Too small. This is obviously how everything starts. It’s all the essence of an extension project . Whether you’re already a homeowner or a potential buyer, you need at least one more room or more volume, whether you live in town or in the country, an extension project always responds to the same objective: increase the surface to live.

In which case opt for a house extension?

“We could change houses,” some say. But when it is ideally located, perfectly oriented, that it corresponds to the house of our dreams and that only its surface is a problem? Worse still, when one is attached to the premises and a move would be a tear? Not to mention the hassle inherent in the case: cartons, the sale of his property, bridge loans to the bank, appointments at the notary …

In short, if it’s just a story of place, we must remember that a house is rarely permanently fixed, and that in most configurations, there will be solutions to increase the surface to live.

Some are easier to implement than others and this will play in particular on the cost of the operation. From the simple development of attic to the elevation, the addition of surface to live will not have the same price per m2.

In addition, it should be known that the construction of an extension responds to a complicated financial equation: the smaller the extension, the more it is expensive per m2, but the less m2 is built and the lower the total bill. You follow ? Basically, building 10m2 still costs less than having 30, but not m2, because construction involves fixed costs, regardless of the size of the operation.

However in an uncertain real estate market, this solution more and more acclaimed by the owners. Rather than jeopardize their heritage, it’s an immediate way to value it.

What is a home extension?

By definition, an extension is a construction added to another, the outgrowth of an already existing building . The context is therefore particularly important because it involves implementing the project in an even more marked environment than for a new construction. From an architectural point of view, we can take the party to respect or break with the existing style, according to his tastes and urban and technical possibilities. But for locals, it is imperative that an extension be consistent with the rest of the housing. It is about living this new space as the logical extension of the rest of the housing. This implies certain layout precautions (such as the continuity of paints and floor coverings) to ensure a certain homogeneity inside.

Good news, since 1 st January 2012, the area subject to planning permission for extensions has increased from 20 to 40m2. An extension project of 39m2 is therefore today the subject of a simple declaration of work in the town hall. It is therefore quite simple to implement it, as long as it respects the local rules of urban planning (materials, colors, height of construction).

On the other hand, regardless of its size, since the extension brings the total surface (SHOB) of your house to more than 170m2, not only the building permit is obligatory and recourse to an architect is obligatory.