When you're a child, the world has no limitations. You see a castle and so you decide you want to live in a castle, and that is that. It is easy. When you become an adult with an understanding of how life works and the complexities involved with dreaming big, things become a little more, how do we say, frustrating. There is just nothing worse than your heart falling for something that you can’t accommodate or afford, especially when it comes to adding more space to your home. That said, your dream doesn’t have to pop like an over-filled balloon; it just needs a little bit of tweaking because there are plenty of other home extension options out there that can make you cling onto hope like you did when you were a kid. So, without further ado, here are some incredible ways you can open your home right up without having to break your piggy bank: 

1. Wood Can Be Wonderful

Everyone loves a character property. It is that chance to own something unique and special and totally one-off, which is why you should consider adding an extension made from wood and timber. Not only will this give your home that extra sprinkle of “wow”, they are so much easier to put up and they cost a fraction of the price thanks to the materials being so much cheaper. Close your eyes and imagine how amazing it would be to see gorgeously crafted extension jut out from your stone home, the mix of glass and cladding giving your home a spruce up. 

 2. More Than A Conservatory

If you were to close your eyes and think of a conservatory, you would probably imagine a white semi-structure full of garden furniture and used as storage, and that is why you haven’t gone down that route. But take one look at some aluminium conservatories and you’ll find yourself seeing them in a whole new light. They are so gorgeously modern and contemporary to look at and, get them right, they can become a dog-legged extension to your home, adding more than enough space for a dining room, kids playroom, a bigger kitchen or just a neat little snug where you can enjoy the sunset over your garden. If you really have no idea where to start when it comes to planning this sort of room, you could check out these home sunrooms in Sacramento, CA for some ideas and inspiration.

3. High-End For Less

One of the most valuable lessons anyone can learn in life is perception is reality, and this transcends across everything, including house design and, in this instance, we’re talking about being clever with wood shingles. They always look sublime, which is why you should try and use them to make a budget extension look a million bucks. It could be that you’ve added a one-room extension onto the back of your property that looks okay, but not amazing, the reason being your budget was small. Well, to lift it into the realm of stylish, all you need to do is cover anything that isn’t glass in wood shingles and, voila, you have a chic extension that you must have paid a fortune for.

When you’re talking about affordable extensions, nothing has become more than the flat pack option and that is because you can massively reduce the cost without having to make sacrifices on style and wow-factor. How is this possible? Simple. Flat pack extensions tend to be prefabricated, which means they aren’t just about 15% cheaper than more traditional options, but so much easier to install as well. What’s more, they almost always look incredible, which is because they are made to contrast. A “normal” extension means trying to match to the existing brick your home is made of, and that can be as expensive as it is problematic. But flat-pack additions bypass this completely by giving your home that little bit of a contemporary makeover. 

 5. Simple Is The Real Secret

The secret to a gorgeous extension that costs less is simplicity. It is opting for a construction that is both super-simple in design and modest in size. If it is just extra space that you want and not a full kit-out inside (yes, we’re looking at you fancy kitchen extension), then you will find you find you get an incredible amount of value for your money. It could be a micro-extension that you use as a reading snug or a space that you throw a sofa, chair and a few bean bags into, or you could have a bench seat installed all the way around with a dining room table in the middle. The trick is to embrace all things minimalist in order to make your budget stretch further than you ever dreamed.