Many a home has a flat roof above a porch, a garage, an existing small extension or even a bedroom. In some cases, this may be an addition to an existing home that has a sloped roof, but that does not mean you cannot have a further flat roof extension.

There are many reasons for considering an extension, but one of them is as an alternative to moving house. This approach could have a lot of practical advantages.

This needs to be said because the UK housing market has been picking up, with the recent base rate cut likely to encourage homebuyers more as mortgages will be cheaper. But a strengthening housing market also means rising prices, so while there may be less interest to pay on a home loan, the overall cost may not be less and could easily be more.

If proof of this were needed, the Halifax House Price Index for October has indicated a monthly house price increase of 0.2 per cent, with the quarterly figure up 1.2 per cent and the annual figure up 3.9 per cent.

Cost is not the only reason to think twice about moving home if you want a larger house. This also has the practical advantages that you don’t have to deal with moving costs, nor the risk of fragile or precious items being damaged or lost in a move. You can also stay close to friendly neighbours and your kids won’t have to change schools.

A flat roof can be extended easily enough, ensuring that the whole structure avoids any of the awkward joins that can sometimes detract from the aesthetics of an existing home when it is extended.

Therefore, if you do need more space for an extra car, a new bedroom, or even space for a new buggy because your family has grown, this kind of extension could be just what you need and offers a practical upsizing alternative to moving.