How To Add Value To Your Home With A House Extension
Some homes require a renovation due to a growing family or the home is ready to be rejuvenated or given a refresh. In some cases the only option to add more room is to extend. Either way, adding more space will add value to your home.
The team at Style Plus | Renovations | Auckland look at 5 key design aspects of building a house extension:
- Planning your extension.
- Open plan living & indoor | outdoor flow.
- Which extension style suits my house?
- Windows & doors.
- Cladding & painting.
PLANNING YOUR HOUSE EXTENSION
If you are planning a house extension, great! However, you may have no idea where to start and what to consider?
To help you along the way, here are a couple of typical questions that an architect or project consultant would ask during the design phase of a project:
- Is your new extension going to be a single or double storey extension?

HOUSE EXTENSION OPTIONS
CLADDING & PAINTING
In New Zealand, timber is the classic choice for weatherboards. Timber weatherboards are available in a range of profiles and timber species. Main timber species are:
- Radiata pine,
- Accoya wood and
- Western red cedar.
They can be installed by hanging planks horizontally (traditional bevel-back look) or vertically, ‘shiplapped’ to suit the requirements of the new home extension.
Radiata pine is the most commonly available timber in New Zealand. It is used for a wide variety of purposes because of its affordability and quick maturity. A pale coloured timber with wide distinguishable growth rings. The timber is generally quite uniform in grain structure. This timber is not naturally durable. However, with preservative treatment the timber can be as durable as most durable hardwoods.
The cost of pre-primed pine weatherboard, 150mm X 25mm bevel back linear meter, is around $10. However, building companies often use a square metre rate to attract customers. This estimation method can provide a high level cost. However, this method can also be misleading as it does not take into consideration, for example, the shape of the house or access to the house. To obtain a better cost estimate, the job would require a detailed take-off from the plans and specifications designed for the project. Estimators can also complete take-offs by visiting existing buildings and construction sites.
Accoya wood is comparable or better than the durability of hardwoods such as Jarrah, Rosewood, and Teak. Recent tests show that Accoya wood is perfect for coated cladding where reduced maintenance is required, even with wood stains and dark colours. The acetylation process makes pine super durable, super stable and retains all the strength of pine.
The cost of Accoya weatherboard, 150mm X 25mm bevel back per linear meter, is around $32.
Western red cedar is a light timber with a distinctive odour. It is non-resinous and straight-grained, with obvious growth rings. This timber adopts a uniform reddish-brown colour once dried. However, after long exposure wood becomes silver grey. This timber stains and paints well.
The cost of cedar weatherboard – vertical shiplap 150mm X 22mm per linear meter, is around $21.
Thinking Of Adding An Extension To Your Home? Then contact us Now! To book a consultation.
Whilst all information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information. The information may change without notice and Style Plus is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored or in any way interpreted and used by a user.
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