What’s the best time of year to start your extension?...

It’s a question that pops up a lot, and usually around early spring, when the days get a little longer and everyone starts thinking about fresh starts and big plans! And while spring and summer are certainly popular times to build (and for good reason), I always like to offer a little perspective that might surprise you: autumn can actually be one of the best times of year to get going with your extension plans.

I know it’s not the season that immediately comes to mind when you picture digging foundations or planning a kitchen-diner makeover. But once the children are back at school, routines settled, and those long, post-summer to-do lists start getting tackled, autumn presents a brilliant window of opportunity. Tradespeople often have more availability, suppliers can be more flexible, and you might find that pricing is a little more competitive too, especially compared to the peak of spring when everyone’s rushing to get started.

I’ve found that clients who start planning in the autumn are often ahead of the game. They use the quieter months to finalise drawings, secure planning permissions, and line up the right people so when the weather starts to warm up, they’re already prepped and ready to build. It’s a great way to avoid the seasonal bottleneck. Winter can be a good time to build too, especially for certain types of extensions that don’t depend heavily on dry weather. Modern building methods and good project management can keep things moving no matter what the forecast says. And let’s be honest, the British weather doesn’t always play by the rules anyway, even in July!

So, if you’ve been thinking, “Maybe next spring…” then consider this your gentle nudge to start sooner. A little planning now can put you miles ahead, and by the time the daffodils come up, you could already be seeing your new space take shape!