House Extensions
What is a house extension?
A house extension involves adding additional space to your home. There are many ways your home can be extended and the type of extension that is suitable may vary from one home to the next. This may include:
- reconfiguring your current floor plan
- opening the house up and extending as a ground floor build
- considering building an additional story
- lifting and building under
- or even building a separate dwelling such as a granny flat.
It is crucial to have an experienced builder and building designer as part of the process to assist you in selecting the type of extension that is right for your home, and to offer suggestions to ensure we are best utilizing the space and maximizing the value of your property.
Is an extension right for you?
If your home is bursting at the seams and you are starting a family or growing your family, you may be faced with a decision – do we renovate and extend, or do we buy or build a bigger home?
The housing market in Australia is continuing to boom, which means you will be buying back into the same market and to buy a bigger home may likely mean an increase of budget and a change of postcode. If you require more space for your family, and love the current position of your home, extending is right for you.
Single storey home extension
A single-storey extension involves building a dwelling that directly joins to your existing property. Depending on your current home design and layout, there are many ways in which this can be done. This is ideal if you have a large block with usable land.
Second storey addition
A second storey addition involves removing your current roof and building the second storey above or ‘on top of’ the existing structure. This virtually doubles the space in your home and is a great option if your block of land is smaller in size and you do not want to lose any of your usable land.
Granny flat
A granny flat involves building either an attached or detached ‘separate dwelling’ which will usually be self-contained with its own bedrooms(s), living/dining area, kitchen/kitchenette, bathroom and possibly a laundry. Whether a granny flat is a possibility for you will depend on your land size and location, your Renovare builder will have an understanding with what is possible for you in your area. A granny flat is ideal if you have guests, need a teenage retreat or would like dual income.
Build under
There are two possibilities when it comes to building under your existing home. If your home is currently on stumps and is at the right height, you may be able to build-in the space underneath provided this does not affect drainage around your home and fits with council regulations.
If your existing home is on stumps, it may be able to be lifted and then built-in underneath. This is ideal for ‘Queenslander’ style homes and may not be possible for all existing home designs. Your Renovare builder will be able to clarify if this is a possibility for you.
A sample of recent Renovare renovations
