HOME EXTENSIONS & RENOVATIONS
A GOOD EXTENSION ISN’T JUST MORE SPACE. IT'S THE RIGHT SPACE AND PROOF IT’LL ACTUALLY WORK.
Plenty of people can draw you an extension. Far fewer will tell you whether it’s the right one, whether it needs planning permission, whether it’ll pass building control, and whether your budget and your builder’s reality actually meet.
I design extensions and major renovations across Derry/Londonderry, Donegal and across Northern Ireland.
WHERE EXTENSIONS GO WRONG
01
The brief was never tested.
People design around what they think they want, not how they actually live. Good design starts with the right questions, not the first idea that came to mind.
02
Planning was assumed, not checked.
Permitted development (NI) and exempted development (the Republic) are different rules in different systems. Getting it wrong means applying retrospectively or taking it down.
03
The existing house fights back.
Levels, drainage, structure, party walls, what’s behind the plaster. The old house always has a vote, and its surprises arrive at the worst possible moment.
04
The budget and the drawings never met.
Cheap drawings that ignore cost become expensive problems the moment a builder prices them. Vague drawings also get padded quotes because builders price what they can’t see.
WHAT I ACTUALLY DO
I design around how your family lives and how the project will actually be built, light, flow, storage, levels, structure, drainage and cost, all considered together. Then I detail it properly so it passes Building Control (NI Technical Booklets or, in the Republic, the Technical Guidance Documents and BCAR process) and so your builder can price it accurately.
The result: fewer surprises, fewer arguments on site, and a New Build, extension or renovation that’s genuinely worth what you spent.
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
A 15-minute conversation about your new house, extension or renovation. We'll discuss what you want to achieve, where you are with the project and how I could help. I'll explain how I work and what the next step would involve. There's no charge and no obligation to appoint me. Any detailed assessment or design work will be agreed separately