You love your house, but it isn’t quite meeting your needs. Maybe there’s a growing family or a need to expand your living space to fit your desired lifestyle. Whatever the motivation, you have an alternative to the hassles of moving: a home addition.
At Michael Marini Construction, you’ll find local San Jose-area experts you can trust for an addition that provides design continuity with your current house. Below are our home addition tips to spark some ideas before you meet with our experienced designers.
1. Figure Out If the Add-On Project Is Feasible
Before you spend hours researching and dreaming of the spaces you’d like to add to your home, it’s important to ask whether you can legally go ahead with the project. Depending on the location, local zoning regulations will determine an addition’s feasibility or restrictions. For example, your state might limit the location of the new construction or prevent you from doing it entirely.
Are you part of a homeowners’ association? The HOA may limit the type of construction you can do on the house. A local home addition professional like Michael Marini Construction understands these local regulations and can advise you on the options available.
2. Decide On Your Goals for the Home Addition
Is a new bathroom a possibility? Have you thought about a master bedroom and bathroom combination? Even if you just need more space, having a clear goal streamlines the journey.
Exactly why do you want to add to your house? Narrowing the scope of the project is vital to fit your budget and needs comfortably. Thinking about why you want more space will help you and your designer identify what’s most important.
3. Determine What You Can Spend On the Addition
One of the most important home addition tips for someone considering this type of project is setting a realistic budget. Without knowing how much money you have available to devote to the project, it’s difficult to nail down the design. What kind of return on investment will you receive from the work you have in mind?
A professional home designer can create estimates for the ROI. An insider’s knowledge can make it easier to weigh different add-on construction trends in the local housing market.
4. Select How Much Square Footage To Add
With home additions, most people want to add as much square footage as they can afford, but this isn’t always the right choice. You might want to add a little less square footage while putting in high-end appliances, design elements, and fixtures. If these things appeal to potential buyers, your potential returns might be better than simply wracking up meterage.
5. Choose Whether To Build Upward or Outward
Building outward is common with a home addition. If there’s a budget to do so, other homeowners will expand the basement to fit under the new section. However, while it’s a pricier option, you’ll also want to look seriously at adding a second floor to a house.
Do you have a small lot? Do local building codes prevent you from building outward? Adding a second floor might be a viable option.
6. Create Your Design With the Help of Professionals
Perhaps the most important item in any collection of home addition tips is to consult with a professional as early as possible. Designers can tell you whether your ideas for the project are feasible based on your budget and the size of your lot.
You also want the new construction to look like it's been part of the house all along. The designer should follow the architectural style you currently use when creating the interior and exterior elements.
7. Collect the Local Building Permits You Need
Before construction can begin, you’ll need to obtain permits from the area’s local building inspector and pay the associated fees. When you hire a professional design and construction company like Michael Marini Construction, they can gather these permits for your home addition and save you the trouble.
Letting the experts handle this process reduces the stress of the project for you and ensures that your home addition is above board.
Let Michael Marini Construction Design and Build You a Gorgeous, Stress-Free Home Addition
At Michael Marini Construction, we’ve seen first-hand the difference it makes to add square footage to a family’s living space. Why not let our licensed contractor help with refining the budget, planning the design, and developing your project timeline for a smooth process?
Get more home addition tips designed to match your specific project – contact Michael Marini Construction today at 408-310-8732! You can learn more about us here.
