Careful attention to detail, sourcing local materials, carrying out any work you can on a DIY basis and keeping one eye on the costs can all help to bring your extension project in on a tight budget.
If you are in need of some extension inspiration, take a look at this selection of projects that have all been achieved within a £50,000 budget.
(MORE: Building an extension)
A Glass Box Extension to a Listed Cottage
Designed by Eastabrook Architects, the structural glazing of this extension injects natural light into the open-plan kitchen and adds an elegant, modern touch to the classic Cotswolds cottage.
(MORE: Glass Box Extension Ideas)
- Cost: £34,000 (structural glazing only, supplied by IQ Glass)
A Rear Extension Transforms a Semi-Detached Home
Replacing an existing conservatory, this stylish new rear extension opens up gracefully towards the garden with bifold doors, while the vaulted ceiling with two new rooflights in the extension creates a bright and airy atmosphere.
- Cost: £39,000 (current estimates for a similar project by Sentinel Design & Build would be approx. £49,000)
A Bright Zinc-Clad Extension to a Victorian Villa
This dated Victorian villa in Glasgow was renovated and extended into a dingy outhouse to create a new kitchen and lounge for a young family.
The 1.85m wide infill extension works in harmony with the existing villa while the new zinc full-height dormer window brings much-needed light into the new space.
(MORE: How to Build a Budget Extension)
- Cost: £24,000
A Cost-effective Side Return Extension
Wanting to add a new bathroom and an open-plan kitchen, the owners of this London terrace ground floor flat chose Build Team to design and build a 7m² side return extension.
- Cost: £50,000
Modern Extension to Semi-detached Family Home
Architect Lewis Bailie and his wife Preeya added a 20m² single-storey extension to their family home in Kent but kept costs to a minimum by managing contractor contracts themselves.
The masonry construction features a pitched Siberian Larch roof – which ensures the room feels specious and practical – and a glass link to join the old and new sections of the house.
(MORE: Extensions for Every Budget)
- Cost: £40,000
A Characterful Rear Extension
With a brief for a larger kitchen and dining area that was practical for everyday use as well as social occasions, Resi designed a rear kitchen extension that retained the country charm of the existing house, while expanding the living areas.
The simple square construction fell under Permitted Development rights to reduce overall costs.
- Cost: Similar build projects would be estimated at £50,000
A Side Extension to Create a Dream Kitchen
Unhappy with their dark and dingy kitchen, Rachael and Adam Ball renovated and extended to the side of their terrace house to create an open-plan kitchen and living space.
The couple took on much of the work on a DIY basis including designing and painting the kitchen, fitting the flooring, radiators and skirting boards.
- Cost: £45,000
A Sympathetic Oak-Frame Extension
Looking to add a new kitchen diner to their farmhouse in north Wales, the homeowners of this project chose Welsh Oak Frame to design and build their new addition.
The oak frame extension complements the original farmhouse and adds character and warmth to the new space.
- Location: North Wales
- Cost: £40,000
An ICF Addition to a Cottage
This cottage on the Scottish Borders has been subject to a large extension constructed using ICF (insulating concrete formwork) from Beco Wallform.
- Location: Scottish Borders
- Cost: Approximately £12,000 (for the Wallform structure)
Completed by Border Oak, this oak and glass single room extension has been added to a listed Arts and Crafts house, and joined with a modern frameless glass connection so that the two parts can be easily distinguished.
(MORE: 20 House Extension Ideas for Essential Extra Space)
- Cost: £45,000 (for the supply and erection of the oak frame)
A Modern Orangery Extension to a Period Home
The owners of this period home wanted to introduce more space, and commissioned Anglian Home Improvements to add an orangery extension.
- Cost: £18,000 (for design, materials and installation)
A Kitchen Diner Extension Full of Natl Light
With a view to creating a more traditional space in keeping with the existing building, the clients behind this project were keen to knock down the old side extension to make way for a new addition.
The extension, designed by Design Squared, is clad in white render, and houses an open plan kitchen/dining/living area that is connected to the rear reception room.
A 1930s Semi Extension on a Budget
The challenge for Samantha Worrall, an architect by profession, and Philip Osborne was how they could create more space for their growing family within their 1930s semi-detached home on a limited budget.
The answer to the problem came in the form of a crisp and contemporary rendered extension to the rear of the property, along with a small side extension that runs down one side of the house.
(MORE: Modern Extension Design Ideas)
- Cost: £40,000
A Bright and Charming Glazed Lean-To Extension
The owners of this stone-clad home in Frome, Somerset were looking to create additional space off their existing kitchen. The couple opted for a lean-to conservatory filled with natural light.
Enlisting the services of David Salisbury, the design team at the company created a simple but effective design to perfectly fit the bill, complete with two skylights and top-hung windows for ventilation.
(MORE: Kitchen Conservatory Extensions)
- Cost: £40,000
A Rear Addition for Extras Space
After previously carrying out a garage conversion to this 1970s semi-detached home, Eclipse Property Solutions was enlisted once again by the homeowners to build a new kitchen/dining/family space to the rear.
- Cost: £49,000
An Oak Frame Kitchen Extension
With a growing family, the owners of this three bedroom detached house in Staffordshire were becoming increasingly constrained by the property’s size.
Reluctant to move out of the area, the homeowners appointed Croft Architecture to come up with a design concept that would see their old, cold, leaking conservatory replaced with a modern, light-filled, open plan extension.
(MORE: Rear Extension Ideas)
- Cost: £50,000
A Modern Kitchen Extension to a Semi-Detached Home
When the homeowners bought this semi-detached home in London, they knew immediately they wanted to create a new extension to the rear of the property.
A new 8m x 5m flat roof extension was built and clad in London Stock bricks to match the existing brickwork, with reclaimed bricks, also London Stock, used internally as a feature wall. A bank of rooflights brings natural daylight into the new space.
- Cost: £45,000
Calculating Your Extension Costs
Looking to work out the build costs of your extension? Find out how much yours could cost with our extension cost calculator.
Daisy was Features Editor on Homebuilding & Renovating for more than five years and had a passion for all things design. She has since moved on to pastures new.
