House Extensions in Wickford

Ask a Wickford homeowner what they want from an extension and the answer is usually a kitchen that the whole household can use at once, a ground floor bedroom that suits a parent moving in, or simply a house that finally matches the size of the plot it sits on. Because so much of the town grew out of generous plotland smallholdings, the land is often there. The job is turning it into well built space that looks as if it was always part of the house.

Bungalows, chalets and postwar houses

The rebuilt plotland bungalows off Southend Road and Runwell Road tend to sit well back from the road with long rear gardens, which suits a full width single storey rear extension or an L shaped wraparound that opens the kitchen to the garden. Many owners combine that with work in the roof, because a bungalow extended at ground level and upwards at the same time shares one set of scaffolding, one building control application and one programme. The postwar family houses in Shotgate usually have a side gap to the boundary, so a two storey side extension can add a bedroom and bathroom upstairs and a utility or study below. On the 1980s and 1990s homes around the Wick, plots are tighter and the better gain is often a modest rear extension paired with a rethink of the internal layout.

Planning, flood zones and drainage

Wickford sits within Basildon Borough, and many single storey rear extensions here are possible under permitted development or with a lawful development certificate for certainty. Larger or two storey schemes need a householder planning application, and we prepare the drawings and handle the submission. One local point is worth checking early: parts of the town near the River Crouch lie in mapped flood zones, which can affect floor levels and the information planning asks for. Older bungalows also tend to have shallow drain runs and, sometimes, a shared private sewer across neighbouring gardens, so we locate the manholes and confirm the drainage route before anything is drawn. Building over or near a public sewer needs consent from the water company, and it is far better to know that in week one.

What drives the cost

The size and shape of the footprint matter, but on Wickford's clay the depth of foundations is often the bigger variable, especially near established trees and hedges. After that come the amount of structural steel needed to open up the existing rear wall, how far the kitchen, bathroom or soil stack has to move, the roof form you choose, and the glazing. A bungalow extension that ties into an existing hipped roof needs more careful roofwork than a flat roof with a lantern, and we will explain the trade off in looks, cost and maintenance before you decide.

One accountable team on site

Building, plumbing, electrics and finishing are all handled in house, so the same firm digs the footings, sets the steel, runs the services and hangs the final door. We are fully insured and our workmanship is guaranteed. There is more about our house extensions across Essex and the wider range of building work we cover in Wickford. If the roof is where the space really is, a loft conversion may be the better answer. To arrange a free, no obligation quote, send us your details or call 07967 232435.