More Space Without Leaving the Home You Love
Sometimes the right home is already the one you live in — it simply needs more space or a better layout.
A carefully planned extension can create the extra room your family needs, open up the relationship between your home and garden or completely change the way the ground floor works.
At Calico, we look beyond simply adding square metres. We consider how the new space should connect with the existing property, how it will be used and how the different building trades need to come together to create a finished extension that feels like part of the original home.
For larger projects, that can also mean considering staircase and landing changes where another floor is being added, together with the floor build-up, finished levels and final flooring where the extension meets the existing home.
Home Extensions Designed Around Your Property
Every property and family is different. The right extension depends on the existing building, available space and what you want your home to do better.
Rear Extensions
Extend into the rear garden to create additional kitchen, dining, living or family space while improving the connection between indoors and outdoors.
Side Extensions
Make use of available space alongside your property to increase internal floor area, improve layouts or create additional rooms.
Kitchen Extensions
Create the space for a larger kitchen, island, dining area or open-plan family room while allowing the kitchen to become the heart of the home.
Single-Storey Extensions
Add valuable ground-floor space for living, working, dining or family life with an extension designed around the existing property.
Two-Storey Extensions
Where suitable, extending over two floors can provide additional living space downstairs together with bedrooms, bathrooms or other rooms above.
Wraparound Extensions
Combine rear and side extension space to substantially change the size, layout and functionality of the ground floor.
We Manage More Than the Building Shell
A home extension involves many different stages and trades. Groundwork, structure, roofing, insulation, electrics, plumbing, heating, plastering, carpentry, flooring and finishing all have to come together in the correct order.
Calico coordinates the wider project so you are not left trying to manage a collection of separate contractors yourself.
The aim is a finished space — not simply an extension shell waiting for somebody else to complete it.
How Should the Extension Change Your Home?
The best extension is not necessarily the biggest one. Good planning can make the existing house work better as well as adding new space.
Could walls, doors or circulation routes within the existing home be changed at the same time?
Windows, rooflights and glazed doors can help bring light deeper into both new and existing rooms.
Consider how doors, patios and landscaping will connect the finished extension with the outside space.
The new space needs to work with the heating requirements of the wider property.
Lighting, sockets and supplies should be planned around the finished furniture and room use.
Building in storage while the extension is being created can make much better use of the new space.
The new structural floor, screed or deck and final flooring should meet the existing home cleanly without unnecessary steps or awkward transitions.
Explore Flooring Services →
Staircases in Two-Storey & Remodelled Extensions
A single-storey extension will not normally require changes to your staircase, but a two-storey extension, split-level design or wider remodel can affect how floors, landings and circulation routes connect.
Depending on the existing layout, the staircase may remain unchanged, need to be adapted or become part of a wider refurbishment. Some projects can require completely new staircase access.
Where relevant, we consider headroom, floor openings, landings, surrounding rooms, bannisters, handrails, newel posts and the way new work relates to the existing staircase.
Explore Staircases & Balustrades →Flooring in a New Extension
A new extension gives us the opportunity to consider the complete floor build-up from the structure below through to the finished surface above.
The structural floor, insulation, screed or timber deck, underfloor heating where used and final flooring all affect the finished level. This is especially important where the extension opens directly into an existing kitchen, hallway or living room.
Depending on the use of the room, finishes can include timber, carpet, vinyl or lino, click LVT, glue-down LVT and ceramic or porcelain tiles. Appropriate preparation can be carried out to the new subfloor before the selected finish is installed.
Planning this early can help create cleaner transitions at doors and openings and allows skirting, thresholds and adjoining floor finishes to be coordinated properly.
Explore Flooring Services →
From the First Idea to the Finished Space
An extension is a significant project, so understanding the property and planning the sequence of work matters from the beginning.
Understand
We discuss why you need more space, what is not working now and what you want the finished home to achieve.
Assess & Plan
We look at the existing property, proposed extension and practical requirements before establishing the way forward.
