In part 1 of New House Addition Strategies for Success we addressed several aspects of room add ons:
- House plan considerations - including personal household budget, home construction financing, goal objective factors, building plan options, and house construction material options.
- Home construction plan steps that help simplify the process of project planning.
- Building cost - factors that affect house addition cost and ballpark figures of what to expect to pay.
In this section, other aspects of project planning will be addressed. Including additional room add-on considerations, ways to cut room adding cost, eco-friendly and green house construction (for the Canada environmental homeowner concerned with our ecosystem), and selecting the right contractor for the job.
Other House Addition Idea Considerations
Besides those already mentioned in part 1, do the following:
- Think about your household's daily routine when making home addition plans. Consider the floor plan and indoor traffic pattern; be sure to make provision for ample seating.
- Plan ahead as to where furniture and other room elements will be located in the room, for accurate placement of electrical outlets.
- Confer with an appraiser or real estate agent before formulating plans to ensure your house addition idea will maximize your home market value. Note: the type house building addition remodel most likely to bring the highest return on investment are the kitchen and bathroom.
- In older neighborhoods where houses are closer tighter together and yard space is small, building up - instead of out - might be your best option.
- More extensive add-ons may require the services of an architect designer in addition to that of a building contractor.
- Three of the most important elements to include in a home construction contract include a clear, concise written agreement signed by all parties involved, blueprints and/or working drawings, and a building material list.
- Plan ahead for delivery of materials. If houses are built tightly together, space surrounding house limited, and obstructions such as trees exist, it may be necessary for building materials to be delivered in small loads as they are required.
Ways to Cut Building Addition Cost
Aside from keeping home construction design and size modest when making plans, other ways to cut house construction cost include:
- Draw up your own plans. Unless the house addition is extensive or elaborate, most homeowners can draw up their own building plans; even without artistic talents. Tools required include large sheets of grid paper (18X24-inch), a T-square, an adjustable triangle, architect's ruler, pencils, eraser, and drafting tape. Draw floor plans at ¼-inch to equal 1-foot; site elements at 1/8-inch.
- Using economical instead of more expensive finishes for simple new room add ons can save nearly half the expense.
- If the roof is in good condition, consider recycling it when building up - instead of out. Renting a crane to lift the roof off in sections, and then reinstalling it after second story work is complete is expensive. But it would still be cheaper than building a whole new roof.
- Building up can sometimes be more cost-effective than building out; especially when adding several rooms instead of just one or two. This would omit the need for foundation work; one of the most costly aspects of any home renovation project.
- A house construction kit for a simple new house addition is a great option for the DIY homeowner, and can save considerable cost over on-site building.
Environmentally Friendly Building
Make yours a more environmentally friendly home when creating more living space; from building techniques right down to the material list. For instance:
- Search the building site for recycled building material possibilities, or hire a disposal firm for that purpose.
- For healthy indoor air quality, use natural building material choices whenever possible.
- Avoid non renewable resource materials and byproducts.
- Make sure building plans include solar energy use. Proper solar energy panel orientation is important, as is window ventilation. Note: in some locations, solar energy use may earn homeowners a solar energy rebate.
- Include proper vapor barrier installation in your room addition plans; to reduce drafts and save on energy costs. A vapor barrier also enhances Canada indoor air quality.
- Zero VOC building products are more environmentally friendly than those treated with a volatile organic compound such as urea formaldehyde.
- Incorporate energy efficient construction ideas into your room add on plan, along with more energy efficient features. For instance, energy efficient heating and appliances approved by the environmental agency.
- When insulating, opt for natural material choices, such as blown cellulose insulation.
- One indoor air quality solution vital to house occupant's health is a proper ventilation system.
Also - consider installing a house water filtration system, and make sure a proper ventilation system is integrated into building plans.
How to Locate a Reliable Home Addition Contractor
Your best bet for locating a reliable home contractor or Interior Designer for your home addition project is online, at TrustedPros.ca. Whether you need a Toronto energy efficient home builder, a Vancouver residential architect, or a home contractor anywhere else in Canada.
Get a free quote from home addition contractor members quickly and easily; without cost or obligation. Complete with cost breakdowns, and anticipated completion dates for key phases of the project.
When acquiring quotes, compare several to get the average cost per square foot. Building cost per square foot for low-end home additions minus mechanical work generally run $85 to $130; more complicated projects are considerably higher.
New home additions usually require the services of more than one professional. The larger the scope of the project, the more service providers that might be needed.
At TrustedPros.ca, contractor members can network together; consolidating their services for a particular project. This can mean substantial savings for the homeowner.
Project owners can also elect to do some of the less complicated aspects of the project themselves for additional savings. The money saved can be set aside, or used for special features - such as a fireplace, bay windows, skylights, etc.
Simply sign up for FREE, and then post project details online, where it will be visible 24/7. Outline job requirements, decide how contact with responding service providers should be made, and then sit back and wait.
Member service providers in your area view project details, and provide competitive bids within days - sometimes even hours from project posting.
View portfolio pages of contractor candidates online at your convenience; including company profile, references, licensing/insurance/certification credentials, and pictures of recently completed projects. And then make an informed hiring decision - or hire no one at all. Remember, you are under no obligation whatsoever, and membership is free.
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