You may be tired of not having an eat-in kitchen and seeing your family eating far away in the dining room. Or maybe you just don’t want to hear any more of your kids’ complaints about not having their own rooms. Or maybe your work has shifted and you can now do much more of it at home but there’s simply no way for you to work at home with any degree of privacy. Whatever the reason, you know that the only solution to your home’s problem may be found in building an addition.
What should you consider before building an addition?
Think about it carefully. If you paint your home blue and then discover that green would have been a better color, you can go out, buy more paint and redo it. But if you build an addition that doesn’t end up satisfying you, there’s no going back. Also, be aware that this will be a big, expensive project that will take some time and generate some anxiety but be absolutely rewarding. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Make a wish list
Before you even begin, it’s important for you and your spouse (and sometimes even your kids) to be on the same page. Are you all on board with the kitchen addition? Or is the expanded garage a much greater priority? Once space has been defined, make a list of everything it needs to contain. Will the kitchen require an island? Will the garage need storage space? Will the new bathroom work well with only one vanity or are two needed?
2. Maintain the look of your house
There is no guarantee that building an addition will increase the value of your home dollar for dollar. But if on top of that your addition looks like something that accidentally landed next to your house, the value will definitely not increase. Talk to a professional to get the best plans drawn.
3. Size is important
Obviously, you need the new space to work well. You want the cars to fit comfortably in the new garage and the added bathroom to be a part of the bedroom area, as if it had always been there. But building a gigantic space just because you can, is not a good idea. You need to conserve the proportions of your home, the curb appeal, the façade and the overall look of the exterior.
4. Select materials that mimic the originals
You want the addition to have the same siding as the rest of the house. And if you live in a historically designated house, this point becomes even more essential. There needs to be absolute respect for the materials that are already there.
5. Remember the roof
The form of your roof, its pitch, the lines of its cornices and eaves, give character to your home. Don’t disrupt that by adding a room with a different color roof. Work with the geometry of the existing roof and find the best continuation for it.
When you are ready to kick off that home addition project you have been dreaming of, HCC Contractors team of professionals has the tools, experience, and commitment to make sure your home’s addition truly satisfies your every wish. Make an appointment today to get started.
