Taylor Scott International News
Rear and side extensions have become the most popular way for home owners in the UK to increase the size of their property, new research shows. Some 31% of those who have extended their home in the last two years opted to build on the side or behind and most wanted a bigger kitchen, according to the study from Sainsbury’s Home Insurance. Conservatories are the second most popular residential extension accounting for 29%, followed by loft extensions at 15%, garage conversions at 11% and the construction of an outbuilding such as a garden room or home office at 5%. Of those who have undertaken home extensions in the past 24 months some 25% have added between 11 and 20 square meters of additional living space to their homes, while 23% have added 21 to 30 square meters and 18% have added 31 square metres or more. Amongst builders surveyed for the research, rear extensions were the type of home extension most frequently carried out, with 92% of builders having completed one in the past 12 months. These were followed by side extensions at 72%, loft extensions at 54% and garage conversions at 41%. The findings indicate a trend towards families spending more time in larger kitchens where they cook and eat together. According to the builders’ survey bigger kitchens and kitchen diners were the most frequent reason cited for a home extension, with 84% of builders having worked on these. The second most popular intended use for the new space was for additional bedrooms, accounting for 61%, followed by new bathrooms and home offices at 53% each. ‘For those who are improving and extending their homes, it’s crucial to advise their home insurance provider. Making revisions to a property such as adding new rooms could change the value of the property significantly and failing to report alterations may see people left under-insured or with invalidated insurance policies,’ said Tom Thomson of Sainsbury’s Home Insurance. Taylor Scott International
Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott
