Last updated on February 16th, 2023 at 09:18 pm
We are about to do a major home extension in our loft in the new year. We are quickly running out of space as we prepare for a new baby and have two people working from home. Of course, there is nothing wrong with my kids sharing a room. I shared a bedroom with both my sister and my brother. But we have decided with baby on the way and no office at all to both work from we needed a bit more space.
Since we have a full size loft that isn’t being used for much other than storing Christmas decorations, we made the decision to extend into the loft and create two full bedrooms. One can be for a home office and the other for the eldest child. I have wanted to convert our loft for years as it has a really tall ceiling and wide space. I can imagine with dormers and windows the light will be beautiful, something the rest of the house is lacking.
Money and time are always on the forefront of our minds when we do any home extensions or renovating. No one likes to live on a construction site nor have budgets go way over. Money is more crucial than time for us in this instance because we need to save for baby too.
A loft extension is a costly renovation so one must be very strict with their budget. I hear too often that budgets always get broken so making sure you look for economy ranges on essential building materials. Materials like cheap skirting board can make your money go further so do your research!
TIPS & ADVICE FOR MONEY & TIME SAVING ON A HOME EXTENSION:
Why not try doing as much of the project yourself. There are endless online guides and tutorial videos on youtube that show you every step of the way for most DIY home projects. I am tackling our staircase myself after watching a DIY tutorial. You don’t have to worry about time or money when it’s you doing the little jobs.
If you tend to renovate and extend your home a lot, invest in time saving tools like mitre saws and extra wide painting rollers, it not only makes your life easier but the jobs faster.
Always make sure you check your quantities for what your room requires. We don’t want any waste during renovations and extensions as it adds up quick. If you have extra items when you are finished. Sell them on eBay.
Ensure you have the right material size or length for your space. Sometimes its more work in a large size trying to adjust it, research to see if it comes in a variety of sizes you can choose from. I know when I did the skirting boards in our previous home, it was much easier to get a variety of sizes as each side of the walls, in between hallway and doors were all different lengths. Saved me a lot of time cutting very large piece down. again and again tryign to make it fit.
When looking for tradespeople, do your research. Don’t just Google and choose the first builder or electrician you find. There are tons of websites that do recommendations for workmen so you know you can get some to trust and that will get the job right and in a timely manner. Nothing worse half through a job and they have a delay on another job elsewhere and you are stuck. We always ask friends to recommend good workmen when we need a builder, plumber, electrician etc in our home.
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Now, that we are starting the planning permission for our home extension I am pouring over Pinterest for decoration ideas for a loft office and loft kid’s bedroom. I am also making a list of all the things I can do myself or research to save time and money in the process. There is no need to hire someone for every time little job. I like to consider myself handy and do it myself. My DIY mother would be so proud.
Have you renovated or extended your home recently? Or are you thinking about it? Make sure to use my tips and advice to help save money and time on your home project. It’s easy to go over budget on the smallest things.
*Collaboration
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