As home extension specialists, we have lots of recommendations and ideas when it comes to designing your home extension. While the shell and core of your extension is all the same (bricks, insulation, plasterboard), the final fixtures and fittings are all up to you to choose.  Here at Home Tales, we guide you on ideas and solutions that align with your budget and style. We help you understand the options that are available including the pros and cons to each. Some of the pros and cons are associated with cost, but sometimes they might be more (or less) practical too. We thought we would run through some of the most popular luxe design solutions with a more budget friendly option for each too. 

Windows 

Splurge – lots of our clients like the idea of having glazing within their extension, be that on the roof or with a floor to ceiling window. There are tons of images found in magazines like Real Homes, as well as on Pinterest and Instagram that have almost full bleed glazing in which the frames are barely visible. One thing to keep in mind is: the smaller the frames, the more expensive the cost. This type of glazing is generally very heavy and doesn’t open as a result, so bear that in mind. It’s useful to be able to open a window in the summer months. 

Save – Velux windows are very practical and rotate 360 degrees, which makes them very easy to clean and maintain. You can even get Velux windows that automatically close when it rains! They are pretty cost efficient too, at just a fraction of the cost of bespoke glazing. They also come in a huge variety of colours and sizes. If you like the idea of floor to ceiling windows you can get them with an aluminium frame at a fraction of the cost. Yes the frame is a bit chunkier, but they still look fantastic. 

Doors

Splurge – a similar rule applies here: the smaller the frames, the more expensive. One of the reasons crittal doors are so expensive is because it’s a high-quality steel frame that holds the glass in place. This doesn’t come cheap! With a door, the fixtures and fittings need to be pretty advanced to enable the door to feel light enough to open and close. A standard door height is 2.1m, so if you want something larger you will need a bespoke door made for you. 

Save – if you like crittal doors but they are out of budget, have a look at crittal style doors. The frame is aluminium and sprayed black to give the visual affect of crittal, but they are about a third of the cost. The frames are not as sleek and elegant, but the cost difference is substantial enough for people to consider them as an alternative. 

Kitchen

Splurge – you have two general directions you can go when it comes to your kitchen. If you want to spend upwards of £30k, you can go for a bespoke kitchen company like Roundhouse. These kitchens are designed and created to fit your kitchen area. Cupboards can be tailored to you, and the quality is higher. You can opt for fancy gadgets such as a downward extractor fan and a boiling water tap. In this case these companies have their own fitting team who liaise with your builder as necessary when the times comes to install. 

Save – many of our clients opt for a mid-range kitchen, which is often referred to as ‘off the shelf’. You order appropriate number of cabinets and accessories from a company like Howdens, Wickes or B&Q, and the builder installs them for you as part of the works. These kitchens tend to sit round £15-25k. You can still opt for fancy options like boiling water taps! 

Flooring 

Splurge – wood is a luxurious and expensive option when it comes to flooring. It’s also quite impractical as it requires a fair bit of maintenance, and it stains and scratches easily. With that said, nothing quite compares to its authenticity. Period homes were built with wooden floors and there is no alternative that comes close. 

Save – tiles are a popular option as they are resilient and tend to be much cheaper than a hardwood floor. If you pair them with underfloor heating, you remove the disadvantage of their cold touch. They come in a huge array of colours and styles – some are even made to look like a wood floor.  

Heating solutions 

Splurge – underfloor heating is very popular and it doesn’t add a huge amount to the build cost if you are extending, as the room is already being taken back to basics. The cost to add it to a typical sized room (6x5m) is £2-3k + VAT. That is more than it would cost to add a radiator or two. 

Save – radiators come in all shapes and sizes now and can be considered a design accent to a room. A typical quality radiator will set you back £300-500, so it is much cheaper than the underfloor heating option. 

If you want to discuss your home extension in more detail, we would be delighted to. Our consultations enable us to understand your thoughts and requirements and we issue you with a quote after the call. Call us on 0207 043 2378 or email us at hello@hometales.co.uk. You can book via our live online diary.