Planning a Kitchen Extension? A Practical Guide to Get Started

The kitchen used to be simply a place to prepare meals but to many homeowners in the UK, it is now more than that. It is the hub of the house in which families meet, friends are hosted and everyday activity circulates. If your current kitchen feels cramped or outdated, a kitchen extension can completely transform both the functionality and the value of your property. Expanding your house is not a process to take lightly and do haphazardly. From design considerations to planning permission, here is a practical guide to help you get started with your dream kitchen extension.

Everything You Need to Know About Designing a Kitchen Extension

Designing a kitchen extension begins with a clear vision of how you want the space to look and function. Consider how you employ your kitchen day to day- do you love entertaining big dinner parties, or is it more of a casual family space that everyone can meet up in? The results of your responses will decide the design choices that come next.

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Use of natural light is the most sought after feature in a contemporary kitchen. Incorporating skylights, bi-fold doors or floor-to-ceiling glass can fully open up the space creating an open and airy environment. Take into account how the addition will interface with the adjacent rooms, particularly in the case of an open-plan arrangement between the living areas, dining and kitchen.

You also ought to think of future-proofing the design. Appliances and smart technology must be part of the plans initially as opposed to being implemented later on. A talented architect will make the most of your space, not only making it look beautiful, but ensuring every nook is both usable and practical.

What to Consider Before Extending Your Kitchen Space

It is important to consider a number of practical aspects prior to the build. Such a major one as a budget is, of course. A kitchen extension can be a significant investment, but it often provides one of the highest returns in terms of property value. Be pragmatic on your budget and have a contingency fund to take care of any eventuality.

The area that you have available outdoors or in your garden will also determine what type of extension is possible. Very often, people want to extend the door to the garden, and before making a decision to do it, they need to think how much outdoor territory they are ready to lose. Also consider the impact an extension will have on natural light further into your house, particularly when it comes to brightening interior areas that would seem too dark otherwise.

Such details as drainage and access during the building process, the orientation, and location of your property are factors to consider. Extensions in the south side will receive a lot of sunshine, whereas north facing ones may need other lighting systems. Taking these factors into account at an early stage can prevent the drawback of changes at a later stage at a cost.

Popular Kitchen Extension Styles and Layout Ideas

When it comes to choosing a style for your kitchen extension, the options are as varied as homeowners’ tastes. A single-storey rear extension is one of the most popular and extends to the garden to provide an increased area of open concept kitchen and dining. This is applicable in the majority of semi-detached and terrace homes in the UK.

Other options are side returns which are much more in demand especially in cities like London where the outdoor space is not at all on offer. By constructing an unused alleyway on the side of the property you would be able to exponentially enlarge the size of what you have to work with in the kitchen without having to completely forgo your garden.

Wraparounds also merge the two; in this case by utilising both side return and rear garden space to form an L-shape of the house. The result of this style usually leads to large kitchens that are seen as a modern and luxurious region.

With the addition of the extension, interiors can change according to the preference of the individuals. An in-place kitchen island has become popular and is used both as workspace and social centre by many homeowners. Some choose galley designs to be more efficient or open-plan set ups that merge easily with living and dining. Regardless of the style you prefer, you must make sure that aesthetics and functionality complement each other to ensure that the kitchen is still useful on a daily basis.

Planning Permission and Building Regulations Explained

One of the biggest questions homeowners face when planning a kitchen extension is whether they need planning permission. The good news is that many kitchen extensions fall under permitted development rights, meaning you might not need to apply for full planning permission. This however varies with the size and the extent of your project in addition to the nature of the property you own.

As an example, most loft conversions fall within permitted development but are highly likely to need one should expansion exceed a specified depth. In a listed building and conservation area more stern regulations are followed. It is best to call the local planning authority first to make sure.

The building regulations are however, always mandatory. Some of the crucial areas included in them are structural integrity, fire safety, insulation and ventilation. Even if you don’t need planning permission, your kitchen extension must meet building regulation standards. Hiring a registered architect or contractor will prevent any legal dilemmas that may occur as the result of not following legal requirements.