extensions

 by Bigger Homes

Rising Cost of Moving House — Why it’s Better to Extend Your Home

 

An unfortunate fact of life in the UK is that it’s getting more and more expensive to move house every year. From taxes and duties to the simple logistics of getting all your belongings from one place to another, there are plenty of hidden fees to trip you up if you’re not careful. Here is a partial list of things to look out for…

 

Stamp duty

 

Assuming you’re not a first time buyer, you’ll be paying a percentage in stamp duty on your new home, starting at a value of £125,000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or £145,000 if you’re in Scotland.

 

Valuation fee

 

This is charged by a mortgage broker before they assess how much they can lend you, and it can be anything up to £1,500, depending on the value of your property.

Legal fees

 

There’s a lot of paperwork involved in moving home, and you’ll need the services of a solicitor to ensure everything is in order. This can run you up to a maximum of £1,500.

 

Mortgage arrangement fee

 

This is a common charge in the process of getting your mortgage sorted. Expect to pay around £1,000 for the privilege, and if you’re unlucky, maybe even £2,000.

Land registry fee

 

In order to update the Government Land Registry and solidify your status as the new legal owner of your property, you’ll need to get this sorted. It can cost up to £1,000, depending on the value of your property.

 

Insurance

 

It’s important to get everything insured in case the worst should happen, but this will run you up a significant bill.

Estate agency fees

 

Selling one place to move into another? Well, you’ll be paying commission to your estate agent, potentially to the tune of more than £2,000.

 

New phone line/broadband

 

Got internet in the new place? Costs of installing a new line can go up to £75 or so.

Moving paraphernalia

 

You’ll be surprised how many things you realise you don’t have once you start the process of moving. Boxes? Bubble wrap? ‘Fragile’-marked sticky tape? It does add up! Then you’ve got to make sure you’ve got a way to transport it all, whether you’re driving it yourself or paying someone else to do it.

 

Maintenance and repairs

 

Unless your new home is brand-new, right off the shelf, then it’s an unfortunate fact that you’re likely going to have to do a little maintenance on it. Possibly more than you think — it’s estimated that the average repair bill for new homeowners is around £5,750!

 

VAT

 

Yeah… more bad news, we’re afraid. Lots of these costs are also going to have VAT slapped on top of them, at 20% of the cost.

 

If all this has got you a little alarmed, don’t panic. Moving home isn’t always the best solution, and if you’re finding the whole idea a little bit daunting, it may be best to explore other options. Are you planning on moving because you need more space, or you don’t like the look of your current home? Well, you can fix that without having to leave! Extending your home is a great way not only to improve its value, but also to make it a more pleasant place to live, spend time and make memories with your family. Give us a call today, and see what we can do to help keep you in your home and save you a thick bundle of cash.

 

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 by Bigger Homes

Case Studies: Billericay

The location:

Billericay is a lovely little Essex town and a place with truly ancient history — it’s thought to date back to the Bronze Age! It houses many beautiful residences from the Georgian and Victorian eras, and those lucky enough to live there have plenty of attractions to enjoy such as the beautiful Mill Meadows, a local nature reserve. It’s a gorgeous place to visit!

 

 

The brief:

It’s always a good feeling when a customer comes to us through word of mouth. This client approached us because they’d heard we know our business when it comes to double-storey extensions — and they were absolutely correct! It’s an area of particular expertise, and it’s always a pleasure to take on this kind of job.

The customer wanted not only to add two bedrooms to the upstairs, ideally with an ensuite, but also create an extended kitchen/dining area on the ground floor where the family could cook and eat together.

Sounds simple enough, right? Time to get to work…

 

 

The job:

First things first, the new bedrooms. We constructed the new double-storey extension in which to house the new master bedroom, complete with ensuite bathroom. This bedroom we finished off with full-height sliding doors and a glazed balcony — all the better to enjoy the beauty of Billericay from!

Next it was time to sort the downstairs. We knocked through the walls between the kitchen and dining room, creating the larger open-plan cooking and eating area for the family to enjoy, just as the client asked.

 

 

The result:

A home to match the loveliness of the town surrounding it! Adding space to both the upstairs and downstairs of the house has made into a much more relaxing and homey space, providing room for a family to grow and make a few memories together.

A wonderful success story! Time to move on to the next job…

 

 

 

 

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 by Bigger Homes

10 Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Home

 

 

Is it time you had more space? We list ten ways to tell if your home isn’t suiting your needs any more

 

1. There’s clutter at every turn

Does it seem like every surface of your home is taken up with stuff? Your desk, your dining table, your floors, your bed, all covered with various bits and bobs that you can’t get rid of but don’t seem to have any place for. If this sounds like your home, then it’s a big red flag that you need more space.

 

 

2. You’re constantly tidying up

In a similar vein, there’s always something that needs putting away, isn’t there? Whether it’s that sagging clothes horse, that jumble of shoes or those fancy wine glasses that don’t properly fit in the cupboard, it always seems like there’s something you need to find a space for yet again.

 

 

3. You work from bed / the sofa / the kitchen table

Ideally, if you work from home, you should have a dedicated space to do so. It’s better for your mind, health and wellbeing. If you’re constantly finding yourself working from the same space where you eat dinner, watch telly or — god forbid — sleep, then it may be time to admit to yourself that you need more space.

