Things to Consider When Adding to Your Home

Nearly two-thirds of homeowners are looking for means to maintain, repair and renovate their homes. Regarding renovations, they can range from the basics of kitchen renovations, basement renovations, or interior design renovations. One that makes for a sound home renovation comes in the form of interior home additions.

Home additions can vary, but the most common come through the form of the addition of a sunroom, detached room, garage addition, or additional room. If you have been thinking about completing a room addition onto your home, you should know that there are some considerations you should contemplate.

One of the most important considerations when completing an addition like this comes down to the room addition cost. While it might seem simple enough to complete a project on your own, there are likely necessities that you are not contemplating.

Before rushing into your home addition, take the time to consider the basics so you can lessen your room addition cost:

Consult With a Home Remodeling Contractor

Data shows that the average room addition cost can range from $80-$200 per square foot. For that amount of money, you want to guarantee that the job is done correctly the first time around. Hiring a professional (or set of professionals) is one of the best ways to ensure that things are properly taken care of.

When looking for contractors, consider either hiring or consulting with a variety of professionals to see whether or not your plans are feasible, or if there is work that you have yet to consider:

• An engineer — structural, electrical, etc. — can determine whether or not the addition is structurally feasible, and whether other work is needed (the installation of new outlets; necessary re-wiring)
• An architect can determine whether or not your room addition will work with the rest of your home, determining if it is the right design comparable to the rest of your home
• A residential contractor or renovation company can help with the building of your home addition

What Do You Want Out of Your Room

68% of homeowners state that they want to include a recreational area in their home; 29% of homeowners state they want an addition that is a gaming or entertainment center. If you’re one of these people, then you likely have an idea of what you want your room to look like. But what if you’re still unsure? Rather than rushing into the job and then changing your mind later on, a contractor can help you to determine if your design is feasible from the start, thus helping to lessen your overall room addition cost.

Building Up or Building Out?

Building out is when you add a room at ground level; building up is when you add a room (or entirely new floor) onto your home, perhaps on the second level. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice for you is whether the design fits what you had in mind and if the plan fits into your room addition cost. Building out, while the easier option, will require a new foundation, loss of yard space, and potential permits regarding zoning space in your yard. Building up will require a stairway, for one, and your contractor will likely have to increase the strength of the foundation so to support another floor.