Home Additions: Don't Relocate - Renovate!

With the current housing market in turmoil, many people are deciding not to sell. What's the answer then, if you've got an expanding family or you simply need more room? If you can't afford a vacation home, you might think about expanding your current one.

A Home Addition can sound really scary. Adding on to your home doesn't always mean ripping off your roof and adding a whole 2nd floor. A home addition company might simply add on a garage, a back porch, or an extra bathroom which could really make a difference in your living situation.

Here are some useful tips, just in case you're planning to hire a home addition contractor, to make sure every goes right:

Home Additions - Inspect It

If you're going to make even minor wall changes to your house, please (please, please!) bring in a structural engineer. Anytime you're going to knock out a wall, it could affect the integrity of the building. A general contractor in Baltimore may not completely understand the engineering of every home structure and could give bad advice. It may sound "expensive" to hire a structural engineer, but imagine how more you'd spend if a side of your home fell off...

Get your permits. Nothing is more obvious than a home addition, no matter how small or insignificant. Even if you get away with doing the work without a permit, a homeowner is going to notice part of the house is new. Don't get caught having to pay fines, penalties, and maybe even pay to have the work removed and re-done after an inspection.

Home Additions - Plan It

If you're adding to your home, by expanding out or up, it's important to also talk with an architect or designer. Why? Because you really don't want your add-on to look like it was added on. You want it to blend seamlessly into your neighborhood background. Are all the homes around your's single-story, two-bedroom bungalows? If you plop a 2nd floor on, with dormers, and cozy third floor attic, it could look out of place. That's fine if you're going to stay in the home forever, but you could have a problem selling the eyesore down the road. To make sure your addition works, talk with a designer who can help give you what you want without sacrificing the look and value of the house.

Also, homes were built in specific areas of the country in specific eras. Many times, an architect or inspector will be able to review your home plans and your original blueprints to determine if your house can support the extra weight of a 2nd floor. The structure of your house might not be capable to handling an addition -- homes originally built with 2nd floors have different framing, so you want to make sure your home can handle it.

Your current heating and cooling ducts and unit are set up for the current number of rooms in your home. Adding even a sunroom or extra bathroom could throw things off. Consult an HVAC company to inspect your air flow requirements with an addition room or floor.

Make sure your designer takes in all aspects of the other homes in your neighborhood: doors, windows, paint, siding, roofs, and elevation. These should all work with the architecture of the home and the surrounding area.

Home Additions - Build It

Prepare for the major disruption of having workers, equipment, and materials (as well as dust, debris, and possible damage) that will be invading your house. On a floor addition, you'll have to relocate to other living quarters, but you might be able to work around a bedroom addition or having your kitchen expanded.

Take plenty of pictures and monitor the work. Keep track of all the details in case there are problems or disputes down the road (and, also, to remember the experience.)