15 DIY options to save money on your project

Home extensions don’t usually come cheap. Adding an extra 25m² or so of living space to your home won’t normally leave much change out of £45,000, and raising the cash to pay for it all can be a bit of a stretch. On many sites, however, build costs have a nasty habit of escalating beyond the amount initially budgeted, often by quite some margin. And running out of money could mean you end up with a half-built shell on the back of your house.

So what to do? To get the maximum space for the minimum outlay some folks opt instead for a super-sized conservatory, but their well-known propensity to leak heat can make the space virtually unusable for much of the year. Garage conversions are a far better alternative to the latter and are highly cost-effective, but not many homes happen to have one that’s ripe for conversion. So to get the extension you really want and to keep costs within budget it’s often worth considering doing some of the work yourself. Anyone with an aptitude for construction may relish the prospect of learning new skills, taking genuine pride in their achievements.

To DIY or not?

Never in the history of home extensions has it been easier