The other problem with an extension of course is that you may not have enough room to make one practical. If you are in this situation now you might want to think about having a veranda built instead, because if it is done properly and designed with care and attention it can really transform your whole house.

The first step is to take a good look at the outside of your home and think about the amount of space you could give over to a veranda. It doesn’t need to be a perfect square or rectangle either – if you have space along one side of your house as well as at the rear, you could create an L shaped veranda that ‘hugs the house’. This can look stunning when it is finished and the ground is done to your chosen design as well.

The secret of a good veranda is that it almost becomes another room. The roof transforms what was previously just a part of the garden into a sheltered area where you can put a table and chairs for entertaining. You could even use it as an outside office when the weather is nice enough! Just imagine sitting outside with your laptop and enjoying a cool iced tea while you finish typing that report.

It’s important to think about how you would use your verandah before you decide on the final design or size you are going to opt for. For example, if you plan to use it for entertaining you will need to make sure it is big enough to accommodate the table and chairs you have in mind. You might also want to use a sun lounger to relax in the shade, but if the veranda is too small then you won’t be able to use it like you had intended.

Just as with any other room in your house, you can add some decoration to your verandah as well. You could paint the walls of that part of your house a slightly different colour perhaps, or simply add some colour by putting a number of hanging baskets, pots and troughs filled with flowers around the structure itself.

All these things help to mark out the area as being separate from the rest of your house, and even as a separate area when compared to the rest of your garden too.

All in all a veranda is excellent value for money and one of the easiest ways to completely alter the mood and feel of your property. No matter what style house you have, you will be able to find a verandah that will fit right in and look as if it was always meant to be there.

Adding a veranda not only increases the attractiveness of your garden, it also increases its versatility. It provides a shaded spot to enjoy the delights of the summer weather and the garden as a whole, and it can even add the feeling of having another room – albeit outdoors – that the new owners can enjoy.

A veranda has several advantages over the other option of having a conservatory built. Firstly it is much cheaper, which makes it a good bet if you are looking to make improvements to your home without spending too much money.

Secondly it is much quicker and easier to build, yet it still adds that feeling of creating an extra space in your garden in which you can relax and stay out of the sun if necessary. It is also far more versatile than a conservatory; within the basic designs of flat roofed, curved roof and hip end verandas, for example, you can pretty much have any size and shape veranda you like.

All of which means you can really enhance the appearance of both your house and your garden, by choosing the exact size for your needs and desires.

Adding a veranda to your home also adds value in more than one way. Purely from a monetary point of view it makes your home more saleable, and you are far more likely to get the price you want for it when you have a desirable addition such as this to offer to potential buyers.

But it also adds value in that you are making your home more attractive to buyers. We all buy with our hearts as well as our heads, and a well thought out and expertly designed veranda is just the type of feature that can tip the balance and turn an interested home viewer into a determined buyer.

In short, adding a veranda is one of the best ways to make sure you achieve that sale in double quick time. Maybe it’s time to start looking at some brochures?

But how do you find one?

Of course you will want to avoid getting into the situation of hiring someone to do the work, only to have them disappear halfway through. That’s why it’s advisable to seek some help when you are looking for a contractor.

Firstly, ask everyone you know for advice – whether it’s family, friends, colleagues or acquaintances. It could be that someone has recently had some work done themselves, and they can recommend a specific contractor to you. Word of mouth recommendations are always the best way to find someone you know you can trust.

You can also ask everyone you know to ask everyone they know for recommendations as well – once you get a whole network of people involved, you will find someone somewhere will know someone who can help you out.

If you can, try and find more than one possible contractor. If you can do this, get each one to give you a quotation on what needs doing, so that you can consider them carefully before deciding on which contractor to pick. Remember that cost isn’t the only factor to bear in mind; trust your instincts as well, as you will usually find that one particular person will appeal more than the rest.

Time is also a consideration. Do you want the work to be done by a certain date, perhaps because you want to throw a barbecue for the whole family to enjoy? If that’s the case, certain contractors could be ruled out simply because they already have too much work and cannot fit you in until a later date.

In short, don’t jump in to a big project like this by hiring the first contractor you come across. By taking some time to consider all the options open to you, and to get quotes for what you want done, you will end up having a much smoother and more pleasant building process, with much nicer results.