Steffi NellLast Updated on January 18, 2023 by Steffi Nell
When you need to add extra space to your home, adding a new room is a good idea. After all, it’s the simplest way to add extra space, with the alternative being moving out. However, extending your home with new rooms comes with a set of problems of its own. And as such, you should make sure you know everything you need to know about this before deciding to commit to it. For example, deciding whether to expand outwards or upwards and understanding zoning laws that might cause problems. So, proper preparation is definitely required before adding rooms to your home. To this end, we’ve put together a list of all you need to know about room additions.
Make sure you understand local zoning restrictions
One of the biggest problems you’ll run into when considering room additions are zoning restrictions. These can vary from city to city, so make sure you research local restrictions before doing anything. So, based on where you live, there can be restrictions on how high you can build your home. Additionally, there might be restrictions on what you can build in your yard, and where. Needless to say, ignoring these restrictions will lead to legal issues, so make sure everything follows the local restrictions before starting construction. And if you can’t go through with expanding your home, remember that home renovations are the next best thing. If you use the space creatively, you can get quite a bit of extra storage space out of the old rooms. But, of course, you should make sure you plan the renovation properly if you want to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Expanding outwards
The most common way to add room additions is to expand your home outwards. But this has a few obvious drawbacks, mainly reducing your available yard space. Additionally, when it comes to the building process itself, pouring out a new foundation is also required. This is a great choice if you don’t use your yard very often, or you’re okay with having a small yard. Additionally, since this is essentially just adding a new room to the ground floor, this is what homeowners choose most of the time. However, if your home has a basement, remember that you can always use this space instead. With a little bit of work, you can easily turn the basement into a beautiful room. And best of all, you don’t have to worry about reducing your yard space or worry about zoning laws. But, of course, this will need some effort to do.
Expanding upwards
If you don’t want to lose any yard space, then expanding your home upwards is the way to go. This way, you can either add a room to the second story, or add another story to your home. Another benefit is that you won’t have to pour out another foundation, however, your current foundation will likely have to be reinforced. Otherwise, your home might not be able to handle the extra weight, which can lead to all sorts of structural issues. So, working with experts is always recommended, whether you’re expanding upwards or outwards. Regardless, when you’re done with expanding your home, remember to think about home décor as well. After all, you might as well make the new space as pleasant as possible. And, of course, there is no better way to make a space pleasant for you and your family than decorating it as best as possible.
Adding value to the home
One of the bigger reasons to consider adding a new room is to increase the value of your home. Whether you just want to make living in the home more comfortable, or you’re increasing value before selling it, adding more square footage will increase the home’s value. However, adding more rooms without any sort of plan can actually have the opposite effect. If you add rooms without any rhyme or reason, it can be more difficult to sell the house down the line. So, remember to make a plan for the rooms you’re adding before you actually expand the home. Additionally, experts from Preferred Movers note that you should think about the belongings stored in adjacent rooms while adding a new one. In our opinion, storing these items in a short-term storage unit is the best way to keep them safe while the process is ongoing.
Remember to blend the style of the addition to your home
If they’re not done properly, added rooms can stick out like a sore thumb when looking at your home. As such, it’s important to think about the style of the room when adding a new one. Matching the type of flooring, roof, and general architecture is very important aesthetically. This is especially important if you plan on selling the home and are adding rooms in order to increase its value. Alternatively, if you feel that the rest of the home feels outdated, you can consider remodeling the rest of the home to match a modern style. We recommend working with a remodeling contractor if you decide to go down this route. Professionals will be able to help you choose the best options for materials, and carry out the remodel properly. However, you should always do thorough research into a contractor before deciding to hire them, just to be safe.
All you need to know about room additions – wrap up
There is a lot to consider before committing to expanding your home with another room. Choosing whether you want to expand upwards or outwards can be difficult, and that’s before considering zoning restrictions in your local area. So, make sure you have a proper plan before doing anything to do with expanding the home. And, of course, do thorough research into whether or not you can expand your home in the first place. Zoning restrictions can stop your plans in their tracks, so make sure you understand them fully before committing one way or the other. We hope that this list of all you need to know about room additions was helpful, and we wish you a great rest of your day.
