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6 Things to Think About When Planning Your Home Addition

April 17, 2023

When planning for a home addition, you need to think about plenty of things. These things include:  Your needs and wants These might sound the same, but they are pretty different.  You might need a home addition because your family has grown since you bought your house, and you now need additional space.  You do this because you can’t afford to buy a bigger, newer house right now, so you need to add to the one you have.  On the other hand, you can add to your house or fix it up to increase its value or make it look better. These two reasons have different approaches, and the type of addition you go with will heavily rely on them.  Once you have identified whether you need or want your home addition, you should consult home addition contractors to help you brainstorm the best project to go with.  If you want to make your home bigger, add a master bedroom or a bathroom. You could also add a family room or home office to give your kids a place to play or give yourself a place to work.  Think about whether you want or need the extra space and what kind of room would work best for your family, then work with the contractors to make your dream a reality.  Budget How much are you looking to spend on the project? You need to think about this. If this is your first time doing it, you should consult an experienced professional to help determine the amount of money you should set aside for your project.  Required legal documents In most jurisdictions, you need to get paperwork showing whether you can officially build the home addition. So, always get them to avoid being on the wrong side of the law.  You’ll need to get some permits, like a building permit, to ensure that the addition is allowed on your lot based on the rules in your area. You’ll also need plot plans that show that the addition will stay on your land. In most cases, you’ll need floor plans for your home addition to determine how much space it will take up on your lot. You can get legal plans for your property from the Registry of Deeds in your area, but you must call them first to ensure you have all the information you need. They will also direct you to the right place to get the relevant documents.   You must visit your town or city hall to get the other papers. Again, it’s best to call before going to the office to avoid wasting time looking for papers in the wrong place. Inspection of the existing utilities Before you can think about building, you need to know how your utilities are set up so that you don’t damage them as you add the new house.  If you add a whole second floor, you will need more electricity and put a lot of pressure on your drainage system.  As you can tell, your home addition must have all the services needed to be livable, like lights, running water, and other amenities. When […]

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