5 Proven Ways to Fill Your Pipeline with Home Extension Leads

1. Using planning application data to get home extension leads 

Since the early 2000s, UK planning data has gradually become accessible online, Beginning with local councils’ basic digital listings, then centralised through the Planning Portal in 2002/2003 with full digital documents becoming available around 2006. In 2010 through to today, open data initiatives have resulted in what you see today and allow contractors to view planning applications online. 

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What this means is that there is a huge opportunity that can benefit contractors that want to fill their pipeline with home extension jobs. Using a local authority’s planning portal you can search for specific planning applications that mention extensions, identify where the job is happening, a summary of what the job involves, where it is, when it was submitted, what stage of the planning process it’s at and access key documentation to fully understand what work needs to be done. 

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Armed with this information you will be able to see what jobs are the best fit for your company and leverage it in marketing campaigns such as direct mail marketing and know that your company is being promoted to the right kind of jobs. 

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The issue with this method is that it can be time consuming to find the right jobs, as you can imagine, there are a lot of planning permissions and documents to trawl through. Then you have how you use the data. If we take direct mail marketing as an example, if you don’t have the systems in place to efficiently produce and send flyers or letters at the right time, and track the impact, the workload could outweigh the outcomes.

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There are platforms like Buildscout that do all this for you. Buildscout collects all of the planning applications in the UK, allows you to filter out the jobs you don’t want, Get  professionally designed letters, flyers and postcards at no extra cost, and send direct mail campaigns at key stages of the planning process to your target. Book a demo to find out more.

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2. Leveraging word of mouth to get home extension leads

Word of mouth is a great way to generate leads for home extensions. The reason for this is because a recommendation from a happy customer who is a friend or relative or the architect who designed the extension holds a lot of sway in someone's decision of who they want to carry out the work. 

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The architect has already designed their dream extension that they’re happy with and will naturally gain their trust. If you are referred by an architect who has achieved this, the client is already likely to see you as part of a trusted team rather than just another contractor. This gives you a strong starting point as their confidence in the architect is extended to you. Giving you the opportunity to build rapport and put your offer to them and move forward with the project smoothly. 

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If one of your happy customers refers to you, it works in the same way, and in some cases they actually get to see your work in person, further building trust in your expertise. 

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However, this method of lead generation is not fully in your control. You can’t force someone to refer you, even with incentives, it’s not always guaranteed. It also works both ways. If you have a bad relationship with an architect or have an unhappy customer, they could actively tell possible leads not to use your services. Shutting the door on that opportunity forever. 

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3. Getting home extension leads through your website 

The Office of National Statistics did a research piece in 2020 about internet usage. The results showed that 92% of adults in the UK had recently used the internet. With so many people accessing the internet on a regular basis, the need for a website is clear. 

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Set up correctly, a website can be used to show pictures and videos of your work, showcase happy customer reviews and even make sure you’re top of a google search through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), increasing the likelihood of leads looking for someone to build their extension and find you. Think of it as a shop window to your services. 

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Something to keep in mind with your website is the new trend of people using AI to scour the internet and get results quickly, it’s important to make sure that your website is also discoverable through tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. 

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With that said, a website can be more than showing what you can do and increasing visibility of your businesses and what you do. It can be used to capture leads at the right time. What’s important is to make sure that when someone visits your website and is impressed with your work, they have a way to easily get in contact with you. 

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This can be done by strategically placing contact forms, or buttons, on certain webpages. For example, if you showcase your work or customer reviews, including a form or a contact button next to, or directly below can dramatically increase your chances of capturing these leads. 

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Another way to capture website visitors is to use chatbots, or pop ups across your site. This can encourage engagement with your business where they can find out more or be presented with an exclusive offer that is only available if they submit a form. You could even make these offers valid for a limited time, driving urgency and FOMO. 

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Whilst there are a lot of people using the internet, there are also a lot of businesses also using the internet in exactly the same way you do. This means getting to the top of Google search results, or even the first page can be very tricky. This can lead to a lot of money spent on SEO and website design, and more often than not taking a long time to see the results. 

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4. Direct Mail for generating home extension leads

We briefly mentioned this method of lead generation in the planning data section of this article as they go hand in hand. But we feel this channel warrants a deeper dive. In this digital age, an offline marketing channel can have a huge impact in generating home extension leads. 

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People are turning away from screens by limiting their time spent on a computer or their phone, and in some cases locking them away so they can’t physically get to them! The beauty of direct mail marketing is that the recipient literally has something in their hands that they can not only see, but touch and feel. 

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There are 3 key areas to consider with direct mail marketing. The first is strategy. You need to identify the right people to send it to using tools at your disposal like the planning portals. You also need to make sure that you’re reaching them at the right time, so maybe when a planning permission is submitted or approved. You will also need a compelling offer to make the recipient take action, this could be a discount of free consultation. 

