If you love the location of your home and don’t want to move, a custom home addition may be the right choice for you. With an endless amount of possibilities, you can transform your home into something spectacular. So how can you add a room to your house? To help with some inspiration, we’ve listed some of the most common types of home additions you should consider for your renovation.
Consider a Lateral Extension
Lateral extensions are simply extending your home sideways. These include small bump out additions and full additions with complete rooms or multi-room space.
What types of rooms are popular with this addition? Typically homeowners opt to add a garage or choose to add an extension on top of the garage (garage top-up addition) for an additional bedroom or bathroom. There are a ton of great possibilities, including sunrooms, glass home extensions, extra bedrooms, garages, kitchens and entertainment space.
How do you know if the side addition will work with your house? Typically most two-story homes are fit for a lateral extension. Bungalows can also make do, as long as you restrict the expansion to one floor.
Before you commit to this home renovation, it is essential to inform yourself about all the restrictions in your area. Consult with your municipality for a complete understanding of what you can and can’t do with your lateral extension.
Rear House Extension
An addition to the back of the house is a typical renovation that can add plenty of extra space to your home. If you have a large backyard, this is an excellent option for you. Extending the back of your home is a more complicated renovation, and there are multiple ways to execute it.
Extending your home on piers is one option for this renovation. So how does it work? There’s no digging to create a foundation for this extension. Instead, builders use piers to support the room. There are more limitations with this route, and homeowners typically use this method when adding a sunroom or family room. Home additions on piers do tend to be a bit colder, so it is a good idea to install heated flooring.
Building a rear extension with a foundation is the other option to consider. This type of home addition is suitable for homes with a livable basement. Workers build a concrete foundation, which opens the possibility of expanding your home in both the basement and main floor. There a lot of possibilities with rear home additions, though it is more costly than the alternative.
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Top-Up Addition – Adding a Second Floor
2nd floor home extension is suitable for bungalow homeowners looking to add more room to their house. The addition of a second floor is an expansive renovation and requires multiple evaluations before it’s clear to start construction. Modifications to the ground floor are necessary to make this home addition possible. Building a staircase is a prime example.
Due to the large scale of top-up extensions, homeowners typically tend to go all out and choose to renovate additional parts of their home as well. It is also important to note that you cannot live in your home during 2nd floor addition and renovation, since the roof of the house has to come down temporarily.
Garage top-up additions and attic conversions are popular as extensions for houses that already have a second floor.
All of the addition types can be split into categories by the main purpose they were built. Typically those include:
- in-law additions
- bedroom additions
- kitchen additions
- family room additions
- garage additions
- storage room additions
FAQs about Home Additions
The cost to expand your house varies from project to project. Generally, the average cost of home addition is between $200 – $250 per square foot when hiring a professional contractor.
Typically, professional interior designers take care of the house addition planning. It is crucial to go with someone who has the experience to design your addition, as their knowledge will go a long way in building a proper extension.
Again, it varies based on the scale of the project. On average, additions to houses usually take between 2-3 months for completion.
There are a few options to consider when figuring out the financing for home extension costs. You could take out a Home Equity Loan, pay with a personal loan, or even cash out Equity Refinancing. It’s best to consult with a trusted financial advisor before committing to anything.
Every type of home addition is beneficial for you and your home in many ways. Building an additional garage or a new bedroom are a few expansions that will significantly increase the value of your home.
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Start Your Home Addition Today
All of the addition types can be split into categories by the main purpose they were built. Typically those include:
- in-law additions
- bedroom additions
- kitchen additions
- family room additions
- garage additions
- storage room additions
Whether you are unsure of which route to go with your renovation or are ready to get started, get in touch with us! We’ll connect you with some of the top contractors in the industry.