Remodeling IdeasHow to add a room addition without going bankruptYour Budget & Your Wants"I need to add a bedroom (bathroom, den, home office, den....) but You're in good company. Many homeowners just don't know where to begin. The addition becomes a maze of thoughts< & ideas that keep getting jumbled up in your head. It's like trying to chew gum & walk at the same time. Some people just can't get the motor running. A little simple organization is the answer. One step after another is easy to do once you have a plan to follow. Your first thoughts are "We need more room than we have now. Your second thought is "I wonder how much it would cost" How did I know that? It's because I listened to homeowners asking that question for 25 years. Everyone immediately focuses their thoughts on the cost because they know it might be, shall we say, painful to the pocketbook. I am going to ask you to put aside your money thoughts for a while. Rest assured we will talk extensively about cost later on. But for the moment I want you to consider a new room addition from a different perspective. The real reason you
are considering an addition is because you are You are cramped together, maybe you lack privacy or want more quiet, and maybe you want "my own space". Additional space will remove the discomfort. I am going to suggest you sit down & think hard about what it would take to relieve you & your family from being uncomfortable. I mean, how big would it have to be, what kind of roof would look best? How many windows would it have, what kind of flooring would be adequate etc. In other words what would it take to make you comfortable? I borrow from one of my blog entries: You're Budget & Your Wants There is almost always a conflict between what you can afford & what you want. Unfortunately the wants usually outweigh the budget. If you are planning an addition to your home then I suggest you try this kind of a plan: Do a rough sketch of what you want. Don't make the big mistake most people do. That is, don't make it too small. Be generous in your wants as to
size. If you have 5 kids & want a family room then 10' X12' isn't going to be nearly big enough. There is
no After you have determined size then add an absolute minimum of everything you want. Forget, for a while, the fireplace, skylights, bay window, hardwood flooring etc. Add just the minimum that you can live with. Remember, there are basics over which you have no control. Foundation, framing, basic electric & heating are built-in costs & there is no way around them. Many are governed by building codes & cannot be changed to make them less expensive. However you do have control over everything else "everything else" encompasses hundreds of choices, each one more or less expensive than the other. If you were to get an estimate on only the basics needed to build your dream room you would see that it is much less expensive than you would have thought. If the basics are lower than your budget then you can get out your goody list & shop till you drop. How big an addition do you need? This is a case where size really matters. You want to make sure it is going to be big enough to be comfortable but not big enough to cause unnecessary expense. Too many homeowners insist on dwelling on the upcoming cost. When planning the addition they figure the smaller the less cost. That's true, but for only a few more dollars you can get all the room you need at a bargain price. (The answer to how this is done is in all of my books) I once built a tiny bedroom for a couple due to an unplanned pregnancy. Before we started I suggested as politely as I could that the room should be larger than he was planning. The husbands reply.... "No, not necessary, the baby is going to be very small" Huh??? This guy wasn't doing any planning at all.
|
Contact Resources Privacy Policy Disclosure Policy Site map