Friday, March 15, 2013

The Next Steps in Building an Addition

Once you have carefully weighed the factors in putting an addition on your home and the decision to proceed has been made, you should develop a home addition plan. Now is the time to develop your home addition idea by incorporating things from a wish list into the actual home addition floor plan.
Here are a few steps you can follow:

1. Establish an overall project objective- Address your wants and needs; the addition of more living space is normally main objective, but storage, traffic flow, improved access, aesthetic appeal, the addition of modern elements, and entertaining are other considerations. Remember that kitchen and bathroom bring the most significant increase to overall market value.

2. Evaluate the site- Closely evaluate the site where the construction will take place.  Determine what landscaping features or existing outbuildings to keep or remove. Consider visual elements; sun exposure, shade, and air flow.  Also, check with your local building authority to ensure there are no building code restrictions as to what can be built.

3. Locate a contractor- Finding a reputable contractor will be the most important part of this project.  Ask friends, relatives, and people you trust for recommendations.  There are also websites such as Yelp, Angie's List, and Homeadvisor.com that will help you make a decision.  Some of these sites even allow you to view references, licensing/insurance/certification credentials, customer feedback, company profile pages, and photos of recent projects online.

4. Formulate a cost estimate- Work closely with your contractor to develop a home addition cost estimate for your project.  Map out a budget for each of the elements that will go into this project.

Once you have followed these steps, you are on your way to breaking ground.  A home addition can be a big project to take on, so remember  to stay calm, use professionals, and keep an open mind for any bumps along the way!

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