By commissioning the building of a room addition a homeowner can make their home far more “livable” and potentially increase its resale value (though that is not always the case) The addition of a brand new room can also allow families to remain in the neighborhood they have come to love even when the current home has become a little to small for their current needs.
However, before you do decide to commission a room addition over making a move to a new home there are certain things you should be aware of that may affect you decision to undertake such a large home remodeling project.
Building Restrictions
There is little doubt that wherever your home is located there are going to be more than a few permits involved if you are considering a room addition. Although rules vary from town to town, and even neighbourhood to neighbourhood, it is a general rule of thumb that anything that is going to alter a home’s “footprint” needs to be regulated and a room addition will almost always do that.
It may even be the kind of room addition you have in mind is simply not allowed at all. For instance, some areas in the Waterloo Region have strict restriction about building height, so it may be that the third floor addition you had considered is out of the question and you will have to think again about how best to add on.
What Kind of Room Addition Do You Want?
Room additions are increasing in scope across the country these days. In fact the term room addition may be a misnomer, wing addition may be a better way to describe some of the most popular projects being undertaken.
The more extensive additions are being built to accommodate aging parents to avoid the need for a care home, for adult children returning home and even as rental units to generate a regular extra income.
Because these types of additions can include a bedroom, a bathroom, a living area and perhaps even more it is almost like building another small house, so a homeowner has to be prepared for all that entails, including the considerable expense.
This means doing some careful math to figure out if it would all be worth the money, time and effort involved or whether you really would be better off just moving on to a new home that suits your changed needs.
Impact on Your Home’s Value
Some room additions will add to the overall resale value of a home, others will not. The best people to consult on that issue are experienced local real estate brokers. If your planned room addition will make your home substantially different to others in your neighborhood that is not always a good thing and may lower, rather than increase, its perceived value.
Finding the Right Contractor
Whatever your planned project is, it is likely you will be faced with page after page of contractors in your local Yellow Pages or the average Google Local search. The best option for a room addition is often hiring a general contractor.
These individuals are adept at pulling together the kind of larger team of subcontractors you are likely to need (plumbers, electricians, painters, carpenters) and making sure that everyone works together to get the job done as efficiently and expediently as possible.