Home Additions

A home addition is a great way to increase living space and add value to your home. Whether you need to turn your attic into a bonus room, expand the size of your bedroom, or enclose your outdoor patio, a room addition can have a big impact on your family's needs and lifestyle

If you feel like your home is bursting at the seams and space limitations have cramped your lifestyle, it may be time to add a room or two to the house. Take a look at your home's structure and property size, and consider a qualified room addition contractor to help accommodate your family's additional space needs.

1. Will The Addition Accomplish My Space Needs?

Before adding on, assess your current living space and determine if the addition will accomplish your needs and solve your problems. If your house is small and doesn't include a guest room, a bedroom addition would allow out-of-town family members and friends to visit more often. If your grandchildren love to play at your house, an added playroom would provide a safe space for activities.

Before you spend the money for a room addition, make sure it will add benefits to your lifestyle and give you needed space.

2. Will The Addition Increase Your Homes Value?

According to a study for the National Association of Realtors, every 1,000 of square feet added to a home increases its sale price by at least 30%!

How much value a home addition adds to your home depends on both its previous and new size. The type of addition you add is also important. It's also worth bearing in mind that how much value you recoup when you decide to sell depends on the area you live in. While you almost certainly won't recoup the full cost of the project, Ownerly says adding a master suite could offer a return on investment of around 63%, and an extra bathroom could net you an ROI of 65%.

3. How Much Will The Addition Cost?

Since all houses, properties, and family needs are different, it's impossible to guess how much an addition will cost without talking to a local contractor. However, as a general guideline, you can expect to spend an average of $100 to $200 or more per square foot for building costs.

In addition to building costs, you have to consider costs for furnishings and amenities. When you increase the square footage of your home, you also increase your heating and cooling energy costs. In addition, your property taxes will likely increase, since tax assessments are based on a home’s square footage. If you add new amenities like a fireplace, sauna, or hot tub, the assessment will increase even more

4. Is There a Lower Cost Alternative?

Even if your investment payback isn't great, you can still add on to your house. If you're planning to stay in your home for at least five years, and the addition will solve an important space problem, the addition will be worth it. To evaluate your options, you can look for other ways to achieve your space needs at a lower cost such as remodeling an existing attic or basement space, or simply re-configuring your existing living space.

5. How Should I Tie The Addition Into The House?

A room addition takes careful planning so it looks like it was always part of the house when it's finished. You need to consider how the roofline of the addition connects to the house and how to enhance the style of the house with doors, windows and exterior materials and finishes.

Depending on your space needs and property size, you will need to decide if you should build up or build out. If your property size restricts building out, building up may be your only option to achieve your goals, but building up is always more expensive. Main-level additions are often the simplest, since they don't require retrofitting the home's foundation. Second-story additions often require structural retrofitting down to the foundation, as well as moving interior walls and removing exterior materials.

6. Are There Any Zoning Restrictions That Will Affect The Build?

Most municipalities have zoning restrictions that dictate what you can build and where you can build it. For example, in most Texas residential areas, you're generally not allowed to build anything within 20 feet of the front of your property; 15 feet of the rear; and 7.5 feet of either side. There are also other building restrictions governing height which can limit room additions that build up instead of out. It's best to talk to your contractor about local building codes that may impact your addition.

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