By building an addition, you can make your home more
livable, while increasing its value. It also allows you to stay in a
home and neighborhood you like without incurring the expenses and
inconvenience of moving. But before you start, there are many things you
should know.
Find out about building restrictions
|
|
|
|
|
|
While you are still in the thinking stage for your home addition, find
out from city hall if there are any local zoning ordinances that could
affect your project, such as lot setbacks (i.e. the minimum distance
required from the adjacent property lines or public right of way to the
outermost portion of the structure) and height restrictions. Also, check
with the local building department to see if your home addition will
require a building permit, and ensure that you or your contractor gets
one prior to starting the project. You could be forced to tear down any
work completed without a permit, which would be a major inconvenience
and very costly. |
|
|
|
Additions come in all shapes and sizes Home additions are becoming
increasingly popular across the U.S. to accommodate aging parents (and,
unfortunately, in-laws), or even as rental units to generate a monthly
income. These additions can include a bedroom, bathroom, sitting room
and a private entrance, although the most popular home additions involve
adding an extra room onto an exterior wall. Sunrooms, garages and extra
bedrooms are common additions, as well as living rooms, dining rooms and
home offices.
You may want to consider building up instead of losing lawn and garden
space, or building a two-story addition that will accommodate an office
or bedroom on top of the garage to maximize space. Other additions, such
as carports, porches and decks often require less disruption of your
home, yet will still increase its functionality and value. You can use
the Cost Estimator to help you gauge the cost of certain types of home
additions.
Continuity works best
Something to think about with a home addition is consistency - within
your own home and with the neighborhood. First, you want your addition
to “fit in” with the rest of the house, both inside and out. That is,
you don’t want the addition to look like an “add-on,” either
structurally or in terms of decor. Similarly, a huge addition to a house
in a modest neighborhood will surely give you more space, but when it
comes time to sell you may not get the return on your investment you
were hoping for, as those who can afford a bigger house will likely look
in a more expensive neighborhood.
Choose a contractor that’s right for the job
When planning your addition, remember that the less impact there is on
your present structure, the more cost-effective the addition will be.
For example, moving plumbing walls, radically altering the floor plan
and making changes to the roofline will all increase your costs
significantly.
The complexity of your addition will often determine the type of
contractor you need to hire. For example, if you’re adding a simple
sunroom, a remodeling contractor or a general contractor can do the job.
But if the expansion will affect many parts of your home, or involve
significant structural changes, you’ll probably need an architect or
structural engineer.
Assess impact for heating and air conditioning
Your head contractor will likely bring in affiliates or subcontractors
for specialized jobs, like electrical and plumbing. If you’re adding
indoor space, make sure that a heating and air conditioning (HVAC)
professional is brought in to assess the increased demand that the
addition will place on the present system.
Stu Silverman is a home improvement advice columnist and freelance
writer for http://www.Contractors.com and
http://www.ContractorGuide.com
You can find this and many other articles in the Additions category of
ContractorGuide.com
|
