Home Addition Tips

Value

• Check with local Realtors and appraisers to find out if the size and style of home addition you are considering makes good economic sense. They will be able to advise you about home values nearby, the market value of your home and how the addition will add to the value. In some cases you may find out the cost of the addition will not raise the home's value significantly enough to justify it. This is not as important of a consideration if you just want the addition to increase the livability of the home for yourself. In this case, make a pros-and-cons list to help you visualize the positives and negatives you will get from the addition, compared to its cost.

Costs

• Costs go hand-in-hand with value since it is possible to spend so much on an addition that you cannot recoup the cost when you sell. Check with local builders to find out what a typical square-foot cost is for the kind of addition you want. Additions that require much structural work where load-bearing walls and roofs have to be removed or moved add to the costs. The type of addition is also cost-specific. The amenities for a master bedroom are fewer, and of lower cost, than those required for a kitchen or master bath addition. Additions that need extensive rework of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are also more expensive. Now, begin balancing the costs with the size and style of the addition. You are looking for a starting point that is not too big and expensive, but also not too small and cheap. Evaluate your financial picture and decide just how much you can spend.

Plans

• Once you know your budget and have an idea of what you want to accomplish with your addition, it's time to get some plans. Find floor plans and pictures that express the look and design you are going for. Then invite at least three contractors over to see what you want and to look at the scope of the work needed to deliver it. Most contractors have relationships with architects and designers, and once you select a contractor you can work the plan details with their contacts. You can also work your project the other way: You can select an architect or designer who will then recommend a contractor, or provide the plans to you so you can find a contractor on your own.