As life progresses, homeowners often need more space. Family tends to grow larger, you accumulate more belongings, and you want to be able to entertain. But did you know that a lack of space doesn’t mean you have to move? A home addition is a great way to make the home you love work for you again.
As both an interior and exterior home contractor, our Lakeside Renovation and Design team knows that a keen eye for design mixed with construction expertise can create an addition that transforms your home into everything you need it to be. But before beginning your home expansion, here are three steps to take.
1. Determine Your Reason for an Addition
Pinning down your motivating factor will help determine what follows in the renovation process, including the contractor you choose, your budget, and the type of addition you should add. Here are some addition ideas to fit your needs.
More Space
While all addition projects provide more space, some that are great for providing more space include a four-season room, an attic renovation, or family room addition.
Lifestyle Improvement
A home addition can also help to increase the function of your home, which improves your overall lifestyle. Great room additions for this motivation would be a bump-out kitchen addition, turning a half bathroom into a full bath, or adding an en suite onto a master bedroom.
Wanting to Remain in Your Home
Moving can be a hassle and expensive. And if you love your current home and location but need an adjustment, then an addition is the best fix. Great additions to keep you in your home are additional bedrooms for guests or family, in-home office or den, or once again, a family room addition.
Return on Investment
Square footage is one of the biggest determinants of home value. By nature of what it does, a home addition increases your home’s value by adding more space. But not all space is created equal. Certain home additions yield higher returns than others.
While we previously mentioned some good home addition options based on your overall motivation, here are some more ideas and detailed factors on different room additions.
- Kitchen— When you need more space in a kitchen, creating a bump-out addition is the perfect way to achieve it. Major kitchen remodels, which would include an addition, whether that be a full addition or bump-out addition, garner greater than a 50% return on investment.
- Master Suite— The number of bathrooms a home has directly affects its value. But giving a master bedroom an en suite elevates a home beyond sheer number of bathrooms. Homebuyers desire privacy and accessibility. Master en suites do just that.
- Sunroom— Season rooms are great spaces for entertaining and can often be easier additions to a home. However, they do not always garner the same return per square foot as a regular home addition due to the nature of the structure. What makes them a valuable addition is that they are often far more affordable than other types of home additions, making them a cost-effective way to add space.
2. Determine Budget and Financing
Perhaps the biggest proponent of your renovation falls to the finances, which will determine just how big or small and how elaborate your addition project can be. Before you begin your addition, have your finances pinned down. How much do you wish to spend? Where are the finances coming from? Whether you are paying cash, using a home equity loan, or another avenue, having your financing in order will keep your addition on track.
Want to know more about home additions?
Check out our “Complete Guide To Home Additions”
3. Find the Right Contractor
Having your home addition completed properly falls into the hands of whoever builds it. With such a weighty role at stake, finding the right contractor is essential to the success of your addition. Here are some questions to ask the contractors you are considering.
Are you fully licensed and insured?
A contractor must have the proper licensing to work on your project. Don’t be afraid to ask for a license number from your contractor to ensure they have the proper certification. They should also be fully insured for liability and workers’ compensation. Contractors who don’t carry the proper insurance leave you liable as a homeowner in the event of an accident.
Do you have great reviews in my project area?
Finding a contractor who specializes in home expansion will lead to a better end result for your addition. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from former clients who have undergone similar projects.
How long have you been in business?
Experience does matter, especially when it comes to your home. Compare how long a company has been in business with former clients’ reviews to ensure they know what they are doing and can bring about a positive addition experience.
Who is responsible for obtaining the proper permitting for my project?
Adding to your home will require legal permits. Hiring a contractor who takes care of obtaining the necessary documents for you simplifies your life.
How will any disagreements be resolved?
While it’s good to hope for smooth sailing with your project, this is not always the reality. Ask about how a contractor communicates and handles any dispute that may arise. And only sign contracts that detail what you are comfortable with.
What measures will you take to care for and protect the rest of my home?
A good contractor cares about your entire home. Look for contractors with employees who treat your home like their own, cleaning up their workspace at the end of the day and protecting surrounding rooms.
The Right Contractor Can Create the Perfect Addition
When you begin looking for the right contractor for your addition, our team wants to help. We specialize in single room additions where we seamlessly integrate your new build into your existing home. From siding to roofline and flow to style, your new space will look like it was always a part of your home.
We staff an in-house design team along with our construction crew to keep you on top of every aspect of your new addition. See how our design-build team can help you achieve your home goals through our design process.
