Planning a room addition can be a very stressful experience if you do not have the right guidance to fall back on. That is why you need the easy-to-follow tips outlined in this article. With our help, you can easily turn your regular house into your dream home.
Planning a Room Addition? Try These 8 Tips From Our Experts
Whether you are creating an extra bedroom or a home office, Room Additions require proper planning for you to realize great results. Consider the following simple tips for your next room addition:
1. Be Realistic About the Project
One mistake many homeowners make when conducting a renovation project is to get carried away with the dreams they have for their homes. While there is nothing wrong with going all-out to turn your dreams into reality, it is important to be realistic about what you can and cannot do with the project.
Being realistic means looking at what you can afford and considering the space available for the extra room. You should also realize when the renovations have become too big and complicated to be considered DIY projects.
If you are honest with yourself from the beginning, you will not have to deal with any unexpected costs and setbacks down the line.
2. Evaluate Existing Utilities
An extra room can add a lot of pressure onto the existing utilities. As such, it is always a good idea to hire a professional plumber, electrician, or HVAC contractor to take a look at what you have and determine whether the utilities can handle the extra load.
If you are going to be doing extensive work that involves digging up the floors and demolishing some of the walls, you will also want to be sure where all the pipes, electric cables, and air conditioning ducts are located.
With a proper evaluation, you may even be able to salvage a lot of the existing utilities and infrastructure so that they can be reused for the renovation project.
3. Consider the Community
One thing you have to keep in mind about your renovation project is how it will affect your neighbors. While you can’t help the noise generated by knocking down walls and hammering nails, it is a great idea to let your neighbors know what you are planning.
Some communities even have guidelines in place that govern how and when renovation projects can be done, so be sure to look into this before you bring any contractors on-site.
4. Determine Your Needs and Priorities
With so many things that need to be done when adding an extra room, it is easy to forget what the important things are. To avoid spending a lot of time and money focusing on the wrong aspects of the project, always remind yourself about your needs and priorities.
If you are adding a home office, for example, things like plumbing for an office sink may not be as important as making sure the room has proper air conditioning to allow you to work comfortably during summer.
5. Plan Your Budget
A big part of planning a room addition is determining how much money you will need to get the job done. You can start your planning process by estimating some things such as the cost of hiring a contractor or buying materials.
However, as you get closer to the business end of the planning phase, you will need actual quotations so that you know exactly how much the project is going to cost. This will allow you to set aside a budget and give you time to shop around for cheaper options before the project starts.
Click Here to read about preparing your renovation budget >>>
6. Gather Necessary Legal Documents
Depending on where you live and the scope of the project, you may find that your room addition requires approval from the local municipality or other governing body. The last thing you want is an inspector showing up at your premises when you are halfway through the renovation and telling you that you do not have the right approval for the job.
Such a situation may result in you paying some hefty fines or, in the worst-case scenario, being told to tear down all the work you have done.
7. Research for Some Inspiration
Even if you have a great idea in terms of what you want to do for the extra rooms, it is always good to take some time to do some research. A room addition project should add value to your home. As such, you need to look around for some inspiration so that you pick something modern and trendy.
8. Hire a Professional
Finally, unless you are making very minor additions to your home, hiring a good contractor is always the right choice. A professional can give you some great advice regarding what you can do for your home additions and also show you where to get the best quality materials.
You also have to consider what will happen if something goes wrong during the project. With a professional and reliable contractor on the job, you can be sure that they will have the right kind of insurance to cover any unfortunate incidents that occur on your property.
Also, professional contractors know all about the housing regulations that exist in your area, so you will not have to worry about breaching the law and paying any penalties. All you will have to do is sit back and watch as your dream comes to life.
We’re Here to Help You!
With many years in the home renovation industry, Paragon Builders is perfectly poised to give you all the professional advice and top-notch workmanship you need to complete your room addition.
Rather than risk having to redo large portions of your renovation project, you can contact our professional contractors and bring them on board while you are still in the planning phase
At Paragon Builders we already have an impressive track record of assisting homeowners just like you. If you are planning a room addition and need some expert assistance, Call US Today!
