Vital Home Additions Project Tips – Part 1

Creating a home addition will provide more living space and functionality to your home. It is less than ideal to have the office, living room and toy room all in one space. An addition is simply the cure for many homeowners who need to love their homes that much more. Here are some tips to get you organized before diving in to a home addition project:

Do not add the home addition yourself

Home additions are complex projects. There are many pieces to the puzzle and to get it right you must hire a professional, licensed contractor. A home addition project is not finished by simply creating the structure. It requires making the space functional as well. You need working electricity, ventilations, pluming and more. Getting these home elements to function correctly requires an expert. There is not just one trade that is involved in a home addition project. A licensed general contractor has connections to make the entire project done properly.

Hire an architect

Creating your wish list for your new home addition is the easy part. Making it practical to do so is the job of an architect. Do not worry if you don’t know where to find an architect. Ask your building contractor to use the architects they know. They will be able to pull together your design and you will be able to make sure it is up to par prior to the building process.

Obtain the proper legal documents

Understanding city regulations about commercial or residential construction will help you understand your building limitations. Every city within the Twin Cities region has varying regulations. In order to start a home addition you will need to track down several legal documents prior to starting your planning. First, find the plot plan of your property. This will show the property lines as well as all existing and proposed buildings in proximity to your property.

This document will help you determine if your new planned addition will be built inside the proper areas defined by local zoning laws. Without following these guidelines, your new, beautiful home addition may have to be torn down. This would be a huge waste of effort and money. All that needs to happen is the proper research beforehand. To find plot plans and surveys, contact your local Registry of Deeds.

Set a realistic budget

Before you start planning your home addition, you need to determine your budget. From there, you can figure out what you will be comfortable spending without being stretched out too thin. Once you have your budget, meet with your architect or builder to get an idea of how far your budget can go. This will allow you to add or subtract things from your wish list that will allow your new home addition to be completed in within your budget.

These are the first four necessities of starting a home addition project. These tips are to meant to help keep you organized and to be fully aware of what it is going to take to see this project to completion here in the Twin Cities.