Feb 1, 2010
House Plan Designs and Extensions – Some Tips on Good Planning
Kim Mendes asked:
With the recession most families find it difficult to sell and move. Consider having an extension built instead. This is the best time to build as you can get really good prices from the builders and the materials, it would increase the value of your existing home and then when the market picks up you will be in a better position having a larger house to sell, that is if you still want to sell. Look for a great design that would add value to your home and not just a plan that would suit your needs. The first step would be to find an architect that you can relate to, a person that makes you feel comfortable, to share all your thoughts, no matter how silly. The architect should look at your existing home and design ideas that would cover some key elements that would increase the value of your home.
One of the first key elements to consider in a design, and the most important is to bring a lot of light into the property. As a home grows there usually is a central bit of the home that is very difficult to get light in. There are a few modern ideas that can be used like velux lighting or even a skylight in modern style and shapes, there are glass floors as well for the brave. These interesting modern features should be introduced into buildings as they create interest and great design. Windows are a norm, they have been around what seems forever, but why not introduce glass walls, or long strip windows but a lot of them instead.
There are too many boring designs around and architects are not expanding their creativity. It is a know fact that the local authority who give planning permission for the house plans and extensions are hard to please as they want all the new building and extension to look the house next door, but there is still room to input some interest. skylights in roofs that are hidden, or glass walls that are not in the front but to the rear of properties. It would only be in a listed building that they would have grounds for a complaint.
As we are on the subject of light, what about the electrical lighting for the design? The artificial lighting could be so fantastic in any home and it does not have to cost any more, all you need is to be creative, think out of the box, and be different.
With the recession most families find it difficult to sell and move. Consider having an extension built instead. This is the best time to build as you can get really good prices from the builders and the materials, it would increase the value of your existing home and then when the market picks up you will be in a better position having a larger house to sell, that is if you still want to sell. Look for a great design that would add value to your home and not just a plan that would suit your needs. The first step would be to find an architect that you can relate to, a person that makes you feel comfortable, to share all your thoughts, no matter how silly. The architect should look at your existing home and design ideas that would cover some key elements that would increase the value of your home.
One of the first key elements to consider in a design, and the most important is to bring a lot of light into the property. As a home grows there usually is a central bit of the home that is very difficult to get light in. There are a few modern ideas that can be used like velux lighting or even a skylight in modern style and shapes, there are glass floors as well for the brave. These interesting modern features should be introduced into buildings as they create interest and great design. Windows are a norm, they have been around what seems forever, but why not introduce glass walls, or long strip windows but a lot of them instead.
There are too many boring designs around and architects are not expanding their creativity. It is a know fact that the local authority who give planning permission for the house plans and extensions are hard to please as they want all the new building and extension to look the house next door, but there is still room to input some interest. skylights in roofs that are hidden, or glass walls that are not in the front but to the rear of properties. It would only be in a listed building that they would have grounds for a complaint.
As we are on the subject of light, what about the electrical lighting for the design? The artificial lighting could be so fantastic in any home and it does not have to cost any more, all you need is to be creative, think out of the box, and be different.
