Renovating or adding to your home can be a real challenge when you don’t know what you want and what you intend to achieve with the changes. Hiring a qualified home addition contractor can be a costly exercise, but if you are really stumped, they can save the day.
Building projects you may consider could include adding a sunroom to the front of the house or additional rooms in a house. These all add value to your home if done correctly. To start off, you should create additional blueprints as this helps you plan, budget, and strategize for a successful renovation project.
Planning an addition to your house need not be a scary prospect. There are many resources to consider, and while you may want to do the whole renovation on your own, there may be some aspects that require a professional. So be realistic about your skills set, what equipment you have available or can afford to hire, and how much time you can set aside to implement the changes you desire.
Hiring a professional contractor may be a costly layout, but in the long run, it could also save you on the cost of redoing things that are incorrectly done due to a lack of technical skills.
Is it time to make a change in your home? Are you ready to go ahead and take the plunge of a home addition or home remodel? Before you go ahead and jump in head first, take the time to strategize. When you go in with a plan, you can help conserve costs and actually make the work itself more streamlined — no one likes construction going on near them if they can help it, after all! Bathrooms and kitchens are good rooms to focus on if you’re thinking about a home remodel, since they offer high return on investment rates and are often two problematic areas in a home. If you’re looking for home addition ideas, talking to a designer or architect, browsing various home improvement magazines, and deciding what you really need in your home are all good steps to take. Even if you have home addition ideas of your own already in place, it often can’t hurt to talk to a professional to see if they can pinpoint any flaws or hiccups in your plan.
So Bathroom Remodeling? Kitchen Remodeling?
As mentioned before, kitchens and bathrooms have great return on investment rates. The National Association of Home Builders showed that even a small kitchen remodel has a net return of investment of almost 83% and a bathroom addition had an over 85% return on investment! (So if you’re thinking about home addition ideas and are fighting for bathroom space every morning, think about about putting another bathroom in your home!) Surveys have also showed that bathrooms and kitchens are two of the most requested home remodels. Around 80% of customer requests are for bathroom renovations and almost 70% of requests are for kitchen renovations.
What Should I Think About When Remodeling a Kitchen or a Bathroom?
When you’re thinking about your budget for a kitchen remodel, have a 15% buffer in case there are unforeseen problems that occur as you do your remodel. And trust us, there are almost always unforeseen complications! If you’re cramped for space in your kitchen, think about creating a triangle between the stove, fridge, and sink for an ideal kitchen work space. The sum of the sides shouldn’t be more than 21 feet and no less than 9.
Replacing appliances in your bathroom can do more than help the aesthetic; it can also save you money. Fixing water leaks like drips can save you around 10% on your water bills. If you have a leaky faucet dripping one drip per second, you might be wasting over 3,000 gallons a year! A showerhead that’s leaking 10 drips a minute accounts for over 500 gallons a year — you could be doing 60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher with all that water! Light paint colors and mirrors can often help a small bathroom feel a bit bigger. Go for a more minimalist theme to create the illusion of a larger space.
What Other Home Addition Ideas Are Good?
Adding a guest room or doing a basement remodeling job can help add more guest space to your home, allowing you to more easily host. An enclosed porch can be a lovely addition to soak up the sun, start herbs or other plants, and watch the weather from an enclosed space. Work from home? Consider putting a home office in your house to finally get a space where you can shut the door and get to work! Don’t share space with toys, clothes, or other household detritus — claim a workspace for yourself with the addition of an office.
If your kids are steadily outgrowing their rooms, it might be worth just bumping out some of the house to create bigger bedrooms or play areas for the additional space. The extra storage space that can be worked into the new room is also a bonus for an on-the-go family!
Remodeling and home additions don’t have to feel overwhelming if you go in with a good plan and focus on what you want to see changed. Have the house of your dreams with some foresight and careful planning.