If you have a growing family or a sudden need for a home office, you might be considering expanding your home. House extensions are notoriously very expensive, especially when you factor in the cost of planning permission, labour and waste removal. If you're looking for alternatives to house extensions that won't break the bank, we can help. We're going to show you some cheap home extension ideas that will help you to expand your living space on a budget.

1. Convert your loft

While many people think that house extensions need to be added on the side of their property, this simply isn't the case. Why expand outwards when you could simply extend upwards for a fraction of the price. Loft conversions are an excellent cheap extension idea because they utilise existing space within the home.

In many cases, you wouldn't need to apply for planning permission in order to convert your loft, because you're not altering the square footage of your property. This helps to further reduce the cost of the project. One thing to be mindful of if you decide to convert your loft is that you comply with relevant building regulations. You can read more about this here. 

2. Add a porch

If your home is blessed with a large hallway, you might want to consider making it a more functional living space by adding a porch. Not only will this make your home more attractive and increase its curb appeal, but it will also provide additional extra storage space for shoes, coats and school bags.

While you aren't going to gain an entirely new room in this scenario, however, you can expand your home a reasonable amount on a very tight budget. Be aware that porches can block the natural light that floods into your home. Consider using plenty of glass if you want to keep your hallway nice and airy.

3. Expand your garage

Another great cheap home extension idea is to expand your home into your garage. Nowadays, garages have electric and water outlets already installed, meaning that turning them into additional living spaces requires minimal effort (and budget).

If your budget can stretch far enough, you could even consider extending the out above your garage to create a double height garage extension. Again, garage extensions can usually be completed on a tight budget because you're utilising existing space in your property. 

4. Install a SunSpace

While all of these cheap house extension ideas are great, they're not the right solution for everyone. If you have your heart set on expanding your living space in a more traditional way, you can certainly aim to do it on a budget. The trick is, not to go for a brick and mortar house extension, but to instead opt for a modular garden room or veranda.

These pre-fabricated structures offer the pinnacle of modern design while requiring minimal work from you or your builders. This means you can have them installed in a number of days with minimal disruption in your home. Generally speaking, our garden rooms and verandas do not require planning permission or concrete foundations, meaning you can save money on every aspect of the build - including labour! 

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We hope that this gives you some ideas of the alternatives to traditional home extensions that are available. Making the most of your home doesn't have to break the bank. To find out more about our garden rooms and verandas, give us a call on 0800 028 8756.