 

 

4.More kids than bedrooms

This is a classic. Whether you’ve got little ones sharing a bunkbed or boomeranging uni graduates who are looking to crash, if the kids outnumber the rooms they can sleep in then it’s time to have a serious think about your space.

 

 

5. Little personal space

Everyone needs peace and quiet every so often. Are you finding it hard to get yours? Do you find yourself longing for a quiet room where you can read, relax and enjoy a little you-time?n If so, then it’s time to make that room a reality.

 

 

6. You don’t want to entertain

This one can sneak up on you. It’s easy to make excuses to yourself for why you don’t want your friends and family to come round — oh it’s always stressful, we don’t want to cook, it’s nicer when we go out — but is the truth simply that you don’t feel your home is up to the task of entertaining your loved ones?

 

 

7. Glastonbury toilet queues

Morning bathroom arrangements can be fraught at the best of times. If you’re noticing a Glastonbury-style queue regularly forming outside your house’s one toilet, then you might need to think about easing that burden.

 

 

8. Stubbed toes

Ow. Ow, ow, ow. Whether it’s on chairs, the clothes horse, boxes or furniture, always finding yourself stubbing your toes is a surefire sign that you’ve got less space in your home than you need.

 

 

9. “Creative” storage

Laundry in the car. Shoes on the dishwasher. Plates in the airing cupboard. Do these kind of makeshift, improvised storage arrangements sound familiar?

 

 

10. You’re constantly dreaming of improvements

Following more than a few interior design accounts on Instagram? Constantly updating your Pinterest mood board with items from your dream home? Finding yourself saving Ikea furniture on your lunch break? It’s time to face facts — you need more space to make your home into what you always wanted.

 

 

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House
 by Bigger Homes

Case Studies: Hockley

 

The area

After a client got in touch, we headed to Hockley. A picturesque little Essex village, it’s always a pleasure to visit.

 

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The brief

For this job, we had two main challenges. First, the customer wanted more living space to relax and spend their evenings in, whether that was watching TV as a family or entertaining when friends came over. The current living room was simply too small for their purposes.

Second, the family had previously converted their garage, and this meant they needed somewhere new to park their cars. It needed space for multiple vehicles, to be accessible of course, and if it could fit in a little extra storage space then that certainly would be no bad thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The job

First order of business: the living room. The family needed a more open, accommodating space to watch TV, relax and spend time together. We extended the room to create more space, and made sure to include a large window to let in plenty of natural light. The result was a pleasant, open-feeling space that the family would enjoy spending time  in.              

 

 

The car space was a larger task. With the original garage out of action, we built a brand new double garage from scratch, providing ample space where the family could park their cars. Of course, a garage is no good if you can’t get to it, so we had to extend the driveway to ensure the garage was accessible. An extra challenge was present in the form of a great oak tree, a venerable specimen with a preservation order around it. We couldn’t disturb the old man (nor would we want to!), so we protected him throughout the build, and constructed the entrance to fit around him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The result

Success! The customers were happy — a great new living space for the family to enjoy, as well as a spacious double garage where they could keep not only their cars but also a few odds and ends that would make their house feel less cluttered. And all this done without disturbing the historic old oak that gave their property so much character. Mission accomplished — time to move on to the next job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 by Bigger Homes

6 Inspiring Ideas for a Property Extension

 

Have you thought about expanding your home? Here are six great ideas for property extensions to bring your property to life

 

 

1. A new bedroom for children

Kids need their space as they grow older, and you’ve got a couple of brothers or sisters sharing a bunk-bed, it’s time to give them the room they need. An extension is the perfect way to provide your kids with an extra bedroom than they can make their own, making life easier and more fun for everyone. Those night-time arguments will be a thing of the past!

 

2. Open-plan kitchen area

Rather than ferrying steaming plates from the kitchen to the lounge or dining room, you can use your extension to make a luxurious, open-plan kitchen area where your family can gather for cooking and eating. A cramped kitchen makes cooking so much more stressful than it needs to be — with one stroke, you can leave those days behind you, and make your kitchen into a place you want to spend your time in.

 

3. Opening up the house

Instead of constantly flitting from room to room, why not use your extension to let some light and air back into your house. Make some nice big living spaces, with areas for everyone to do their own thing and spend some quality time together. A living room that opens into a conservatory perhaps, or that extends onto a nice patio or terrace for those lazy summer evenings. Once you’ve done it, you’ll never look back.

 

4. Games room

Whether you want a space for the kids to play video games and hang out with their friends, or a pool table and fridge for when your mates come over, a games room is the kind of extension that you’ll wonder how you ever got along without. Having a spot dedicated to socialising and having fun is one of the best ways to turn a house into a proper, welcoming home.

 

5. Master bedroom

Getting good-quality rest is so important to your health and your lifestyle, and it’s high time you got yourself the restful space that you need. A proper master bedroom, with all the space you could ask for, is just the ticket. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes to your sleeping habits and how refreshed you feel, and if you can add an extra en-suite bathroom into the mix, you’ll find it really reduces the amount of stress in your house (no more queues for the one bathroom? Yes please!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.Home office

As remote working becomes more and more prevalent, you may find yourself with the opportunity to start working from home. If this is the case, then you’ll find that a home office will make a real difference to your productivity and your wellbeing. It’s important to be able to separate your work life from your home life, even if you work from home, and your own home office is the perfect way to do so. We’d recommend an airy room, with plenty of light, that you can really customise and make your own.

 

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