April 18, 2026
House Design

Tips on how to plan a kitchen extension – design and construct out for extra entertaining house

How to plan a kitchen extension – design and build out for more entertaining space

To cleverly maximize your house, planning a kitchen extension is essential. Understanding find out how to correctly plan a kitchen extension will guarantee a streamlined cooking and consuming space the place all of the household can collect.

State-of-the-art home equipment, designer items and ergonomic layouts have at all times been widespread kitchen concepts. However what we appear to crave greater than ever today is house.

No trendy house is full with no dynamic open house that is a lot greater than only a house to prepare dinner. The kitchen extension simply tops the checklist of home initiatives commissioned from architects. In the meantime, realtors see it as the only most fascinating characteristic in any house.

Some say that in a household house, it is important. The ‘dwelling kitchen’, as it’s typically now referred to as, has come of age and is the most well-liked of all of the completely different kitchen structure concepts and choices on the market.

Tips on how to plan a kitchen extension

Most properties have the potential to deliver dream kitchen extension concepts nearer to actuality by eradicating inner partitions, including a solar room or an extension, and even digging deep so as to add a basement. And it appears the inevitable disruption is well worth the ache.

A brand new kitchen alone can improve the worth of your private home by 4 per cent, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) experiences.

The advantages of a dwelling kitchen are clear. It makes it simple to control younger youngsters or assist older ones with homework when you prepare dinner, and lets you catch-up with different family members and with friends. Plus, in an open plan kitchen, no prepare dinner will ever really feel banished to a again room, leaving friends to entertain themselves.

A certain quantity of ‘maintaining with the Joneses’ comes into play right here, too, as extensions and folding glass doorways seem up and down the nation, bringing centuries-old housing inventory into the twenty first Century.

The place ought to I begin with planning a kitchen extension?

Begin by chatting with the professionals. ‘Some builders can design a three-metre extension however that doesn’t imply that’s an excellent factor’, says architect Brian O’Tuama.

An architect is not going to solely design your house creatively; professionals are adept at fixing issues chances are you’ll not have noticed. And they’re going to make sure that any work carried out will profit the entire home.

Most architects have a signature model, too. Search for one whose concepts and method gel with yours and who has labored on equally sized initiatives with comparable budgets. Interview a number of architects earlier than making your determination and try RIBA’s on-line information, Working with an Architect in your House.

When you’re commissioning an architect, the look of the extension can be key. Will it mix quietly or be defiantly dramatic to the remainder of the home? Selecting an area observe has advantages in that the architect can have a really feel for the present temper of the planners.

‘Typically my designs are in full distinction to the prevailing constructing however planners today are likely to favour that,’ says David Hingamp of Ar’Stylish. ‘Planners like to have the ability to see readability within the historic studying of a house.’

‘Most initiatives will want planning permission however not all will, notably when you have not prolonged your private home earlier than and the adjustments fall inside permitted improvement rights.’

How a lot does a kitchen extension price?

It’s sensible to price out the addition and the kitchen as two separate jobs. 

The price of building is determined by a variety of things. These embody dimension, top (one storey or two), who will handle and construct it, and the standard of supplies. The glass utilized in glass extensions will be one of many largest bills, particularly in order for you massive single panels or specialist options like photo voltaic management or self-cleaning.

Anticipate to pay from round $250 to $475 per sq. foot (from round £1,500 to £2,500 per sq. metre within the UK).

The price of the kitchen itself is further to the development price. That is largely ruled by dimension, supplies and the way it’s constructed. Costs begin from round $12,000 (£5,000 within the UK), however you might pay in extra of $50,000 (£30,000) for a big customized design.

A great architect or kitchen designer can discuss you thru costings and provide concepts on find out how to make financial savings with out compromising the top imaginative and prescient.

How lengthy does a kitchen extension take?

‘Planning a practical kitchen extension timeline might help you to visualise the challenge and ensure each facet of it’s being taken care of to keep away from any inconvenience additional down the road.

‘Timings largely rely on the sort and dimension of the challenge you’re engaged on, however on common, constructing a kitchen may take between three and 5 months.

For an intensive and exact kitchen set up, it’s best to enable a minimum of 4 weeks, particularly if it consists of hand painted cabinetry,’ says Matt Baker, Kitchen Designer at Harvey Jones.

How massive ought to a kitchen extension be?

The kind of extension you select is dictated by the scale and the form of your outside house.

Single-storey and rear extensions are two of the most well-liked designs, as they’re constructed within the leftover house in the back of Edwardian or Victorian homes. L-shaped additions are additionally widespread, notably if the purpose is to create an open-plan room that’s simple to make use of.

A structure plan that’s too difficult will be awkward in relation to designing what goes into it.

How do you intend a kitchen extension?

Including an extension not solely routinely provides you extra space. It additionally adjustments the move and use of your current floor flooring, and typically past. For instance, do you want a separate eating room, or may this be put to raised use? Maybe as a playroom, research and even an additional bed room?

An extension doesn’t have to be huge to deliver massive advantages both. Most are not more than 3m deep and aspect return extension concepts at simply 1.5m vast can transform a room. Do not forget that proportion – the stability between flooring house and ceiling top – is crucial in making a profitable consequence.

Important providers like heating, plumbing and extraction ought to all be thought of at an early stage of your design if you wish to obtain a modern, high-performance end. With fewer partitions for radiators, underfloor heating is a pure accomplice for a dwelling kitchen.

When constructing an extension, a moist system, utilizing sizzling water pipes concreted into the ground, is the gold commonplace. It’s extra environment friendly than an electrical mat system, notably if teamed with a photo voltaic water-heating system to supply sizzling water.

Throughout the upheaval of constructing an extension, it’s value wanting on the plumbing to see how this will greatest serve your new structure. Take into account including an additional sink for prep, a boiling water faucet and don’t get caught off guard by home equipment resembling fridges and steam ovens which will require a water provide.

Good extraction, too, is crucial to maintain steam and odours at bay. You will want one thing highly effective however quiet in an open-plan house, so take into account one with an exterior motor. The mixed noise ranges from home equipment resembling fridges and dishwashers quickly builds up. Go for rankings of fifty decibels and beneath on all you purchase.

Totally different kitchen lighting concepts also needs to be thought of and chosen at this early stage too, in order that the electrics will be constructed into your kitchen extension plan.

Do I would like permission for a kitchen extension?

You might want permission for a kitchen extension. Within the US, test native zoning restrictions, as there could also be limits. Within the UK, it might be doable to go forward together with your addition with out the necessity to apply for planning permission.

‘A great supply of data relating to planning permission is in your native council or authority’s web site,’ says Richard Davonport, director of Davonport. Not all builds require planning permission and so they could be coated underneath what are generally known as permitted improvement rights.

‘There are further restrictions on properties in conservation areas, nationwide parks, and world heritage websites. So it’s essential to do your homework and search steering from an skilled and your native planning authority earlier than any work begins.’

Will a kitchen extension add worth?

A kitchen extension can add worth to your private home. Nonetheless, keep in mind that native areas do have a ceiling value, so it’s value consulting an actual property agent to evaluate what return on funding you may anticipate in your specific circumstances.

You also needs to keep in mind {that a} badly designed extension may truly devalue your private home. Take into account exterior house, too, notably if you happen to reside in a metropolis or massive city, as leaving too little can negatively affect the worth you obtain while you promote.

After all, a kitchen extension can add worth to your private home life, making a purposeful and engaging house that works for various members of the family and quite a lot of actions.

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