There comes a point for many homeowners when their kitchen is too small, the loft has been full since they moved in, or a downstairs room is otherwise unviable. The issue then becomes whether to renovate the existing space or extend outwards. DGR Homes handle both, and as to which is right for a property there are factors only apparent to those who have seen the space first hand.

Choosing the right contractor proves more important than many give it credit for upfront, and renovation/extension works run through the life of a property. So home renovation companies who carry out an honest appraisal of the property prior to providing a quote tend to spot issues while they are still inexpensive to fix.

Home Renovation Services

Renovation is a broad church – a kitchen with the same units from the nineties, knocking down a wall to stop the ground floor feeling like three disjointed boxes, or simply making bathrooms, floor finishes or fittings fit for a modern home. None are cut and dried.

What makes for a good home renovation service are the steps taken before work starts – older properties tend not be straightforward, and there can be issues with slope in the floor, out of square walls, and wiring or pipework from decades, if not a century, ago that need addressing before the more cosmetic parts of the job start. Good home renovation contractors take the time to walk through the property, asking what the homeowner wants to achieve on a day to day basis, and assess what is achievable within the space given before putting together a scope of works.

House Extension Services

Extensions tend to be about getting more space without the upheaval of moving house, and the jobs that come up most commonly are rear extensions to open up a kitchen or living space, side returns on terraced houses, and loft conversions to make use of a storage space over a ground floor room.

There is more to it than simply the square footage – house extension builders have to consider how the new build integrates with the old, the light fall, the rooflines to keep the house aesthetically pleasing from the street, and how services are run and extended into the new space. Materials also come into play for this reason – it is rare that bricks can be matched if a contrast is desired once the wall is up.

Coordinating this so groundwork, structural works and finishing works are carried out in an order that does not leave one waiting for the job of another is what home extension builders are being paid for.

Renovating or Extending: Which One Fits?

Not always straight forward. If the house has enough space, but it is poorly arranged it is a renovation job, if the arrangement is good but there is not enough room it is an extension. Many projects end up being both, an extension for the space and renovation of the space to make the property feel like a whole rather than two parts stuck together.

It boils down to the layout, the boundaries, the planning regulations that apply and what the homeowner needs on a day to day basis. A house renovation contractor who has experience in both types of project is able to provide an honest appraisal of which addresses the specific issues a property faces.

Our Approach

Every job starts with discussion, then an appraisal of the property, not a guess based on a phone call. Understanding what the homeowner wants, seeing what the existing space can accommodate in terms of work, and planning the order of works, materials and finishes makes up the initial process.

Once works are underway communication continues, people are not left waiting for a call when something needs discussing. If something unforeseen should crop up, and on older properties there is a chance something will, issues can be flagged up as they arise. Once the build works are finished, finishing works continue and a walk through with the homeowner takes place before the project is signed off as complete.

What Homeowners Usually Worry About

Living in a house during works is disruptive, and the amount of time it takes can depend on scope – a bathroom refresh and a two story extension simply take a different amount of time – and can be affected by weather, planning permissions and structural discoveries.

Leaving a contingency in any budget, as opposed to working to the figure given at the appraisal, allows for things like opening up an old floor or wall to discover something that was not apparent before. Materials will affect costs and time, so getting these settled can ease many concerns. Most of the issues people have with home renovation works stem from communication, not the works themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions