How to Properly Plan for a House Addition

How to Properly Plan for a House Addition

The real estate market is red-hot and many homeowners have realized that it would be more financially advantageous for them to expand their living space instead of moving to a larger house. However, this is not a simple renovation project and there are many things to consider before going ahead.

 

So how do you determine if adding an extension is the best option for your situation? Here is some relevant information to help you decide. 

Your Options

Have you decided that what your current home and your family need is an extra bedroom, a closed home office for telework or a bigger kitchen? In that case, the solution may be as straightforward as adding a room over the garage (existing or new) or to the side or back of the house, or converting a veranda into a four-season sunroom.

Another, but more expensive, way of expanding your living space is to build an entire additional storey to the house, either over the ground floor or under by digging a habitable basement. Check with your municipality first to see which permits are required for carrying out most home addition renovations.

Your Budget

Before even thinking about what materials to select for the new floor, it is important to consider your budget. Several factors will influence the size, type and finishes of your addition. A simple annexe will cost a minimum of $40,000. For a full storey above a bungalow, the bill will be at least $100,000. In total, depending on the type of addition chosen, it will cost you between $25,000 and $200,000 to complete the project.

Sometimes, renovating in this way is less expensive than buying a new home. It can be a particularly interesting option if your residence is located in your dream neighbourhood and it meets all your other needs, beyond than the lack of space.

Extension Types

·      A lateral extension is easy to visualize. It is the ideal solution if you have a large yard.

·      A vertical addition is generally the preferred option in the city where street-level space is limited. Architects can be particularly ingenious in how they incorporate these additions to the existing structure.   

·      A detached building is less common and is usually used to create a studio positioned near but not connected to the main house.

·      Extension by excavation, while rare, might be the right solution for you. Ideally, this major renovation project will increase your home’s resale value; however, given the amount of money you will have to spend, it is not recommended for real estate flips where the objective is a quick return on investment. A real estate broker is the best person to answer your questions on this topic. 

How to Design Your Extension?

There are two competing viewpoints on this subject: fully integrate the extension into the rest of the structure or give it a completely different style. The latter is particularly successful in the case of a traditional home with a hyper-modern addition. The contrast is striking! Several examples of this type of design were carried out in Montreal, in the downtown neighbourhoods.

 If you prefer that your new and old spaces blend seamlessly together, you must match the finishes for the overall look to be pleasing to the eye. The result will be a larger house that will give the impression that has always been this size. In this way, you can extend the flooring to the new area as well as the decor style.

A renovation project of this magnitude is always exciting. At a time when everyone is attached to their homes, but may find it is lacking in space, home additions have become a popular solution despite the high costs. In fact, it should also be considered as an investment since an extra room will add value to your home, especially when it is done properly. Think it over!

RE/MAX Québec

By RE/MAX Québec

By RE/MAX Québec

A leader in the real estate industry since 1982, the RE/MAX network brings together the most efficient brokers.