Spring is on its way, and with it comes the perfect time to build a home addition! If you are planning on building an addition for your home, the first step is to plan. So, while we wait for our early spring to arrive, we can set our minds to work preparing the perfect home addition plans! Here are a few tips to help you get the ball rolling.
Determine the Necessities First
It’s easy to get caught up in dreaming about the perfect home addition. Before you start browsing through expensive Italian wallpaper or looking at hot tubs, determine your bare necessities. What are you building the additional space for? What does this space absolutely need to have? It’s important to plan within your budget so that you don’t end up surprised by the total cost of your project. However, this doesn’t mean that you absolutely can’t plan for luxuries. Determine what necessities you’ll need first, then if you have room in your budget you can begin adding luxuries to your list.
Talk to Your Neighbors
The planning stage is the best time to let your neighbors know that you are planning a home addition. Especially if your neighbors are close, you want to let them know that there will be construction happening near them. This is a nice courtesy that will prepare your neighbors for the noise and mess that is involved during the building of a home addition. If your neighbors are prepared, they have the option to schedule a vacation during the time that the addition is being built so that they won’t have to deal with the noise. If unprepared, you may have an angry neighbor at your door.
Don’t Try to DIY
Designing and building a home addition may seem like a fun project, but the fact remains that professional designers, architects, and builders have the experience and expertise to build you the best finished product. Plus, professionals have contacts within the field to connect you with the best vetted electricians, plumbers, etc. within a timely manner. If your home addition is being financed by a bank, the bank will most likely require that you hire a contractor rather than attempt to build your addition on your own.