Don't develop your property without these 3 considerations

We list the 3 most important things to consider when adding an extension to your property.

1. Balance

Balance is the relationship between different room uses and spaces in your home. This may seem surprising, but it's subtlety is what makes it all the more necessary to understand.

An example of a well balanced property is one in which the sizes of the living areas suit the number of occupants of that property. When adding an extension to your home you have to ask yourself if the new addition will enhance or detract from the existing balance of the property.

For example, a 4 bed house, with a small kitchen, living and dining area would not suit a loft conversion. Adding a 5th bedroom to an already unbalanced property would not necessarily make it more appealing and therefore valuable. However, were you to add a rear extension, thus making the living areas more in keeping with the number of occupants, this would certainly be a more valuable property to a potential buyer.

2. Ceiling price

Every area has a ceiling price. This is the maximum a property will ever sell for in that area, no matter what you do to it. Chelsea in London has an extremely high ceiling price because of it's internationally renowned status. Overseas buyers will pay almost anything for the piece of real estate there, so adding more footprint to a property naturally increases its value. The inverse applies at the other end of the spectrum. As places become less desirable, the amount someone would be willing to pay to live there decreases, therefore reducing the maximum amount for a property regardless of how big it is.

To work out the ceiling prices of properties in your area it's best to speak with a local estate agent about what you have in mind, and what the maximum return is you're likely to receive on any given development.

3. Furnishings

Last but certainly not least is a subtle but important one. Having worked so hard to achieve planning and building control approval, it can be tempting when doing the detailed design to put your own stamp on a development. A flourish of design here, a lick of paint there, some interesting furniture for good measure. No no no!

Remember, you want to get as many punters through the door when it comes to selling your property. Your home will primarily be viewed by people online. Therefore it has to photograph well. The simplest way to do this is through a very simple colour palette of whites walls, ceiling, floors and white linen; and dark timber furniture. Some plants and simple pictures. Think Scandinavian. This is by far the most popular contemporary design style and is likely to encourage more people to visit your property. It can be disheartening not to put your own stamp on the property, but you have to keep in mind the end game- selling & making money.