Extend or move? How to decide

January is when many families look at their house and decide it is too small. A new baby, children who need their own rooms, a parent moving in or a need for a home office. The question is whether to extend or to move. Both have costs that are easy to underestimate.

The real cost of moving

Moving is more than the difference between selling and buying prices. In South Africa, the costs include:

• Estate agent’s commission on the sale, which on a Cape Town property is a significant amount
• Transfer duty on the purchase, payable on properties above the threshold set by SARS
• Conveyancing fees on both the sale and the purchase
• Bond registration and cancellation costs
• Moving costs, plus the curtains, fittings and repairs every new house seems to need

Added together, these costs can easily run to hundreds of thousands of rand, and none of it adds a single square metre to your home. That money could go a long way in an extension.

The case for extending

• You stay in the neighbourhood, near schools, friends and work
• Money goes into your property, not into transaction costs
• You get exactly the space you need, designed the way you want
• A well-designed extension usually adds value to the house

The case for moving

• Your plot may not allow the space you need, because of building lines, coverage, height or heritage restrictions
• The cost of extending may push the house well above the value of others in the street
• You may want a different area or a different kind of house altogether
• You avoid living through building work

Questions to ask first

What does the property allow? Check zoning, building lines, coverage, height restrictions, title deed conditions and heritage status before getting excited. An architect can do a quick feasibility study.

Can the house take it? Adding a second storey depends on whether the existing foundations and walls can carry the load. An engineer needs to check.

What will it cost? Get a realistic budget early, including professional fees, approvals and finishes (see what drives the cost of building).

What will the house be worth? Ask an estate agent what similar extended houses in your street sell for. Avoid spending far more than the market will recognise, unless you plan to stay for a long time.

How long will you stay? If you plan to stay for many years, extending makes more sense. If you might move in two or three years, the value added may not cover the cost and disruption.

Ways to extend

• Building outward: a ground-floor extension, often a new kitchen and family room opening to the garden
• Building up: a second storey, which keeps the garden but is structurally more complex
• Converting space: a garage, loft or underused room turned into living space
• A second dwelling: a separate cottage on the property for family or rental (see our guide on second dwellings)

Living through it

Extending usually means living with building work for a while, or moving out temporarily. We wrote about living in your home during a renovation.

If you are weighing up the options, talk to us. We can give you an honest view on what an extension is likely to cost before you commit.