If you’re planning an extension to your home, then you first need to consider what are the qualities that will help to tie it all together. Your goal is to achieve successful renovations that really create that all-important ‘wow’ factor. Let’s take a look at some of the more eye-catching types of home extensions, and what they each have to offer.

Photo by Jonathan Borba

Six Ideas for Creating a Successful Home Extension

Home extensions can be designed to fit nearly any need, wish and requirement. You can extend your living space by building out to the side, front or rear of your property. House renovations don’t have to be big and expensive. Even tiny changes to your home design can improve the way that you use your space and increase your home value. Here are 6 ideas to upgrade your home by building a home extension to suit your brief.

Photo by Mark McCammon from Pexels

1. Two-storey

A two-storey extension comes with a smaller footprint than the same floorspace spread over a single storey, and thus there are economies of scale to be found. With that said, if you need to find space for a staircase to link the two, you might find yourself giving away a little bit of floorspace. If you’re extending from the rear of the property, then you might create a clear divide between the first floor and the second, while still protecting the uniform look of the front end.

Photo by Jason Briscoe

2. Glass-backed

Incorporating glass is a great way to introduce natural light into the extension. What’s more, glass tends to be a great deal more affordable than brickwork, which means that your money will go that little bit further. It’s worth spending that little bit extra on double-glazing, so that the space remains liveable during winter, without getting too hot during summer. The direction the extension is facing will need to be considered too as south-facing would be in the sun for longer. 

Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels

3. Glass links

A glass corridor linking two parts of a property will help you to get a little bit of the outdoor vibe, while still being able to cross in your dressing gown. Glass bridges and ‘open’ corridors let in light, add visual interest and they are great for open-ended properties where footprint isn’t an issue.

4. Bi-folding Doors 

Bi-fold doors have become an exceptionally popular addition to kitchen design around the world. They can be made much larger than sliding of French doors, effectively uniting your indoor and outdoor space into a cohesive living area, or bringing your indoor kitchen outdoors. Bi-fold doors come in a variety of configurations, depending on the number of panels involved. A ‘French fold’ design, for example, features two even sets of folds which meet in the middle. 

If you opt for bi-fold at the rear of your property, you might want to consider the addition of a side-door, which will allow you to come and go during winter without letting huge amounts of cold air inside.

Photo by Jason Briscoe

5. Cantilevered Balcony

A cantilevered balcony does not have any visible supports underneath, as they are all hidden within the wall. They look expensive and luxurious, and they’ll allow you to have a sheltered garden area, just below. There are limits to how long the balcony can be, but as visual centrepieces, they’re difficult to beat!

6. Curved Walls

Alternatively, expand your home with a curved extension. Straight walls with right-angles make the most of the available space – but if space isn’t an issue, then you might opt for curved walls instead. They can be instrumental in creating a natural sense of flow to the exterior of the property, and they’re great for sheltering spiral staircases.

There are many different ways a property can be extended to suit all budgets. It is a good idea before investing in any extension, to conduct thorough research and even view different extensions in person, to obtain a better idea of the size and feel of it. A good way to do this is to visit display homes in your area, to give a wide variety of different ideas and features. This is especially relevant if you are considering an extension on a property that is being built from scratch or renovated.

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.