subject: The Necessary Check List When Building House Extensions [print this page] The Necessary Check List When Building House Extensions
How do you go about having a house extension without coming across major setbacks and unexpected hitches? Here's a practical guide that will help you through this process.
Planning
The first thing you will have to do is plan out the whole process from beginning to end. Where will you have the extension set up, that is, which side of the house? How large do you want the extension to be? What use do you want to make of it once it's completed? What materials will you need for the job, and what kind of design do you envision for it? All these are examples of questions you need to ask yourself at the outset of your house extension process.
Next, you will have to prepare a formal plan for your house extension, which you will then submit for approval to the homeowners' association. Make sure that you look up the right format for the plan (since it is a FORMAL plan), and that you have crosschecked all the specifications with all the locally applicable building regulations.
Work Assignments
Knowing what kind of work your house extension will entail, you will then be able to determine how much of the job you will be able to do yourself, and how much of it is simply beyond your ability, availability, or equipment. For this second type, you will have to hire a professional contractor.
What are the kinds of house extension tasks that you can do yourself? Well, if the job is a simple one that requires minimal manpower and expertise, then it may be better for you to save money and perform the task yourself. What are examples of these? Well, if you're simply removing wooden boards from the section of the roof or wall that will be affected by the house extension, then this is probably something you can do yourself. If you're experienced with wiring, then maybe you can take care of that, too. The idea is to do as much as you can, if you can do it competently and safely.
But for those jobs that require a lot of manpower and special materials and equipment, you should leave things to the contractor. Example? Laying concrete. Concrete may seem pretty uncomplicated, after all, isn't it just a mixture of cement, sand and gravel? Basically, you've got the idea. But just basically. Concrete comes in many forms and the process of forming it and applying it to a building site involves many fine details that you're not likely to be privy to unless you work in construction.
Find the Right Contractor
A house extension is a big job, and not to mention an expensive one. Get a so-so contractor, and you're likely to run into problems sooner or later, in one form or another. If you want your house extension to be smooth as silk, take some time to find the best professionals you can.
To find out what some of the do's and don'ts when building a house extension are, click here. If you still wonder if you should build a house extension or not, click on this link to find out what the answer to that question is.
