There comes a time when your current home simply may not be sufficient in terms of the amount of space it provides, which is when you may seek out companies able to provide you with home addition quotes so that you can get the home you want again.
While a home addition is more extensive than remodeling your home, there are still a lot of the same principles that apply that help ensure the success of the project.
The reason why you may want to increase the size of your home can be due to a lot of different things. One reason why many people want a bigger home is when they get kids since they no longer have the necessary amount of rooms required to comfortably live there. Or maybe you simply want additional storage.
It could also be that you find your family struggling every single morning because you don’t have enough bathroom capacity. While it might be solved by installing an additional sink, it may turn out not to be sufficient. When you have ruled out a bathroom remodel as the solution, that is commonly when homeowners turn to home additions.
There are, however, different steps included in successfully expanding the size of your home, which includes finding the right home addition contractors.
To make it easier for you to find the right contractors for the job, all you need to do is fill out the form at the top of the page and we’ll be matching you with the most relevant home addition contractors in your area.
Doing the Necessary Planning to Succeed
You’ve probably heard it before. The more planning you do, the more headache you’ll be saving yourself later on. It’s not just headache, but it will also save you money on your project. If you don’t plan very well, you may end up in a situation where you start needing to do a lot of changes at a later point, and the cost of doing these will turn your project a lot more expensive than you had previously anticipated.
Every time you need to change a thing, it includes tearing up what has previously been done and then redoing it. As you can imagine, it gets expensive really fast.
By doing proper planning before starting the project ensures that everything goes smoothly. That means finding out exactly what it is you want to achieve with the home addition. Chances are also that you may need to reapply for new permits every time you change the scope of the project, meaning the more changes, the more permits you will need to get too.
Different Types of Home Additions You May Wish to Consider
It’s hard to say what the average cost is for a home addition since it will completely depend on what it is you want to have done. The more extensive your project, the higher the cost will naturally be. If you to add a lot more square footage to the room, you’ll likely be looking at an investment that is in excess of $50,000, however you can also get a lot done for less.
Anyway, even if that is more than you plan on spending, getting quotes from contractors is completely free and you can then determine if you wish to keep going with the project or not once you receive the quotes.
There are certain things that you need to keep in mind that will increase the cost of the project, which includes extensive flooring, electrical work, plumbing, roofing and siding.
There are a lot of different ideas that you can work on when it comes to home additions. A popular option is making a single room addition.
If the size of your family is increasing and you have recently turned your guest room into a new one, you may now be in a situation where you wish to get more space for guests, or maybe just for another living room. If you wish to install an extra kitchen, then you will also be looking at costs that suddenly start skyrocketing, because kitchen remodeling isn’t cheap, nor is an addition.
The different costs when it comes to adding an addition room also includes permits, framing, drywall, HVAC needs and all the different elements we previously mentioned too. This comes without saying that you obviously need to buy the things that will be going into this new home, which includes fixtures and furniture.
With the size of such a project, it’s always a good idea to start out with laying an extensive budget, and if the quotes that you get from the contractors are more expensive than what you were hoping for, then working with them in order to hear how it may be possible to lower the cost.
Building Out or Up?
When you are expanding your home it can be done in different ways, one of them being by building up. The other one includes building out. If you don’t have a lot of leftover space available on your lot, up might be the only option available to you, although building up also commonly is more expensive than building out. It involves making sure that the foundation can support the additional weight. Since you’ll be building up where the roof is currently located, the roof will need to be raised which isn’t cheap.
Building in either direction will generally require permits as you start interfering with the structural aspects of the home.
A Cheaper Home Addition With a Patio or Sunroom Enclosure
Adding more space can be done cheaper by either making a patio enclosure or a sunroom. It obviously won’t be the same as adding a completely functional room, but it may be sufficient for your needs. The cost of the project depends on the same factors, how big you want it to be, the need for windows and whether or not you will be required to obtain permits for the project too.
Detached Addition
While being a little bit different, a detached addition is also a thing you can consider for your home. This can provide you with the garage you need because your current one is simply full of things. It can also provide a guest room with a lot of privacy, which may be a great thing. Having guests over can be great, but if you get a detached addition and use it for the guest room, you can not only enjoy their company but also spend time apart if that is needed.
A detached addition is a lot like new home construction in the sense that there may be some of the aspects that you would need to build completely from the ground up. For example, it could need its very own HVAC unit to ensure the temperature is enjoyable in it.
Saving Money on the Project
Undertaking this project will definitely increase the value of your home, but you may still be looking for initiatives that will ensure that the cost doesn’t spiral out of control, which is why we have included these initiatives to help you out. Some of these may not be an option in your situation for one reason or another.
- Build out instead of up. We already talked about it, but it’s still worth mentioning again.
- Building a detached addition can save you money since you won’t need to tear down part of the facade. If done incorrectly, it may also end up being more expensive than the attached version of the project.
- Ask the contractor for recommendations on lowering the cost.
- See if you can save money on the materials with different initiatives like sourcing them yourself or buying recycled materials.
- Obtaining the permits yourself may not be fun but it could save you money.
- Get a no interest loan. If you have a family member that may be able to give you a no interest loan, that will be cheaper than getting a conventional loan, although it may not be possible.
- While technically not an addition, if you simply want to add usable space, you can go for the option of refinishing the attic. You can also remodel the basement.
Searching for a Reliable Contractor
For any kind of home improvement you will want to find the right contractor to undertake the project, especially with one of this magnitude. This involves working together with the contractor and finding out which one seems to best understand your vision for the project, as well as doing the work within the budget you have available.
If you do not wish to do it yourself, they will also help you obtain the necessary permits and make sure that everything is done legally as a result. It’s never a good idea to start working on the project before you manage to secure the necessary permits.
Especially when it’s a project of a decent size, it’s quite common to also work with an architect on the project to ensure that the addition’s visual appeal gets as close to the vision you have as possible. They will help you in drawing up the necessary blueprints that are commonly required when permits need to be obtained. As we previously mentioned, taking into consideration structural elements is needed to make sure the foundation’s sufficiently strong too.
Getting and Comparing Quotes
Now that you have made it this far, your next step is to fill out the form at the top of this page with the information of your project, which will allow the relevant contractors the ability to contact you and start working with you on the project.
After listening to the things that you want and working with you on the different aspects of it, the contractors will present you with their quotes at which point you need to evaluate each quote and company.
This also involves the following aspects.
- Ensuring that they not only have the necessary licenses but also insurance.
Different states have different license requirements, especially for a project of this size.
- Inquiring about their experience with related projects.
You will want to find the contractor that seems to best understand your needs as well as the one that has the necessary experience to undertake the project.
- Check references and see the quality of the work performed.
A contractor who has previously undertaken similar projects should not be afraid of giving you some references that you can check out to hear what the contractor is like to work with.
- Ask the contractor to itemize the quote
When you get the contractor to itemize the quote, you’ll also be better able compare the different aspects of it and see where the quotes differ, and why some of the quotes may be significantly more expensive than others.
Now, all you need to do is take that next step and get quotes. It’s completely free and there’s no obligation when you do. What are you waiting for?