Thinking of a Home Addition? Where Should You Start When You Need More Space?

Ever thought about a home addition? Are you living in a neighborhood you like?

Do you dread the thought of moving, but need more space in your home? Maybe a home addition is the right choice for you. Where do you start when thinking about completing a home addition?

The first step in completing an addition is gathering information on what you need and want in your addition. At this point, do now worry about the expense. You will fine tune the list later when establishing a budget.

Identify how you use the existing space in your current home. Walk through the rooms of your home and think about how the rooms are used. Are there rooms you could use differently and avoid adding on to your home? Instead of adding on, could you change the function of the existing space to meet your needs?

For example do you have an extra bedroom that is never used, but would like to have another bathroom? Maybe you could use extra storage room too. You could change the extra bedroom into an additional bathroom and a large storage closet.

If you come to the conclusion that an addition is needed or wanted, the next step is to research the kind of addition that will fit your needs and the needs of your family. Completing an addition on your own is not an easy task. Unless you have the time and the experience to complete all the research from design to engineering, I strongly encourage you to use a licensed contractor to complete your home addition.

You can add on to your existing home by going up or by going out. You can do a large addition to add a room or two to your home. Or, you may only need to do a small addition to increase the size of a room, such as a kitchen or master suite. There are numerous options when designing an addition for your home.

How much room do you have to complete the addition? You have to account for the lot size, zoning ordinances, structure of the home, and budget when determining what you need to complete a home addition and what type of home addition will work with your existing home. We will talk more about this later.

To start the process of creating an addition, gather information on products, styles, costs, and etc. to help you make an informed decision. While completing the research, take notes and make a list of questions you have. Detailed notes and questions will be helpful later in the process when meeting with builders and/or designers.

Save any pictures that you find in magazines or books that you find interesting as references when explaining your vision for the addition. Drive around neighborhoods and look at other homes to get an idea of other additions in your area. Ask family and friends for their input on your home addition.

After you completed research for your addition, you need to establish a basic budget for your home addition. Depending on the size of your addition, your wants and needs, you need to set a realistic budget for yourself. As a rough figure, an addition can cost anywhere between $75 and $200 a square foot. I understand this is a broad dollar figure. However, depending on the existing home, finished product selections, and etc., the costs can vary greatly.

When determining how you are going to pay for the addition you need to be realistic on what the addition is going to cost. If you determine that your addition should cost between $50,000 and $75,000, plan to pay for a $75,000 addition.

Remodeling costs can and will add up quickly. Depending on the level of experience with remodeling, clients tend to underestimate construction costs, the construction time frame, and the complexity involved in completing a home addition.

After you have completed your research, thought about how you use the existing space in your home, and secured the financing for your addition, it is time to find a builder in your area to move onto the next step and continue the process for your home addition.