Build
Groundwork, structure, roofing, openings and the wider building work are coordinated through the main construction phase.
Fit Out & Finish
Services, plastering, carpentry, flooring, decoration and finishing bring the new space together ready for use.
See How an Extension Can Change a Home
A successful extension can change far more than the exterior footprint. It can transform how rooms connect, how light moves through the home and how the family uses the property every day.
Before 
After A New Space That Feels Like Part of Your Home
An extension should not feel like an unrelated room added onto the back of the property. The details help tie new and existing spaces together.
We Look at the Whole Home, Not Just the Extension
The extra floor area matters, but so does what happens to the rest of your home when the extension is added.
Our experience across carpentry, renovation, construction and specialist trades means we can look at the relationship between the new structure, existing rooms, services and finishing details as one project.
We'll explain the available options and practical considerations so you can make decisions based on what works best for your property — not simply what is easiest for us to build.
Home Extensions Across Hampshire
Calico is based on Hayling Island and undertakes home extension projects throughout Hampshire and surrounding areas.
Hayling Island • Havant • Portsmouth • Southsea • Emsworth • Waterlooville • Chichester • Fareham • Petersfield • Southampton
If your location is not listed, please still get in touch. The distance we travel can vary depending on the scale and nature of the project.
Home Extension FAQs
What types of home extensions do you build?
We undertake a range of home extensions including rear, side, single-storey, two-storey and wraparound extensions, depending on the property and the customer's requirements.
Do I need planning permission for a home extension?
Some extensions may fall within permitted development rights, while others require planning permission. This depends on factors including the property, location, size and design of the proposed extension. Where formal advice or approval is required, this should be established as part of the planning process.
Do I need building regulations approval?
Home extensions generally need to comply with applicable building regulations. The exact requirements will depend on the project, including structure, insulation, ventilation, fire safety and services.
Can you open up the existing house into the new extension?
Potentially, yes. Many extensions involve creating larger openings or changing the relationship between existing rooms and the new space. Structural alterations may require appropriate calculations and approvals.
Can you manage the plumbing and electrical work too?
Yes. One of the advantages of Calico's full-service approach is that the various trades required for the extension can be coordinated as part of the overall project.
Can my new kitchen form part of the extension project?
Yes. Kitchen extensions are a common way of using additional space. We can consider the building work, kitchen installation, plumbing, electrics and finishing as part of one wider project.
Can we stay in the house while the extension is being built?
This often depends on the scale of the project and which areas of the home are affected. Some projects can be planned around an occupied property, although there may be periods of greater disruption.
How long does a home extension take?
Timescales vary considerably depending on the size, design, structural requirements, specification and complexity of the project. We can discuss a more realistic programme once the proposed work is understood.
Will a two-storey extension affect my staircase?
It can. A two-storey extension may change the upstairs layout, landing or circulation. Depending on the design, the existing staircase may remain unchanged, need to be adapted or form part of a wider refurbishment. Visit our Staircases & Balustrades page for more information.
What types of flooring can you install in an extension?
Depending on the room and floor construction, finishes can include timber, carpet, vinyl, lino, click LVT, glue-down LVT and tiled floors. Visit our Flooring Services page for more information.
Can the new extension floor meet my existing flooring without a step?
Where the existing and proposed construction allow, finished floor levels can be considered from the design and build stages to help create a clean transition. The structural floor, insulation, screed or timber deck and selected finish all contribute to the final height.
Can flooring be installed over underfloor heating?
Many flooring products can be compatible with underfloor heating, but the selected floor, underlay or adhesive and installation method need to suit the heating system and the relevant manufacturer requirements.
Could Your Current Home Become Your Perfect Home?
Whether you need a larger kitchen, more family space, an additional room or a complete rethink of the ground floor, talk to Calico about what your home is missing.
We'll help you explore the possibilities and understand the options available for your property.
Discuss Your Extension Project