A Blueprint For Better Living
Mark Hood, Director of Architecture at Resi, on the smarter way to design, plan and build your home extension
Resi is one of the leading home-extension companies, combining architectural design, planning expertise and a vetted network of builders. For more than 8 years, the architectural platform has used technology to make the renovation journey clearer, faster and more accessible for busy households. Below, Mark reveals how Resi can help transform your home.
Why are more homeowners choosing to extend rather than move?
We are speaking to many more customers who want to move to gain extra space. They reference Stamp Duty as the reason they have decided not to move and to extend instead, prioritising adding value to their existing home with the added benefit of keeping the money they would have lost in Stamp Duty.
What makes Resi different from a traditional architect or design service?
In a word: certainty. We speak to homeowners every day who don’t know who to trust, how long things will take or what’s coming next. Resi was created to solve exactly these concerns.
Unlike a traditional architect, everything you need sits under one roof: design and planning support, building regulations expertise and introductions to specialist trades and vetted builders.
And rather than juggling endless email threads and paperwork, you can track your whole project through Resi’s online dashboard. We have built it to show where you are and what’s coming up next, so the whole design and construction process is clearer and easier to manage.
How does Resi make the home extension process easier for busy families?
Through our online platform. This is where customers can see their project progress through each stage and it’s been shaped by feedback from customers with busy families.
The video calls, the screen-sharing, the document library, the planning-chase updates, the call-booking system, the case-study library and the place where customers appoint builders are all housed within this online platform. What many customers find most impressive is the chat tool, which allows them to speak to their architect or designer at any time.
Customers tell us they check the platform on holidays, on the school run, at work, and in the evenings once the children are in bed.
Working with a traditional architect does not give you this level of flexibility.
What are the biggest mistakes people make when planning an extension?
The biggest mistakes people make can be categorised into the three ‘B’s’.
Budget - agree this early with yourself, your partner, your family and your bank, before you even engage an architect. Then make sure you are always designing and discussing the budget at every stage.
Keep a 10% contingency for yourself, because until you put a spade in the ground you cannot be certain of the final cost. When discussing budget with any party, always ask whether VAT is included, whether glazing is included and whether kitchens are included, as this varies.
Brief - Resi will always begin by asking how you want to use the space in the future and what is not working in your current layout. This forms your brief. It can be a mistake to jump straight to saying “I want an extension”. Clarify the reasons first so that you design for both current and future needs.
Builder - do not rush into committing to a builder or shake hands on a contract too early. Wait until you have your technical drawings and obtain quotes from at least 3 builders. Any earlier than this creates risk because they will be pricing without the necessary level of detail. At Resi, we help homeowners reach this stage with fully detailed drawings and access to vetted builders, so comparisonsare meaningful rather than speculative.
How do you help homeowners stay on budget without compromising on design?
For the kitchen, consider using cost-effective modular carcassing with higher-end cupboard doors. This gives durability and function at a lower cost, while allowing you to invest in the visible elements that elevate the overall finish.
When it comes to lighting, I often advise customers to opt for high-end switches and mid-range lighting. Switches are what you touch and feel every day so can have a noticeable impact on how a space feels.
Design for your brief and the space you actually want, not simply the maximum you can extend. This ensures you are using your budget efficiently and achieving the best balance of cost versus space.
What trends are you seeing in home extensions right now - especially in Cheshire and Manchester?
We are now seeing more Manchester side infills pushing boundaries with glazing (Crittall), materials (timber-clad extensions), and internal finishes (exposed beams).
Manchester Council is also pushing retrofit, driving notable increases in ASHP and EWI installations at faster rates than in many other UK cities.
In Cheshire, we are seeing snippets of luxury. The fully open-plan layout is losing popularity. These homes have the space to break larger areas into more focused zones. Clients do not want to hear the washing machine while watching TV so we are seeing impressive internal glazing panels used to divide spaces intelligently.
We are also seeing the “country boot room” appear more as a highly functional space, often featuring bespoke joinery and dog showers.
How does Resi ensure projects meet planning regulations and avoid delays?
A priority for Resi has been to hire ex-case officers and to build an invaluable library of planning knowledge for each local authority, enabling us to maintain a planning approval rate of approximately 96% vs the average UK approval rate for householder applications being 86%.
These in-house planning officers have established strong working relationships with local case officers. This matters when you need to pick up the phone and obtain timely, informed feedback.
Our designers are in constant communication with this expert team, which has helped keep our planning approval rate consistently high and consistently above the UK average.
What’s the most creative extension you’ve seen recently?
A number of customers have become creative with space through extensions that are not particularly large. They have achieved this by using non-traditional construction methods such as SIPs or a hup! extension.
There are many benefits to these systems, including speed, reduced mess, cost savings and improved thermal efficiency. However, the space you save is often the biggest advantage. The wall build-up is only 75–100 mm, which can equate to 1.5–2 sqm gained in an extension, adding value to your home.
More importantly, it makes a meaningful difference to how the internal space functions. Customers are delighted at being able to position their sofa almost 10cm closer to the wall. They can accommodate a downstairs shower room rather than only a cloakroom or fit an additional armchair into the living space.
How can technology make the design and build process smoother for homeowners?
We use laser scanning for all surveys. These LiDAR scans provide accuracy to the millimetre and reduce the potential for mistakes that can arise from hand surveys, such as incorrect ridge heights or inaccurate party wall locations.
The survey can then be viewed and measured indefinitely, reducing the need to return to site for any dimensions that may have been missed.
Technology has enabled Resi to provide project management tools, allowing developers to manage multiple projects on our platform.
We work closely with Ultraframe, whose factory is based in Clitheroe. Their hup! system, that we can design and build with, produces construction costs automatically before being manufactured in the factory and shipped to site. We are excited about this technology because we can provide a fixed price up front and bring significant speed to site, while maintaining quality.
Thinking about extending? Book a free, no-obligation advice call with a Resi expert.
Get clarity on feasibility, local planning precedent, timelines, costs and more.
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