Find out the important points that you should keep in mind before planning a room addition

Room addition planning can come in many forms. Perhaps a new family member is coming to live with you. Or maybe your family has simply outgrown your home and wants to improve their living conditions.

Whatever your motivations, a room addition can increase the size and value of your home. But it is no small feat. And while you may be excited about the prospect of adding more of your personal touch to your home, you need to do your research to properly plan the execution.

1. Plan your key goals

Before you start planning your remodeling project, make sure you know exactly what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. While room additions have their share of perks and benefits, they aren’t always necessary.

For example, if you’re looking to create a little more space where it doesn’t currently exist, it could be as simple as adjusting the decor or upgrading larger pieces of furniture to create more space.

First, identify your goals, and when you’re sure a room addition project is the best solution, start looking for design inspirations to bring your vision to life.

2. Design your new space with functionality in mind

Once you have your finances in order, it’s time to dive into the architectural and aesthetic details of your home improvement project. It goes without saying that the new addition has to complement the original structure.

And while your design dreams should be big and bold, you’ll need to make sure they’re functional, too. If you have home design experience or experience using home design software, you may be able to draw the design on your own. Otherwise, hiring an architect is definitely the best option.

3. Property lines and available space

A crucial factor to consider when brainstorming your layout is the amount of available space you can work on. For example, there are cases were reaching up instead of sideways makes more sense.

If you’re thinking about building out, think about how the new addition will affect the surrounding areas and what obstacles need to be removed or relocated. You may need to work around trees, power lines, utility poles, and neighboring property lines, among others.

4. Nuisance to the neighbors

Building an additional room can cause a significant disruption not only to your lifestyle but also to the people who live near you. Dirt, dust, and noise can bother your neighbors. So how do you deal with the matter?

Ask their permission; inform them of your plans ahead of time, and think of a way to keep the disturbance low.

Before you start on your project, discuss the details with your team and prepare a realistic schedule of the different phases of the remodel. Make sure it fits into your schedule and doesn’t overlap with holidays and special occasions. Don’t forget to add a few extra weeks to accommodate delays.

5. Can you pay the additional cost of the room?

While not all room addition projects are created equal, the cost is often considerable. The cheapest addition to your home would be a bump-out. That’s a small space, usually serving as a walk-in closet or extra space in the kitchen. Think of them as mini-additions. Adding a full room cost considerably more.

Of course, it depends on the size, the project, if there is a need for plumbing, etc. And then you may need an extension to the house. That’s an even more expensive project since it involves creating multiple rooms, not one. Think of it this way, the bigger and more difficult the project, the more expensive it is.

6. Are there construction restrictions?

While your local home improvement contractor will be able to give you details about your area and neighborhood, room additions require permits. On top of that, there may be restrictions on the free yard on your property that you can use.

The buildable space on each property does not usually extend to the fence, both for aesthetic and security reasons. So, you need to see if you have enough space available.

7. Is it necessary to add a new room?

Have you thought about this project? Having an extra room in the home sounds like a fantastic idea, even for those with large houses, let alone if the house is quite small.

But it’s a difficult and expensive project, requiring detailed planning and excellent work. So, a highly experienced home renovation contractor who specializes in room additions will be needed.

And although this is not a problem that prevents you from moving on with the addition of the room, keep in mind that it will take a while and there will be dust and noise, with workers inside your house for quite some time. So, ask yourself if you’re ready for all of that.

8. Hire the right construction team

Hiring the team that will help make your new room addition a reality requires a bit of research. There are many ways to do this. You can hire an architect, a designer, and then a contractor, or you can go with a design-build company for a full package of services.

Ask for recommendations, read reviews, and shop around to make sure you’re dealing with the right people to get the job done right. Keep in mind that the size and type of your team are highly dependent on the scale and complexity of the project.

Room addition is an intricate process. Before you start, make sure you’ve considered everything and have a clear plan. Call Los Angeles local general contractors Jay Remodeling and we’ll help you make the right home remodeling decisions.

If you want more information about our services, contact us now. At Jay Remodeling we will be happy to help you.