Home Extension Builders: Choosing The Right Team

Starting out on a journey to extend your property is an exciting time. Whichever part of your home you’re looking to add to, or if you’ve got plans to completely revamp the entire space, the most important decision that you’ll make in order to begin your project is choosing the right home extension builder to work with.

As a reputable team of general contractors and home extension builders in London, We Love Build has guided many homeowners through this process; and we’ve picked up a few key takeaways from our customers that have informed the service we provide. Based on this, and to help you to make the right decision, we’re sharing our top tips on choosing the right builder for your home extension.

The vision that you’ve got for your new, spacious home extension won’t materialise without the support of an experienced builder or team of wider contractors, but how do you find the right team for the job? We’ve shared our top suggestions below.

How should I find the right home extension builders?

The first step in creating your dream home is finding the right professionals to work with – and it’s often the hardest part of the entire project. Getting this decision right will be slightly easier when you’re mindful of a few factors; we’ve summarised the most important things to look for, and tips for exploring options, with the steps below:

If you have a few potential options in mind, take a look at their online portfolios. Many home extension builders will showcase their works online, so you’ll be able to understand their style and the types of projects that they tend to take on. If this aligns with your plans, then this could be an initial ‘green flag’ – just make sure to look for other signs of trust on their website, such as accreditation from key industry experts such as Houzz or Checkatrade (we’ve explained more about this below).

It’s also worth bringing your exact vision into this process. For example, if you’re planning a loft extension, focus on finding examples of this kind of project that different companies have already carried out.

Most competent home extension builders will be recognised by third-party vetting websites, or they’ll be members of relevant trading bodies – for example, we’re recognised by HouzzTrustmark, and the Federation Of Master Builders. Add your area to the search on any of these accredited websites – for example, ‘home extension builder in South London’ for results that give you service providers who are both accredited and also serve your local area.

When you search ‘home builders near me’, you’ll most likely be swamped with results for companies that are within close proximity to you. Looking beyond this initial list, glance through their customer reviews (if you’re using Google, you’ll be able to find these easily in their ‘business’ listing), and take note of the feedback your potential builder receives. Be cautious of paying too much attention to any spammy reviews though – these may not be representative of the actual service provided.

Of course, your budget is one of the most important factors for the work you’ve got in mind, so having a selection of different quotes from credible home extension builders will help you to better assess your options. Many companies will be happy to provide you with this – for example, we offer a free no obligation quote for all enquiries, as we understand how important this information is to customers. Having this information from different companies should give you a bit of a ballpark figure for your plans, but we’d definitely recommend approaching pricing carefully. 

Your home extension is a long-term investment, and quality should be an important factor in the final decision that you make when it comes to choosing the right builder. Quotes that are noticeably outside of the average figures you’re given should be approached with caution, as they may not result in the long-lasting, enjoyable addition to your home that you’d had in mind. Making substantial changes to your home will always come at a cost – don’t settle for a company that offers a cheaper solution while compromising on quality.

One of the most effective ways to find a trustworthy, reliable home extension builder is to speak to people that you know that have had similar work carried out on their home, as they’ll be able to share their experience with the builder that they chose. Real customer experiences tend to be the most authentic, so this will give you a clear indicator about the quality of the builder you may be considering. We know, from first-hand experience, that this is one of the biggest signs of trust between customers.

While there isn’t a legal requirement for homeowners to seek architectural services for a home extension, having this input can be invaluable in a few fundamental regards. Having architectural input on your home extension will ensure that your plans are feasible in terms of safety and that they’re in accordance with all building regulations; and having this kind of approval from early on means you won’t run into any issues once your project begins. Given that we are a design and build studio, we work closely with architects as part of our pre-construction services, so we can facilitate this kind of input as part of your project with us. This means you don’t have to deal with separate providers for each element of the work.

 

Choose We Love Build as your home extension builders in London

Whether you’re planning the kitchen extension that you’ve always dreamed of, or if you’re looking to add some practicality with new en-suites, We Love Build is here to help. Find out more about our services, and contact us today to arrange a free design consultation.