Increasing your living space can significantly improve your living comfort.

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IStock / City Presse

A planned birth, a change in lifestyle or simply a need for comfort, there are many reasons why you want more space in your home.

However, before you start the work, it is essential to define your needs and desires, but also to study the possibilities according to your budget, regulations and available space.

We help you find which solution will best suit your expansion project.

A veranda for maximum light

With its floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the sun's rays, the veranda is an ideal choice for nature lovers.

It is the ideal place to let your indoor plants flourish and allows you to make the most of the garden, including during the winter season, while visually expanding the space.

It can also be a reading room, a living room or a dining room.

And has decorative assets, adapting to various styles of interiors: industrial, country chic, contemporary or Victorian.

Before embarking on the work, think carefully about the exposure: in the northern regions, we will benefit from a full south orientation, while the Mediterranean rim will benefit more from an east or south-east exposure to avoid overheating. during long summer days.

Also think about vis-à-vis problems: if your neighbors have a clear view of this glazed space, you might lack privacy.

Whether it is a “cold” ornamental veranda or a living room all year round, it is better to opt for double or even triple glazing to guarantee good insulation.

Finally, depending on the desired size, various administrative procedures are required.

Below 5 m2, no formality is required.

But for an area between 5 and 20 m2, you will need to make a declaration of work.

Beyond that, obtaining a building permit is generally necessary.

A cocoon under the roofs

We take them too often for wasted and useless space.

Fault !

Once finished, the attic can provide you with the few square meters you needed to create a playroom, a child's bedroom or an office.

Their potential is immense.

By piercing a window at roof level, they generally benefit from optimum light.

Since you are not creating new floor space, the cost of the work remains relatively modest compared to projects that require digging a foundation, and you do not need to apply for a building permit.

On the other hand, you are limited by the pre-existing space, to which you will have to adapt.

Attics are often subject to air infiltration, so be sure to insulate them as well.

An extension to extend the house

If you're not afraid of big jobs, why not expand your home with an extension?

Provided that you have been granted the building permit and that you have a sufficient budget, between 90,000 and 130,000 euros for approximately 35 m2 (compared to 55,000 euros for a veranda), this option can considerably increase the living space.

For this project to be successful, it must harmonize with the rest of your home, both in the choice of materials and in the architectural style.

Your extension must be designed as a continuation of existing rooms, for reasons of comfort but also aesthetics, and not as an independent part.

Finally, be aware that for any extension greater than 150 m2 or 30% of the existing surface, you will be subject to the criteria of RT 2012, which sets a certain environmental requirement for your structure.

An outbuilding in the heart of the garden

Do you have a large constructible outdoor space that offers possibilities for development?

So you are one of the lucky ones who can build an outhouse in their garden.

Ideal for creating a workshop, a summer kitchen for your

garden party

or a studio for your children when they become students - which you can then rent after their departure -, it has the same advantages and disadvantages as an extension in terms of cost of work and administrative procedures.

On the other hand, this new structure leaves you free to express your fantasy because not being contiguous to the rest of the house, the concern for harmonization is less.

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