When your home starts feeling a bit too small it can be stressful. Maybe the kids are growing up and need their own space or you are desperate for a big open plan kitchen diner. Moving house is expensive with stamp duty and estate agent fees so staying put and extending is often the best choice. But then you face a big question. Should you build a single storey extension or go for a two storey one instead?
At Construction Interior Design Limited we help homeowners work out exactly what fits their lifestyle and budget. There is no single right answer because every house and family is different. Here is an honest look at how the choices compare.
Deciding on a Single Storey Extension
If you mainly want to change how you live on the ground floor a single storey extension is a great choice. These projects are perfect for creating that large family room or extending your kitchen into the garden with some nice bifold doors.
The build time is much quicker too. Usually you are looking at around twelve to twenty weeks of building work. This means less disruption to your daily life. Also lots of single storey rear extensions can be built under permitted development rights. This is handy because it means you might not need to go through the full planning permission process if you stay within certain size limits. It saves time and stops a lot of paperwork headaches.
But you do need to think about your garden. A single storey design takes up ground space. If you have a small garden you might end up losing too much outdoor space just to get a bigger kitchen.
The Reality of a Double Storey Extension
A double storey extension gives you space on both floors. You build out and then you build up. This is usually the best option if you need extra bedrooms or another bathroom upstairs as well as more living space downstairs.
The biggest surprise for most people is the cost breakdown. A two storey extension does not cost double the price of a single storey. You only pay for the foundations and the roof once. Those are two of the most expensive parts of any build. Because those costs are shared between the ground floor and the first floor you actually get more space per pound spent.
On the downside a double storey extension almost always needs full planning permission from the council. They will look closely at how it affects your neighbours in terms of light and privacy. The build time is longer too, often taking nine to eleven months and the structural work is much more complex with extra steel beams and floor joists.
Looking at the Costs and Value
Money is always a big factor in these decisions. For a standard single storey extension you might pay anywhere between £1,800 and £2,500 per square metre depending on the materials and specification you choose. If you decide to add that second floor on top it usually adds about fifty to seventy per cent more to the total build bill rather than doubling it.
Both options will add good value to your property. A single storey layout that improves the flow of the house makes it much easier to sell later on. However a double storey extension wins on pure equity. Adding a new bedroom and a bathroom can increase a family home value by ten to twenty per cent.
We serve local residential clients within a 40 mile radius of our Rutland head office including Stamford, Oakham, and Grantham. If you want to chat through your ideas you can look at our house and home extensions page to see how we work.
Making your Final Choice
So how do you choose between them? It really comes down to your long term goals and what your home is missing.
You should choose a single storey extension if your budget is tighter and you just want a larger communal area like a kitchen diner. It is also best if you want the project finished quickly and you have plenty of garden space to spare.
A double storey extension makes more sense if you need more bedrooms and you plan to stay in the house for many years. It is the right path if you want to get the absolute maximum amount of floor space for the money you are investing.
Whatever you choose you need to make sure the structural elements are handled properly. At Construction Interior Design Limited we bring the same attention to detail to local home extensions as we do to our large commercial projects. It is all about making the space work for you. You can visit our contact page to book a consultation with our team and we can look at what is possible for your home.