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The second key area is the actual creation of what you’re going to send. This involves a few important things such as using clear, benefit focussed messaging, another is you want your design to stand out and showcase your expertise by placing images and using your brand colours. You will also need to make the content personalised, for example, if you're using planning data to figure out who to send to, you can use other information such as names, planning reference number, the type of project (in this case extensions). If you target planning applications that have been approved, you could even congratulate them on getting approval! 

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The third and final key area to direct mail marketing is measurement and follow up. You will need to track if people are engaging with your direct mail to make sure it’s working. One way Buildscout does this is by adding a unique QR code that takes the recipient to your website to fill out an enquiry form, as well as giving you a notification in the platform. Following up is also important. By following up you ensure that the recipient sees your direct mail at key points. 

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A simple direct mail campaign can look something like this to get home extension leads - when the client submits a planning application, sends a flyer showcasing your work and reviews with a call to action to contact you for a free consultation to discuss their project further. Next, when their planning application is approved, send a letter congratulating them, explaining how your expertise is right for the job, making it personalised with all the details discussed above. Then after 2 weeks, if still no reply, send through another letter or flyer reminding them of everything you have said in the first two points of contact.

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A problem often encountered with direct mail is the amount of work that goes into it. Firstly  you need to collect all the information, then you need to design and craft your messaging in the format you want to use, then you need to keep track of everything to make sure you’re not sending the wrong thing to the wrong person, and making sure you are sending direct mail at the right time. 

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Luckily Buildscout takes all this leg work away from the process for you. In the platform you can easily filter through all the planning applications to find the types of jobs you want, where you want. We will then design and create your direct mail ensuring it stands out, personalised and sent at the right times. You can also track the performance of your campaigns on the platform to make sure you’re not wasting money on something that isn’t working. If you want to find out more about Buildscout, book a demo with the team. 

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5. Using social proof to drive home extension leads 

Social proof is one of the most powerful tools you can use to generate home extension leads. It’s built on a simple idea. People trust people. When potential customers can see that others have had a positive experience with your business, they’re much more likely to choose you for their project.

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Social proof can come in many forms. The most common are customer reviews, testimonials, case studies, and before-and-after photos of completed extensions. You can also use more subtle forms of social proof such as featuring awards, accreditations, or partnerships with architects and suppliers on your website and marketing materials. All of these things help to build credibility and trust with new leads.

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If you’ve completed a great project, don’t be afraid to ask the client for a short testimonial and permission to use photos of the finished extension. People love to see real examples of work that has transformed someone’s home, especially when they can visualise the same results for themselves. You can display these testimonials on your website, share them on social media, or include them in your direct mail campaigns to strengthen your messaging.

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Another great way to leverage social proof is through online review platforms such as Google Reviews, Checkatrade, or Trustpilot. When potential clients search for contractors in their area, these reviews often appear before your website does. Keeping your profiles up to date and actively encouraging happy customers to leave reviews can make a huge difference to your online reputation and visibility.

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However, while social proof is highly effective, it needs to be managed carefully. Negative reviews or bad feedback can have the opposite effect, putting off potential leads before they even contact you. It’s important to respond professionally to all feedback, positive or negative, and show that you take customer satisfaction seriously.

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Social proof becomes even more powerful when used alongside other lead generation channels. For example, adding customer testimonials and project photos to your direct mail campaigns or including case studies in your follow-up emails can give prospects the reassurance they need to move forward.

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Bonus way to fill your pipeline: Using social media to get home extension leads

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are filled with homeowners looking for inspiration for their next project.

The key to success on social media is consistency and authenticity. Regularly posting photos and videos of your work especially before-and-after shots or time-lapse videos helps build familiarity with your brand. People love seeing real results, and the more they see your projects pop up on their feed, the more likely they are to remember you when they’re ready to start their own extension.

You can also use social media advertising to target specific demographics or postcodes. For example, you can run ads targeting homeowners aged 30–60 within a certain radius and who have shown interest in “home extensions” or “renovations.” These can link directly to your website, gallery, or even a form to request a quote.

Another example of using social media ads that can be effective both in terms of acquisition and cost is retargeting. You can retarget people who have visited your website with image or videos ads. The reason for doing this is whilst potential customers are looking around at other competitors, you can easily remind them of the quality of your work and examples to make sure you’re front of mind when they make the final decision on who they will go with.

The downside is that social media requires ongoing effort. Planning content, engaging with followers, and keeping up with trends can take up valuable time. Paid advertising can also become expensive if not managed carefully, especially when competing against bigger companies with larger budgets.

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