which way to extend would be best for what we need and for our finances!

Hi there, I would need to see the existing plans for your property to know exactly how much space there is at the back, at the side, and in the loft. However, I would consider the following: - As a general rule of thumb, loft conversions are the least cost effective way to create more space, mainly due to head height issues - Building a two storey extension is far more cost effective than building a single storey plus an extra conversion elsewhere in the house - A rear extension tends to offer more room for being creative and also more space than a side extension - A garage can always be converted at a later stage, and in the property market is usually valued more highly than a conservatory. In light of the above, I would tend to go for the two-storey rear extension option (as I said, depending on the layout of the house). Hope this helps. Gianni LUGINA PROPERTY

Hi, Deciding the best place for an extension can sometimes be a bit of a lottery. In the ideal world you want to be adding living space, not loosing space. By removing the garage or conservatory you're removing space, that forms part of the value of the property as it stands. Therefore any addition needs to add value to the property that compensates for the loss of space plus the cost of the new extension and more. Extending on top of the existing garage would be a reasonable option as you will maintain the garage and gain additional living space above; although this depends on the size of the foundations in the garage and if these are able to accommodate the load. It really depends on the size of the house, current layout and probably more importantly the ceiling price of similar properties in the road. You have to bare in mind that you want to recover your investment so aligning your investment with the maximum value of similar properties, on the same street should be a serious consideration.