Ready to fall in love with your home again? A well-planned room addition can give your home the new found space and functionality you’ve been dreaming of. Need another bedroom or bathroom to accommodate a new family member? Need more space for entertaining or storage? Whatever the reason, an addition can give you the extra space you need. As a matter of fact, HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Report states that housing market conditions are encouraging more homeowners to invest in home improvement projects like room additions. Just follow the simple steps below and you’ll be on your way to room addition success in no time! In fact, the correct room addition can turn your old house into the home of your dreams!
1. Know Your Budget
The average cost of expanding your home with an addition is approximately $41,000.00. That’s a lot of dollars. So, it is imperative you hire someone who will do the job right the first time! Of course, costs will vary with each project. Be that as it may, you can get a rough estimate based on square footage.
Remember, a room addition is a big undertaking and there are many trades involved:
- Demolition and site preparation
- Foundation, support beams and roof trusses
- Roofing
- Siding, stucco and trim finishes
- Drywall and insulation
- New doors and/or windows
- Electrical wiring
- Flooring
- HVAC
2. Understand Cost vs. Value
The majority of homeowners have no intentions of selling their home immediately after a room addition is complete. However, it should still make sense financially, and add value to your home. So, what you can expect to get back on the most popular home additions?
Two Story Addition: 65% return (an upstairs bedroom plus a downstairs living area)
Master Suite Addition: 63% return
Bathroom Addition: 53% return
Sunroom Addition: 49% return
3. Building Restrictions
Always make sure to check your property’s building restrictions before planning an addition. Your city and county offices should be able to give you a breakdown of rules in your area. As your general contractor, Sharrett Construction will be able to asses all restrictions to ensure room addition success for your project. Don’t be surprised if you cannot build all the way to your property lines. Cutoff lines are enforced by local governments and prevent house fires from spreading from neighbor to neighbor.
4. Choose Between Building Up and Building Out
Building your room addition on top of your current home can be costly. You may need additional foundation work to your existing home. Building up may also require an architect since the design can be more complicated. If you build outwards, a detached addition can save you money. A few examples of detached additions are garages, mother-in-law suites, and home offices. Although, building outwards and attached to your current home is what often makes sense for homeowners. This allows you to create extra space while improving the flow of your home.
5. When To Use An Architect
A professional general contractor should have access to local architects if your project requires one. For instance, an intricate project such as a second-floor addition with two staircases would require an architect. Less detailed projects like adding a family room, may not require an architect.
6. Have The Correct Permits
Having the correct permits can very much affect your room addition success or failure. At Sharrett Construction, we can apply for and secure all required permits. After all, we are here to make your life easier. Ultimately, when making significant changes to your property, a building permit will be needed. If your room addition will require a specialty trade, such as HVAC, electrical or plumbing, they will each have their own permit. During the build, and upon completion, you will need the proper building inspections as well.
Ready For Room Addition Success?
At Sharrett Construction, we can create the room addition you’ve been dreaming of while expertly handling all of the details. Whether your addition is for pleasure, business or a necessity, you deserve a builder who will be responsive and dependable. We hold the relationships we create with our clients in the highest regard and you can always depend on our team of professionals to treat you and your home with integrity. To schedule a consultation, please contact us at (863) 840-9781 or send us a message.
