Maybe your family grew—expectedly or unexpectedly. Maybe you started working from home. Or maybe you’re tired of sharing a bathroom. Whatever brought you to this point, you need some extra living space. If moving isn’t an option, or one you want to consider, it’s fortunate your home can grow and adjust with your changing needs. But before you get started, here are four things to consider when adding on to your home.
1. Consult a professional.
Even if it’s just one room and doesn’t seem like a daunting task, hiring a professional is a necessity when you’re adding on. Let’s face it, you probably don’t have extra time to devote to the project—or extra money if costly mistakes happen. Hiring someone to manage the task from start to finish, taking care of all the details and hassles, is well worth the price you’ll pay. And many places, like Fortin, will let you do some of the work yourself if you’re up to it to earn a little sweat equity.
2. Consider the outside.
Adding on a room will alter the outward appearance of your home. The challenge of working an addition into your home’s architecture is another reason to hire a professional. Give some serious consideration to where the room will be located and how that could alter the appearance from the street or yard. Many homeowners choose to add on to the back of the house, hiding the new construction from the road. An expert can devise a plan to work the addition into your current home’s design seamlessly.
3. It could pay for itself.
Adding on is an investment, but it’s an investment that could actually end up saving you money in the long run. Build your new addition to be energy-efficient—well-insulated with windows that prevent hot or cool air from escaping and low-energy appliances—and you could end up saving on energy costs.
If you’re adding on a significant amount of square footage to your home or adding on important rooms like a bedroom or bathroom, you could be increasing the resale value of your home. In fact, it’s possible the addition could pay for itself in resale value alone.
4. Factor in some red tape.
There are a few red tape hassles you’re going to have to address beyond just the building of the addition itself. For one, your taxes will probably go up. Especially if you’re adding to your home’s value, your homeowner taxes will more than likely increase. Another hassle may be zoning restrictions. It’s definitely worth researching to find out your local government’s zoning regulations, even before you start building. Obtain any necessary permits. Again, hiring an expert builder will help mitigate some of this red tape hassle, as they’re more familiar with zoning restrictions and permit requirements.
Adding on extra space to your home is a good thing, showing that your family and life are growing and evolving. And whatever your needs are, Fortin can help. Learn more about our home additions here, and feel free to give us a call for some advice.