How to Plan for a Home Addition

If you’re interested in putting an addition on your home, it’s important that you engage in some thorough planning before you get started to ensure the job gets completed safely, efficiently and to high standards of quality, while also giving you everything you’ve dreamed of with the new space.

Here are just a few home addition planning tips for you to consider as you begin your project in Santa Fe, NM:

• Have a goal in mind: It’s helpful to know exactly what you want out of your space before you start bidding the job out to contractors. This makes it much easier for you to make design- and construction-related decisions once you’re working with contractors on the job. What is it you want to achieve with the new space? What sort of budget do you have to work with? How do you see the addition improving your quality of life and your home in general? What sort of design features and aesthetics do you want to implement?
• Budget carefully: As with any home project, your budget will play a significant role in what you can accomplish with your home addition. There are a lot of costs you’ll need to account for, including contracting and labor costs, costs of materials and costs related to inspections and permitting. When working with a skilled contractor, you will be able to get a reasonably accurate estimate for the job. Be sure to get quotes from multiple sources.
• Choose the right contractor: Quotes are important for choosing a contractor, but finding the right partner for the job is about so much more than picking someone at a low price point. Any contractor you work with should have some significant experience and should be well reviewed. In your discussions, they should be receptive to your ideas and support what you’re looking to do—it should feel like a partnership. Look at samples of their work as well to see similar kinds of jobs they’ve taken on in the past.
• Work with a design pro: It can be very helpful to work with another professional whose sole focus is design. They will be able to recommend ideal layouts, plus some helpful amenities and utility upgrades. Taking this path will also help you deliver a clearer plan to the contractor who will be performing the actual construction.
• Check your utilities: It’s important to make sure you have the proper utility infrastructure already in place in your home before you start adding more square footage. This will help you ensure your HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems are capable of handling additional loads. If not, you may need to make some upgrades to those areas as well, which will add to the expense of the job.

These are just a few examples of some of the most important considerations to take into account when planning a new home addition. For more information about home addition planning in Santa Fe, NM, we encourage you to contact the team at Apple Construction LLC today.

Categorised in: Additions