Deciding whether to move house or extend: a guide

Moving to a bigger home doesn't just mean paying for the property itself. There are plenty of other costs to budget for which could include:

• Stamp Duty
• Estate agent fees
• Solicitor and conveyancing fees
• Surveys
• Removal costs
• Mortgage fees
• Decorating once you’re in
• Potential renovations

A home extension comes with a very different set of costs. You'll need to budget for things like design, planning, materials and building work, but that money goes directly into changing the home you already own.

So, is it cheaper to extend or move? Your location, property value, extension plans and the amount of extra space you want will all affect the cost. Here’s a quick comparison as a guide:

Sometimes you outgrow your home without wanting to leave where you live. In this case, extending could be a good idea as you can create more space while staying close to the people and places you love.

For families, that might mean keeping children in the same school or school catchment area, staying near friends and family, or holding onto an easy commute. And then there are all the smaller things you've come to enjoy around your home – from knowing your neighbours to having your favourite park or café nearby.

So if you really don’t want to switch locations, a home extension can give your property room to breathe without having to start again somewhere new.

When you move, you're paying for a whole new property and all the costs that come with it – not just the extra space your family needs. Whereas extending lets you put your budget directly into improving the home you already have.

The cost of a house extension will depend on the size, design and how complex the project is. But you also have control over where that budget goes. You might prioritise a larger kitchen and dining room, add a playroom or create the extra bedroom or home office that's been missing.

Staying put and building on what you have can be a really great option in areas where moving to a larger house comes with a big jump in price. So instead of compromising on another home, you could explore what's possible with your own. And that’s the really exciting part.

One of the biggest benefits of extending is the chance to shape a space around the way your family lives. Maybe you need a bigger kitchen where everyone can gather comfortably, a living room that has a dedicated play space or a home office that isn't squeezed into the corner of your bedroom.

But don’t just limit your thinking to floor space. Natural light can make an extension feel brighter and more open – even if the extended space itself isn’t huge. So if you’re doing the work, it’s a good idea to think about how you could transform your space with light.

VELUX roof windows are a great way to help light flood into a room, and there are lots of different options. Roof windows work well in pitched roof extensions as they sit within your roofline, as do the VELUX dormer and roof balcony which create more space as well as bringing in light.

Or if you’re planning a flat roof extension, our flat roof windows and dome with glazing help draw light into tricky spaces where vertical windows might not be possible.

It’s no secret that more light can make a room feel bigger than it did before, so adding VELUX roof windows could help you get that spacious feeling without having to move. And whether you go for a pitched roof or flat roof extension, it’s all about finding opportunities to flood a room with light

Building an extension comes with disruption, but moving house also brings its own to-do list, from viewings and property chains to packing up everything you own and settling into somewhere new.

Extending lets you skip a lot of that upheaval while keeping the parts of your life that already work. And depending on the scale of the extension, you can probably stay in your home, keep your existing routines and put your energy into creating the extra space you need.

But building work is still noisy, dusty and can cause some disruption, so think about how you'll manage it while it's underway – from using zippable doorway covers to keep the rest of your house mess-free to setting a timeline to stick to. Knowing what to expect, and accepting things will be busy for a while, will make the process much easier.

There’s no one right answer to whether you should move house or extend. It comes down to what suits you, your home and where you see yourself or your family in the years ahead. If you’re happy where you are but could do with more room, extending might be just what you need.

A few things can help you decide:

• Your budget: look at what you could put towards an extension and how that compares with the full cost of moving. You might be surprised by what your budget could achieve at home.
• Your wish list: what would make everyday life easier? Maybe it’s a bigger kitchen, another bedroom or somewhere for guests to stay. Start there and see what’s possible.
• Your location: there’s a lot to be said for already feeling settled. Staying put can mean keeping the same schools, commute and friends nearby, and all the familiar places that make the area feel like yours.
• Looking ahead: your needs are probably going to change over time. A flexible design gives you the freedom to use your extension differently as the years go by.

Sometimes, the home you’re looking for is the one you’re already in – it just needs a little more space and light to reach its full potential.

We have lots of inspiration for home extensions, including our 10 tips on helping you get the most out of your home extension project. Or if you’re moving – or have moved – and want to add more light with VELUX windows, find everything you need to know in our installation articles.