The kitchen has always been seen as the heart of the home or its soul for good reasons. Developers no
longer build new homes with pokey front facing kitchens with no integral or useful eating area.
Here are a few articles that explores some of the issues and questions being raised by today's modern home
owners.
- Kitchen extension architect
I do not think so. It would be too much of a niche narrow market for any house extension designer or architect to make a full time living simply only completing house extensions just focussed on kitchens in my opinion. Most house extension designers and architects offer a wide range of design abilities and the kitchen is just one aspect of a good home design.
- Kitchen extension help and advice
Any home improvement publication seems to have a high focus on how to extend a kitchen. it’s the one consistent are of residential development that never ceases to be exhausted. Therefore, this is one area where a home owner can seek and obtain help and advice on kitchen extensions.
- Kitchen extension plans and drawings
Plans are usually required for most forms of new building works. Kitchen extensions are no exception. Anyone that completes a kitchen extension without any form of preparation, initial design or planning using scaled plans is cutting corners that will lead to disappointment.
- Kitchen extension addition
The addition of a kitchen extension is still the number one priority of most house extensions and homeowners in the UK. Forming that large family kitchen with a combined eating area with lots of glazing for the walls and roof elements of the kitchen extension is still a big design factor for most homeowners.
- Kitchen extension before and after
It is often great to look at examples of kitchen extensions - especially the before and after examples. However, trying to locate these kitchen extension examples can be a difficult task unless you use the correct search terms on the internet.
- Kitchen extension builders
Most house extension builders in residential development will not just focus on kitchen extensions as the market would be far too narrow and in many cases, a kitchen extension forms part of a much larger home extension scheme.
- Kitchen extension costs UK
How long is a piece of string? It is so variable and all dependent upon the size, design, level of specification etc. - even the type of property being extended together with its location. Therefore, as every house extension is pretty unique it is near on impossible to determine actual or near prices for the cost of a kitchen extension until such times that a design and specification has been prepared by your house extension designer.
- Kitchen extension company
People who like to retain control over their kitchen extension schemes tend to avoid specialist kitchen extension companies and employ their own house extension designers or architects instead. However, some people just want an easy life and like the thought of employing a dedicated kitchen extension company for the simplicity of just dealing with one entity from inception through design and onto the build on site. But does the home owners expectations live up to the reality?
- Kitchen extension conservatory
Some homeowners consider building a conservatory extension onto the existing kitchen area and then simply knocking though and opening up one area into the other. This is, in most cases, illegal building works and you run the risk of prosecution or remedial works to rectify the situation.
- Kitchen extension designs
To get the best use of the available space for a kitchen extension design the homeowner should be employing an experienced house extension designer or architect. These are professionals experienced in residential development who can listen to your ideas and requirements against that of he merits and constraints of the site. They will then prepare plans and specifications for design solution or even offer alternative ideas and options.
- Kitchen extension design ideas
Very few homeowners have a rigid prefixed idea or concepts for a kitchen extension that would not benefit from a few challenges or professional opinions from experienced kitchen extension designers. It has been my experience that most homeowners really do benefit from completing a few days research at looking at a few already completed kitchen extension schemes by other simply to get a few more ideas.
- Kitchen extension orangey
Yes….Oh Yes! Why people opt for a ‘bolt on’ conservatory rather than a highly glazed traditionally built kitchen extension really confuses me. A fully glazed extension like a conservatory and opened up to the kitchen is unlikely to receive formal Building regulations approval simply for its thermal inefficiency.
- Kitchen extension open plan
Open plan kitchens usually do not just define the kitchen area. The open plan aspect for a kitchen extension usually relates to a multi-function use of space where the kitchen would also include for a dining and breakfast area - perhaps even a snug or relaxation area that may also be open or interlinked with the main living room. But how far do you extend and remodel a home with the open plan aspect for its main living spaces?
- Kitchen extension victorian terrace house
The design of most traditional Victorian terraced houses usually have a rear projection or tower often housing the kitchen and bathroom at he ground floor level - well originally anyway. This rear projection often left a gap to one of the neighbouring boundaries which was very popular for filling in with a kitchen extension. Until October 2008, most could be constructed under the sited permitted development allowances without formal Planning Permission.
