House Extensions in Essex

Change is inevitable. Our needs and expectations evolve over time, prompting a desire for more living space. The current economic climate has made the process of moving properties challenging and costly. Fortunately, gaining additional space doesn’t necessitate leaving the comfort of your current home. Avoiding the disruptions and expenses associated with relocation, such as high estate agent fees, legal costs, stamp duty, and removal expenses, is possible. A straightforward solution lies in transforming your existing home through a simple extension, adding valuable living space without the need to move.

For those seeking extra space, an extension proves to be one of the most effective methods to expand and enhance their home, creating a larger living area. Once you’ve decided to proceed with an extension, we’re here to guide you through every stage of the conversion process.

When executed correctly, an extension becomes a cost-effective and practical solution for utilising unused space. However, before embarking on your extension project, it’s crucial to determine the type of extension that aligns with your preferences and requirements.

Single-Storey Extension

Opting for a single-storey extension to enhance your home, rather than relocating to a new house, can offer a more cost-effective and satisfying solution that aligns with your family’s current and future needs. Investing in a new extension is a prudent decision that not only contributes to the value of your home but also furnishes the additional internal space required to optimise your living arrangements.

With the escalating costs associated with buying and selling property, more individuals are considering property extensions as a viable alternative. However, navigating this substantial investment can be intimidating without professional guidance to aid in making informed choices.

MP Construction takes the lead in providing expert advice, assisting you in making well-informed decisions about the most suitable extension that offers space and flexibility within your home. The incorporation of a single-storey extension can significantly enhance the value of your home, transforming it into the ideal living space you’ve always envisioned.

A single-storey extension stands out as a popular method for gaining additional space within your home, whether it involves expanding the kitchen, lounge, dining room, or introducing new spaces like a utility room, family room, or office. Regardless of your reasons for extending, ensuring a well-managed process executed to the highest standards is essential.

Two-Storey Extension

A two-storey extension can significantly enhance your home by providing additional space in areas such as the lounge, kitchen, dining room, and other living spaces. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to expand bedroom accommodations or add an extra bathroom. This type of extension often eliminates the need to relocate, presenting a more cost-effective solution.

Regardless of your motivations for extending, ensuring a smooth and minimally disruptive process is essential to maintaining your daily routine. In many cases, the initial building works of most extensions can be conducted externally, only penetrating the existing living area when necessary. While a double-storey extension constitutes a major project, plan-it construction ensures meticulous planning to minimise disruption to everyday life.

All our extensions are fully project-managed and accompanied by a comprehensive construction and cost program, ensuring that our customers are well-informed about every step from initiation to completion.

Side Return Extension

A side return extension is typically utilised to generate additional space within existing rooms or to rearrange the interior floor plan, creating room for additional features such as bedrooms, bathrooms, or living spaces. These extensions can also be integrated with rear extensions to form a comprehensive wrap-around extension.

While wrap-around extensions may require more time and potentially cause a higher degree of disruption, they offer significant benefits by providing maximum flexibility to reorganise the existing layout of your home according to your specific requirements.

MP Construction boasts expertise in crafting high-quality wrap-around and single-storey extensions that are custom-tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients. All our projects undergo full project management, ensuring a smooth operation with minimal interference to your daily routine.

Conservatory Or Kitchen Extensions

Opting for a conservatory or kitchen extension is a strategic and prudent investment that enhances the value of your property, introducing a versatile space adaptable to various uses. Choosing a conservatory is not merely acquiring an additional room; it’s an investment in your property’s value and a new lifestyle.

A conservatory isn’t just functional but also immensely enjoyable, offering a distinctive and flexible space that serves various purposes. It stands out as one of the most cost-effective and straightforward methods for expanding your home. Families often find this added space ideal for a children’s playroom or as an entertaining area during summer evenings, maximising the enjoyment of the garden in spring and summer. Even on colder days, the conservatory allows you to stay close to nature and extend the feeling of summer throughout the year.

Moreover, a conservatory extension capitalises on sunlight, creating a perfect setting for dinner parties or providing essential space for a table and chairs as an alternative breakfast room. It serves as a bright and airy study for those working or studying from home. In essence, a conservatory offers a stylish and sophisticated means of adding more space and flexibility to your home and lifestyle.

Cube Extension

This innovative concept introduces a contemporary inside/outside space as an extension to your home. More robust and modern than a traditional conservatory, this additional space can typically be built under new ‘Permitted Development’ rights, eliminating the need for planning permission (though a building inspection from the relevant local authority may be required).

The Cube extension can be customised in terms of size and shape, offering a fantastic extension option for your home. Simple strip foundations are all that’s needed, and the entire construction process can be completed within 3 weeks (depending on size). Designed to surpass current building regulation standards, we are currently developing the sustainable cube, incorporating ‘sheep wool’ insulation and geothermal underfloor heating systems.

A significant advantage of The Cube extension is its cost-effectiveness, comparable to a glass roof conservatory. This ensures the benefits of thermal mass construction, providing excellent energy efficiency. The design features large glazing with bi-fold doors and frameless skylights, allowing maximum daylight penetration and creating an incredible opportunity for evening star gazing during relaxation or entertainment.

The Cube’s design prioritises sustainable development, pre-fabricated construction methods, visual impact, and cost efficiency.

In the majority of instances, a successful application for planning permission is a prerequisite before commencing any construction work.

Planning permission holds significant importance as it enables the local council to strategise for the future and comprehend the land’s usage. This influences the appearance of structures, the overall landscape, and factors such as road access and environmental considerations.

Planning permission is necessary if your extension meets any of the following criteria:

1. The extension exceeds the height of the highest part of your original roof.
2. Any segment of the extension surpasses four meters in height and is situated within two meters of your property boundaries.
3. The extension occupies more than half of the total ground area of your land, excluding the ground covered by the original property.
4. The total volume of the original building is set to increase by more than 115 cubic meters.
5. For terraced houses or properties located in a conservation area or national park, an increase of more than 10% in the total volume of the original building requires planning permission.

Once your plans are submitted to the local council, they will be placed on the Planning Register for public viewing, and your neighbours will be notified. A committee appointed by the local council will then assess and decide on the planning application. The decision-making process can take up to eight weeks. If permission is granted, the proposed work must be completed within five years. In the event of a denial, amendments can be made and resubmitted within 12 months without incurring an additional charge. An appeal can also be lodged within three months of the council’s decision.

When extending your house, adherence to government building regulations is crucial. These regulations apply unless your extension falls under specific categories such as porch, conservatory, or a detached garage (constructed at ground level and occupying less than 30m2 of floor space). These building extension regulations are applicable to any building in England or Wales and aim to establish a minimum standard for design and construction to comply with health and safety regulations. Additional regulations cover fuel and power conservation. We ensure that your extension complies with all relevant building regulations applicable to your property.

Building regulation approval stands as a distinct requirement from planning permission, and obtaining both is crucial. To align with building regulations, you, or your architect if you have one, must submit highly detailed extension plans, along with the application and fee, to your local planning authority.