of the extension or even the extension once it is completed.
You must check that in case of any eventualities, both the existing and the new property is covered under the insurance.
What is the total time taken for the work to be completed?
A typical extension project from the beginning to the end depends on multiple factors some of which can be controlled and some are just out of our hands. If the project overruns its time course, you might end up paying more than what had been pre-decided.
It is considered best if you and the contractor both set a timeline and stick to it to avoid any extra costs and to keep the builders on track. This step is also important in cases where people are required to move out of their houses as they would want to come back as soon as possible and having a set date to do so makes it easier for them.
Move out or not?
This depends on the scale of extension and development that your house is undergoing. If you’re having a small extension done you might be able to stay in your house throughout the building as it might not cause too much disruption in your day-to-day activities.
However, if you are having a particularly large extension, you might have to leave the house as it will cause a lot of trouble and havoc in your daily lives. Also, you might want to check in with your builders once as to what they are comfortable with because if your staying hampers their productivity in any way then it is best if you leave.
So these are some of the important points that one should keep in mind while thinking of a home extension. This will help you have all the basic information and knowledge that one should have before getting involved in a big project like this. Keeping these in mind will ensure a successful extension project in your home.
Benefits of Hiring Professional Piling Contractors
The most important process in construction is the laying down of the foundations. There are very few houses that can last without a strong and steady foundation in place. Else, it is considered best to have a strong foundation to have a lasting building.
With the advent of technology and innovation and depending upon the costs and budgets, there are numerous techniques available for laying a foundation and piling is one of them.
What is piling?
It is an old technique but with improvements in technology, it has now become one of the most popular methods of building foundations. It helps in transferring the load of the structure to a deeper level in the ground.
Depending upon the requirements of the building, you can hire an expert piling contractor to help you. To date, not many people are aware of the benefits of hiring a professional piling contractor. Reliable contractors ensure the best facilities and services for your building foundations.
Some of the benefits of hiring a piling contractor are -
A credible and dependable contractor will provide a clear report and review of the conditions of the land and soil before the beginning of the construction of the foundation. They check the soil to see if it can or cannot hold moisture and also check the stability of the existing foundation trenches.
The presence of these contractors can help you avoid any construction issues midway into the project. The added benefit of an expert working and reviewing your project is obviously unavoidable.
A piling contractor knows the best and the right choice of materials to be used. These contractors have experience with various projects and thus have expertise in the types of materials used. They depend on using high-quality materials as per the requirement of the project.
Quality service and products also ensure the structural integrity of the structure and thus prevent any major devastation like the collapse of the building in the future years. With the use of good quality piles, any compromise to the building and the people living in or nearby is averted.
This gives the clients assurance of receiving the best advice and recommendation on the materials that will be used for the foundation piling. For instance, a contractor would know that for building a skyscraper you need metal pieces and not timber just like they will know that timber is an important part of the equation while building a cottage-style home.
Constructing a foundation is a very time-consuming job and also requires a huge amount of resources. That is why we have expert contractors available who can do the same job in less time and with better outcomes.
They are well equipped with the knowledge and the resources to carry out the required job. A contractor ensures that all the tasks are carried out smoothly and swiftly and thus allows you to focus on other productive activities that you might have.
A professional piling contractor will give its customers customized services and solutions to ensure optimal customer satisfaction. They aim to give their customers precisely those services which have been agreed on by both the parties, i.e, the client and the contractor and its workers.
Personalization and customer satisfaction are very crucial to a professional contractor’s success in the real estate market. Thus, you can be assured that he or she will take the project very seriously and work with full dedication. As a customer you are allowed to raise any issue regarding any part of the job that you think has been carried out poorly or has some faults and that will be addressed mediately.
While hiring a professional contractor you are securing yourself and your property against any further legal accusations as the contractor takes care of it. Their workers are licensed and the piling work is insured and licensed as well.
The installations provided also have a guarantee and this safeguards your investment into the property.
Risk is a big part of any manual project. The law requires you to mitigate and insure the people working for you against any possible risk in the construction project. This task is not required to be done by you when you are working with a professional contractor as in that case it becomes the job and duty of the contractor to take care of all its workers.
The contractors focus on professionalism in their services and it is enhanced by the fact that they hired qualified and experienced people who have the skillset to deliver quality results. They have the necessary equipment to facilitate the process and focus on their area of expertise to deliver exemplary work.
A professional person can do a task in very little time as compared to amateurs. They work in a timely fashion and complete the project in time.
While making an investment in a professional contractor you live with peace of mind that the services that you are getting are up to the mark. You can entrust them with the complete project and get satisfactory results.
Apart from the benefits of hiring a professional piling contractor, you should also know about what to look for in a contractor which makes it a good fit for your project.
What to look for in a contractor before hiring?
Knowing the importance of a contractor, certain pointers should be checked before hiring a contractor. These are,
Given the importance of a foundation in any building project, the experience of the contractor is a crucial condition to keep in mind. Search for a contractor who has a track record to support the claims of him being good for your project.
Get a good look at the previous projects that the contractor has been a part of and make notes if he would be a good fit for the project that you have.
They need to have access to the equipment and tools required for the job. Some companies keep an inventory of these, which makes them affordable than those who buy the necessary equipment as and how the demand comes up based on the project.
Each area has its own legal jurisdictions and rules and regulations. You should check in advance that the contractor you are hiring satisfies all the legal requirements of your area.
Laying foundations is a crucial task in the process of building any structure and thus it is extremely important that the contractor offer guarantees for the work that he or she does.
The lives of people and the environment both are at stake if anything goes wrong and thus if there are any repercussions to be faced, the contractor should be held accountable for them.
Hiring the right contractor will in turn accomplish half the work involved in building piling foundations! So make this decision wisely.
