Reinvent Your Home With An Addition
Written by Elizabeth Wood
Editor In Chief, United Home Improvement

If you’re like most homeowners, you are constantly thinking of ways to enhance your living space. Whether it is a remodel or that addition you always dreamed about. Re- designing your kitchen, bathroom or basement, building a sunroom, adding a garage addition, and building a second level to your home are all possibilities. By investing in a remodel or home addition, you are not only enhancing your living space, but also adding to the resale value of your home.

It’s no lie, home remodels and addition projects are expensive investments. For this reason, it is imperative that you put careful planning into your design so that you don't make any costly mistakes or get ripped off by a contractor. It is important to visualize your remodel or addition on paper first and then find out how much your project will cost before you get a full set of construction drawings.

If you are considering a home addition, be prepared to invest a great deal of time into careful budgeting, planning, and design. Several aspects need to be taken into consideration before you start knocking down walls. First of all, you need to decide if your addition with be extended outwards, or upwards. Building up is a wonderful way to keep your footprints in tact, while offering benefits such as reduced heating and cooling and new roofing.

Another aspect to consider involves whether or not you should take this opportunity to upgrade your electrical and heating and cooling. In fact, with certain additions, you will have to upgrade these services in order to accommodate to the extra footage. In addition, second story levels often require extra structural support for walls and foundation. Make sure to carefully include these major elements into your design.

Aside from second story additions, you also have the option of adding an extra bathroom, family room, sunroom, or garage addition. Adding an extra bathroom is a wonderful way to enhance your lifestyle. Consider a master suite or even a guest bathroom. Family rooms and sunrooms offer additional living space and allow you to be as creative as you want with its functionality. Think of a place to put a cozy fireplace, a soothing hot tub, or even a room enhanced with skylights offering natural sunlight into your home.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to reinventing your home with a remodel or addition. Not only will you be enhancing the living space within, but you will also be complimenting the exterior of your home. Keep in mind, however, that with any type of remodel or addition you will need to make sure your designs meet the local zoning codes. This is a crucial step and failure to do so could lead to unnecessary fines and even a possible shut down.

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