Adrian Wild is managing director of HBXL Building Software, which powers the Build It Estimating Service. The service will enable you to calculate your project costs right down to the last roof tile. Find out more at
www.self-build.co.uk/estimate
If you’re after a value-for-money route to adding more space to your property, look no further than two-storey extensions. This style offers a great chance to rebalance interior layouts, for instance by getting the right mix of bedrooms versus bathrooms upstairs whilst integrating contemporary open-plan space on the ground floor.
What’s more, this isn’t simply a case of paying double to get more living area. You’ll actually spend slightly less per square metre of extra space than you would with a single storey extension. That’s largely because the new zone’s footprint, and therefore the price of the foundations and roof, is pretty much the same with either route.