Planning your home renovation with extension, how will it impact the garden?
When planning a house renovation with an extension you’ll be thinking how big your house extension should be in order to maximise the value to your property. But have you considered the impact on your garden? Garden designs add value to your home renovation and an early consultation with a garden designer will consider how big your planned extension is.
Most homeowners consult an architect at the outset. Have you considered how a garden designer can add value to your home extension at the very early stages?
At the start of the project you are excited at the thought of how your home renovation is going to enhance your lifestyle. You will be prioritising how to maximise your interior space, adding value to your property. But by consulting a garden designer early on, you can make sure you are elevating the architect’s designs as well as your investment and avoiding possible problems that have to be rectified later on.
How a garden designer can add value to your home
It might feel too early, but consulting a garden designer at the outset can give useful feedback on the footprint of your house extension i.e. how far it will extend out from your existing house, and how it will impact your outdoor space in the future. Garden design is a useful tool to work out circulation routes and pathways that are pleasing to use, as well as providing practical access routes from the house.
Here in Ilkley, Yorkshire, plenty of gardens are found on a slope or hillside. In such locations, there are opportunities where we can add value to your renovation. We make a real difference when clients are extending their homes by ensuring that the footprint of new extensions will result in a garden that connects beautifully with their home.
My top tips to add value to your home renovation & planning the size of extension
Here are some of my top tips to think about when you are deciding on how big your home extension should be, so that you also achieve a beautiful connection with your garden
- Ease of access – when extending your house footprint, make sure you leave space for comfortable access around the house. For paths, the width should ideally be 1.2m, and 1.5m if you are likely to need access for those with a disability.
- Be efficient with the survey – instruct a full topographical survey at the start of the project. This can be used by both the architect for the house and a landscape designer/contractor for the garden. If you only obtain a house survey, this is unlikely to provide the information required for designs to your garden.
- Stepping out – if there are level changes where access doors are planned, factor in enough space for safe steps to transition from the house to outside and vice versa. A general guideline is that for every garden step (typically riser = 15cm) you will need to travel around 35-45cm horizontally. We prefer to use a deeper landing step, wherever possible, at the door threshold.
- Useable flat areas – If your garden slopes steeply up or down, avoid extending your home so much that your outdoor space immediately outside the house is reduced to a small space between back doors and a retaining wall. Think about the space you may need for any desired furniture and the room to comfortably walk around it.
- Restrictive access – if you’re planning to do landscaping works in the future, you can make sure there is enough width at the side of your house for machinery and for contractor access to remove waste. Access restrictions will add a significant cost to the garden build that could be avoided.
Thinking about the impact of how big your extension should be, will enhance designs to your garden and in turn add value to your home renovation.
Melissa Morton Garden Design offers advice and expertise at various stages to ensure your home connects beautifully with the outdoor landscape. We can work with architects, interior designers and contractors to ensure your outdoor space mirrors your home and is in harmony with its surroundings. A good garden design will elevate and add value to your home.
Whatever stage you’re at in planning a house extension, if you want to approach your home extension project in the right way, get in touch.
Melissa Morton Garden Design
Melissa Morton Garden Design