Good for you if you’ve finally decided to make a home addition. Without a doubt, the addition you’ll be making will be to your family’s benefit, whether it’s space for a new member of the family or a bigger area for everyone else. The value of your property will also rise with a home addition.
A home addition, however, is no small undertaking, and that’s why it has to be planned carefully. Here are some things you have to consider when planning for a home addition.
Goals
You can’t just be diving into a major home remodeling project if you have no idea what you want exactly, or why you’re doing a home addition in the first place. Maybe you can just do some rearranging, and you won’t need the additional space. Or a major decluttering might be enough to make any area in your house bigger.
You don’t want your home addition to be an ill-advised one, so look at all possible angles and determine that you really need that home addition before pushing through with the project.
Then again, if you really want that home addition, then go ahead, by all means, especially when you have the budget for it.
Budget
Nothing would make any construction better than having an unlimited budget. However, if that isn’t the case, then you have to take extra care in developing the budget for your home addition.
Always draw up your budget first before working on the design and other particulars of your remodeling project. You need to know if you can afford them or not before you dive into it.
Design
Your budget will dictate the design, so once the former is set, you can then work on the latter.
Of course, the design will still depend on your tastes and preferences, so find a design that you will like, and work toward making that design come to life stay within budget. Go for a beautiful and functional design, and make sure that any home addition you make should blend seamlessly with the existing structure.
Going the DIY route is fine, especially if you do know something about home design. But if you have zero skill or experience in designing homes, it’s best to have an architect do it for you for the best possible results.
Upwards or sideways?
The available space of your lot will always limit any home addition you make. If you have plenty of lot space, then a sideways home addition would be perfectly fine. However, if you have a small lot, extending upwards might be the wiser choice.
Whatever kind of home addition you’re making, always consider how it will affect the neighbors. Will that additional room encroach on a neighbor’s property? Would that porch be so close to your neighbor’s fence as to affect their right to privacy? Before starting any work on a home addition, make sure your plans are in keeping with city government, community, or homeowners association rules and regulations.
Contingencies
Construction work inside a home can be unpleasant, with all the noise, dust, and the presence of the construction crew disrupting everything. Some homeowners just bear the inconvenience, but their kids could suffer a lot on so many levels.
So before you find yourself in the middle of all that and ending up helpless and with children sick from inhaling all the dust, you need to draw up contingencies like finding a house to rent within the neighborhood where you and your loved ones can stay in peace until the project is finished.
Builders
Good for you if you have the construction expertise required to DIY the entire home addition project. Good luck if you’re doing it with nothing more than the “knowledge” you picked up from years of watching home improvement TV shows.
Doing it yourself sounds great on paper, but the results will likely be disappointing at the very least if you only have TV education to back everything up. Always get a competent and reputable builder to do it for you. With their more than adequate skills, experience, and equipment, you will get a home addition you will love and enjoy for a long time.
About The Author
Victoria Grace is the Content Specialist for Nucleus Construction, a Phoenix-based company that specializes in remodeling and building custom homes. When not writing, she enjoys reading books and riding her motorcycle.