It is normal for children to demand more space and desire more privacy growing up. Also, after living in the same house for many years, it is natural that the family will expand, needing extra space to live and accommodate its guests and visitors. Adding more space to your existing house, maybe by building an extra floor, bathroom or utilizing the garage, is a long and arduous process that necessitates some extra expenses. Keep reading to know the 5 things to consider for a successful expansion of your current residence.
- Reasons for expansion
Does it feel like there’s no privacy or noise cancellation? Can you hear your daughter’s conversations with friends? You must adapt your house to the residents’ lifestyle to avoid conflicts with time. Extensions help gain that valuable space a growing family needs to coexist without uprooting or disturbing the members’ individuality and way of living. Extra living space allows for quality family time. A modern residence’s open kitchen and dining areas create more sociable spaces perfect for house parties and gatherings. A well-extended residence can help foster a relationship between privacy and trust.
- Resale value
Your forefathers may have added additional floors to the house without consulting with a structural engineer or architect, and now when you get the building assessed by an expert, they think that your beams won’t last for long, and with time, the house would be unsafe for habitation. One of the most common reasons for house extension is increasing your home’s resale value. The old family home may have some sentimental value, but that’s not enough reason to risk the lives of its residents. So it’s better to think practically and assign a reliable contractor to provide innovative design and renovation solutions for the ancestral house.
- Storage of possessions during expansion
As the home expansion day approaches, residents often panic about packing away their belongings and making space for the construction professionals. The sheer number of things to pack for the days your room or house is under construction can seem endless, and one may easily feel overwhelmed, regretting the idea of expansion. But you can ease the pressure by simply hiring a residential moving company to take care of your things by picking them up from your residence. Containerized storage services minimize the risks of losing or damaging your belongings when you can’t keep them in your residence.
- Cost of expansion
A family should sit together and decide what they want to include in their house expansion. Many factors increase the price of any home expansion project, like adding laundry or bathrooms that need additional new plumbing systems. Adding rooms or a garage offers a good return on investment (ROI). Some permits and tests, such as soil or water testing, can also cost extra. So decide on a budget only after some necessary research.
- Safety
Check the strength of your home’s foundation with an architect or contractor. They’ll tell if the base is strong enough to handle any build-up. Also, check if bringing up the plumbing and electrical wiring is feasible and safe for the residents in the long run. Make sure your contractor follows the preventive measures and work practices for expanding your residence if it’s old, and he may be required to use additional safety measures based on the building’s condition.
Conclusion
Expanding your house is a big project and generally requires an experienced professional. A good contractor knows which permits to obtain and which extensions require subcontractors for additional tasks like excavation or plumbing. A well-researched planning phase will let you be at peace during execution.
