Thinking about a home addition or home renovation is easier than actually doing the renovation. Thinking ahead is a good thing to do before the actual renovations start. This is not a small job, even if the room additions seem like they will not add an abundance of square feet to your home.
Since planning is the first step, let’s take a look at four key components to map out.
Four Things To Think About Before Doing A Home Addition
- What do you need? Dreams are good, but if you don’t have the money or space to make your home look like Oprah Winfrey’s then you should stay realistic. Do you need to make room for more children? Maybe you want a workshop that doesn’t double as a garage? How large should the new room(s) be in order to accomplish its purpose? Is there time pressure (the baby is due soon)? Which architectural style do you want? These are only a few questions to get you thinking about the planning stage.
- Money. What is your budget for this project? You’ve planned for the home addition’s purpose, timeline, and architecture, now how much will it cost? This is the time to create your budget for the addition or home remodeling project. Do you have a savings plan for this project? Are you thinking about taking out a loan or a second mortgage? These are some of the questions you’ll need to consider before starting your project.
- How involved do you want to be in the design? You have a creative flair and you want to “see” your home addition in your mind’s eye first. You can search the internet for some helpful tools. Type in “home addition online design and drafting tools” and you’ll find websites that will assist you in everything from the design of an entire house to the customization of one or more rooms. Play with these features and have fun.
- You’ll want to get an estimate. This should be one of the final steps in the planning process. You know what you want, therefore, your time with the contractor will be well spent. Let the contractor know the purposes for the home addition as well as your budget and any special design features. Setting priorities for the project will be important during your consultation with the home builder.
Importantly, you will want to avoid any “do-it-yourself” disasters. One statistic shows that nearly 1 in 10 DIYers said they damaged their home and about half that number got hurt as a result of their home addition project. You do not have to be one of them. This is what professional home builders do for a living. Leave it to them.
You have been thinking about a home addition renovation, or maybe you now want to add to or remodel your home. These four steps will help prepare you for what’s ahead. Set your plan and then call a contractor in your area.
