Are you sure you’re ready to add on to your home? Ask yourself these questions before you decide.
You love your home, but you feel that you just need more space. It might be tempting to just add onto your home instead of looking for a new home that’s better suited to your family’s needs. Before you decide anything, here are some questions you should ask yourself before deciding to add on.
- How would you design your dream home? Open yourself up to designing your dream home if you were building it from scratch. This will allow you to see what you would do if you could do anything. From there, you can see how you can alter your home to accommodate the things you absolutely need in you home to make it work better for you and your family’s needs.
- Will the new addition add value to your home? Even if you’re not interested at this point to sell your home, you will sell eventually, and it’s a good idea to be realistic about the amount of money you’ll get in return. Keep in mind that additions return much less than remodels.
- Is there a less expensive way to get what you want? Consider using the attic space or converting the garage to a space you could use instead of adding on for a more cost efficient solution. You could also reconfigure the interior of your home to make it work better for you.
- What zoning restrictions do I need to consider? Before adding on to your home, you’ll have to take into consideration any zoning restrictions that may hinder your addition. These can affect your addition both up and out. Consult with your local building department to see how these restrictions may affect your plans.
- How will the addition tie into my home? While it may be easy to see how the addition will improve the inside of your home, you must also consider how it will make the outside of the home look. You’ll have to tie the exterior of the addition to the rest of the house. Make sure that you work those materials into the overall cost of addition.
- What additional costs should I expect? Now that there’s more room in your home, there will also be additional costs to your home, like an increase in your electric and water bill, not to mention property taxes. Consider what amenities will be added along with the extra room into the overall cost of the addition.
For any project with your home, it’s always a good idea to talk to a contractor and an architect to make sure you’re getting the best advice for your home and your family’s needs.