- Kitchen extension terraced houses
Many terraced houses have flush rear wall elevations lining up with the neighbours. Some will have staggered or offset rear elevation wall lines and some will be end of terraces that may have some side space for a decent sized kitchen extension or wrap around.
- Kitchen extension images photos and pictures
They say that a picture can convey a thousand words. So would a kitchen extension image, picture or photo do the same job? In some cases yes but treat anything you see with a broad brush aspect on kitchen design. This is because most kitchen extension designs are pretty unique to the site and the homeowners wish list or requirements.
- Kitchen extension plans
Nearly every kitchen extension scheme will require drawings or plans and specifications which are usually prepared by an experienced house extension designer or architect. Some people opt for the cheaper option of a ‘plan drawer’ who are often people having rudimentary drafting skills either on CAD or via tracing paper and board who have applied themselves to the home extension market.
- Kitchen extension planning permission
Even with the so called loosening up of the planning system by the recent re-write of the permitted development rights, most house extensions including kitchen extensions will usually require formal planning consent. This is because the best design solution for the property itself and the clients requirements fall outside of the sites PD rights which are constrained by many dimensional and technical restrictions.
- Kitchen extension prices
What are the key elements that affects price? Kitchen extension prices are affected by many things. The two main elements that will affect the price of a kitchen extension will be the complexity of the built form of the extension and the other associated internal alterations. The other is the actual cost of the kitchen furniture and appliances. It is not unusual for the cost of the kitchen furniture to be as much or even more than the cost of the extension.
- Kitchen extension quotes
Quotes for kitchen extensions can usually only be obtained from builders once the proper construction design drawings and specifications have been prepared by your house extension designer. Approaching builders for kitchen extension quotes using sketches or schematic planning drawings are no good. Builders can only provide estimated costs based on these type of drawings.
- Kitchen extension roofs
There are essentially just two types of basic roof designs for a kitchen extension being flat or pitched. Within each group though there is a high degree of design detailing that will affect the external design and the kitchen extension costs.
- Kitchen extension rules and tips
With kitchen extensions being the most popular of all house extensions I personally complete, it is not surprising to find that there are certain trends that could be considered as unwritten rules. A lot of these kitchen extension rules relate to how the kitchen furniture and appliances are laid out.
- Kitchen extension estimates
Most house extension builders are able to provide basic estimates for most kitchen extensions based upon schematic plans but please do treat them as a very rough ball park figure. Your experienced house extension designer or architect will also be able to provide the homeowner with price estimates for a kitchen extension at the initial meting to discuss the clients proposal.
- Kitchen extension foundations
Most foundations for kitchen extensions are exactly the same for single and other two storey extensions subject to local sub soil ground conditions. The usual and minimum foundation depths for most areas having good to medium quality ground bearing sub soils is 1M deep. However, this can change dramatically depending upon specific site conditions.
- Kitchen extension flat roof
Historically most homeowners fear the use of flat roofs as a design solution for their kitchen extension due to previous bad experiences of leaks. However, this is now no longer applicable due to the advancement in flat roof coverings and workmanship.
- Kitchen extension glass glazed roof
From my own experience most kitchen extensions will incorporate an element of glazing for a section of glass roof simply for added natural light and for the design effect or feature that it provides. I would personally avoid a fully glazed glass roof for a kitchen extension simply for practicality and cost reasons.
- Kitchen extension garden room
Some existing properties already have a good sized kitchen but do not have a dedicated space for accessing the garden that could be used from within the kitchen environment. Some homeowners refer to this type of kitchen extension as forming a garden room. These extensions are also usually highly glazed but within standard construction elements for that all important insulation values.
- Kitchen extension as a good investment
You bet. A large family kitchen with a semi-open plan feel with an eating area with great glazing and access to the rear garden is perhaps the number one priority for homeowners and meets the needs of most modern family lifestyles. Apart from the number of bedrooms that a property may a large family kitchen and eating area is probably the first tick item on any house purchaser list.
