Are you planning to add an annex to your Bournemouth home?

An increasing number of families in the UK are considering adding a “granny annex” to their home to provide somewhere for an older relative to live when they are unable to remain in their own home.

Ideal Home recently revealed that around 10% of people are already living with an older family member and that they would also consider expanding their living space to accommodate another relative if needed.

Of those surveyed, a further 7% have plans to develop a space suitable for relatives to live in, while 5% already have such a space available – such as a garage conversion, separate outbuilding or a basement conversion.

Adding an annex to your home in Bournemouth, Poole or Christchurch could be a great option if you are concerned about any of your older relatives continuing to live on their own – or think this might be a possibility in the future.

There are many advantages to creating this kind of bespoke home extension, including that you can tailor it to suit your relative’s needs. Of course, once they move in it will give both of you peace of mind.

It’s also well-known that loneliness is a big problem among older generations in the UK – Age UK research estimates 1.4 million older adults in the country regularly suffer from loneliness. So, having your older relatives living independently, but right next door to you, could make all the difference to their lives.

Here at Bournemouth Constructions, we are well versed in what’s required to build a home extension of any kind. We can work with your architect, or put you in touch with our affiliate architect, to survey your property, draw up plans and apply for a lawful development certificate.

Naturally, we will make sure any extension we build complies with all the relevant building regulations and we will work with you to ensure it is as energy efficient as possible. We can provide advice on everything from the materials to use to the orientation of windows to ensure you get as much natural light in the space as possible.

The aim with an annex is to have a self-contained space to allow your loved one to live as independently as possible, while providing them with the connection to your family environment.

Another option, rather than extending your home or converting a garage or basement into a suitable living space, is to build a garden room. These are fully insulated and can be designed to suit your needs, allowing some separation from your household and that of your relative.

Whatever kind of extension or annex you are interested in, our team of expert builders is on hand to help.

We can assess your property and offer suggestions about the most appropriate way to create this kind of additional living space at your home in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole if you would like – simply contact us to find out more about our work and to arrange for one of our team to visit your home.