New Build vs Extension: Cost & Design Benefits Compared | Arkhi Care Explains

In our work at Arkhi Care, we often explore two design pathways side by side:

1. Renovating and extending the existing property

2. Starting fresh with a purpose-built new home

   
   

Why offer both? Because each has its strengths, and by laying out both options clearly, we give families, case managers, and legal teams the ability to make fully informed decisions.

New builds allow us to avoid structural constraints and design from the ground up. That means circulation space can be optimised, care zones can be planned logically, and future needs can be factored in with fewer compromises. They're also VAT-exempt, making them surprisingly cost-effective, sometimes even cheaper than a heavily adapted renovation.

Extensions and renovations, on the other hand, can offer continuity. They may preserve a sense of place, community ties, or emotional connection to the existing home. And in some planning contexts, they may be more favourably received.

In many projects, we submit both options for planning. This keeps the door open while we cost each scheme and gather feedback from funders, clinicians, and the client’s wider support network.

Whether it’s adapting the familiar or starting anew, our goal is to help each client choose the path that works best for their life, practically, financially, and emotionally.