For many homeowners in 2025, the question of moving or extending their existing home has become more relevant than ever. With rising house prices and shifting lifestyle demands, house extensions can be a smart way to adapt to your living environment. A well-planned home extension can unlock extra space, improve daily function and add long-term value to your property.
Extend or Move?
Investing in your current house often provides a more direct path to creating a space that fits your exact needs over relocating and its associated costs. Adding a single storey extension, double storey extension, or converting a loft can transform the layout and function of your home without giving up your location or community ties.
The recent flexibility offered by permitted development rights also allows many projects to move forward without full planning permission, making the process more simpler in many cases.
Boosting Property Value
Extending can have an impact on both usability and property value of your home . According to industry insights, a high-quality home extension can increase value by 20% to 30%. For families needing a new bedroom, larger kitchen, or additional room for work or leisure, building onto the existing property allows for tailored results.
Extensions also help recover unused space around the property. Rear extensions, side infills and loft conversions make it possible to add space in ways that improve flow and enhance how different rooms are used.
Comparing Costs – Extension vs. Relocation
Relocating to a new house involves various related factors such as stamp duty, estate agent fees, removals and the disruption of leaving your local community. By comparison, investing in a home extension channels your budget directly into creating spaces that suit your specific needs.
A typical single storey extension can start around £40,000, while a double storey extension delivers even greater value per square metre by spreading structural costs across two levels. While initial costs might seem high, the value it adds to your property, both in use and resale. For many homeowners, the choice becomes less about saving money and more about making a smarter, longer-term use of it.
Types of Extensions That Deliver Value
Choosing the right type of extension depends on the layout of your existing home, available external space and your priorities. Different designs provide different benefits, some of which include;
- Rear extensions – Ideal for expanding into the garden, commonly used to build a larger kitchen or create a combined living space.
- Loft conversions – Turns unused space into a new bedroom, office, or den without altering the footprint of the house.
- Side return extensions – Makes use of narrow paths or underused strips to improve internal flow.
- Double storey extensions – Helps maximise space such as adding an extra bedroom and a bathroom or guest quarters.
Creating Functional Space for Today’s Needs
A successful house extension creates space that support your needs and lifestyle. Families benefit from more bedrooms, while couples or professionals might focus on a quiet additional room for work or hobbies. Increasingly, households are designing with flexibility in mind, using sliding doors or open layouts to keep rooms adaptable.
When extensions are planned around real-life habits, the result is not only more square footage but a better quality of life. It becomes easier to entertain, rest and work without interruption. The right layout can also enhance how different other rooms connect and flow.
Enhancing Light, Efficiency and Comfort
Adding large windows, skylights and glazed doors is no longer just about views. These features maximise natural light, reduce energy use and help rooms feel larger and more welcoming.
More homeowners are opting for eco-friendly materials, including natural stone, lime plasters and reclaimed wood. These improve environmental performance and also bring character to the build. Used alongside proper insulation, underfloor heating and smart lighting, they support a more energy-efficient home.
By improving insulation, modern extensions also reduce heating demand. Over time, the savings on utility bills can be significant, especially when paired with smart home technology that adjusts usage automatically based on room occupancy or external conditions.
Planning and Permissions – What You Need to Know
Many bespoke extensions can be completed under permitted development rights, provided they meet rules around size, height and placement. These rules allow you to build without formal planning permission, reducing delays and simplifying the approval process.
However, if your design exceeds those limits or you live in a conservation area or listed building, a planning application may still be required. In such cases, working with professionals ensures the design complies with all local regulations and building codes.
Staying within the permitted limits can still allow for a fantastic way to increase space, add function and improve the overall aesthetic appeal of your property.
Adding Lasting Value
Ultimately, the right extension does more than meet immediate needs. It can significantly enhance your home’s layout, comfort and resale appeal. It improves the overall experience of being at home and makes the property more attractive to potential buyers should you ever decide to move.
Extensions that blend seamlessly with the existing property, match architectural features and use quality materials are more likely to age well. If you plan with care and build with purpose, your extension becomes part of the long-term value of the house.
Bespoke Extensions with Good Design & Build in 2025
At Good Design & Build, we have more than a decade of experience helping homeowners reimagine their existing property through thoughtful, functional design. We believe in solutions that last. Through bespoke extensions, full project management and a sharp eye for design that complements your needs, we help create homes that grow with you and continue to deliver value to your property for years to come. Get in touch with our team today to discuss your project.
