3 Common Myths/Misconceptions about Building a Home Addition
If you love your neighborhood – the location, yard space, and local schools – but you’re outgrowing your home, you don’t have to move. A home addition can be the solution. Building a home addition is one of the largest home remodeling projects you can undertake, so it’s important to do it the right way.
Whether you’re envisioning a two-story addition, a sunroom addition, a garage addition, or another large-scale home remodeling project, take your time with the process. Ensure you know what you’re getting into, and work with professionals who share your vision and are capable of bringing it to fruition.
A good way to reach the best outcome is to do your homework and learn about some of the ins and outs of home additions, including these 3 common myths.
1. Every Home Addition Adds Value
Not necessarily true. If a home addition looks like it was tacked onto the house, it can actually decrease your home’s value. A successful and attractive home addition requires thoughtful planning and careful design.
You may have seen or entered a home with an addition that didn’t go so well. Uneven floor levels, mismatched rooflines, mismatched windows – the list goes on. For a home addition to add value to your home, it needs to be impeccably designed and built. New exterior and interior materials and finishes should coordinate well with existing materials. The goal is a home addition that looks like it is part of the original home.
2. You Can Save Money Going the DIY Route or Hiring a Handyman
It’s understandable that you want to save money wherever you can. But unless you’re a homebuilder yourself, it’s unwise to DIY a home addition. Without proper assistance from a professional, you’re courting disaster. It’s equally unwise to hire a handyman for the job. They just don’t have the experience and resources to build the custom home addition you deserve.
Seek a contractor with an extensive portfolio of successful projects and sterling references from past clients. Check out their reviews online. Do their clients wholeheartedly recommend them? Be sure they are licensed and insured. Ideally, the home addition contractor you partner with for your project will have been in the home remodeling business for many years.
3. Building Permits Are Easy to Get/Optional
Oh no, they’re not. A home addition is a major structural change to your home, and building permits are required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This is specifically addressed in Section 110.0 of the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR). Anyone seeking to construct, alter, repair, or demolish a structure must first obtain a building permit. The building permit must be obtained before the start of any work and prominently posted at the job site. Depending upon the neighborhood and lot size and setback requirements, a variance may be required before a permit can be issued. You may need more than one permit, and you will also need the approval of local officials and your HOA, if you belong to one.
Experienced home addition contractors apply for building permits well before the project is set to begin. Work cannot start without the proper permits. Furthermore, periodic inspections will be required as the work progresses.
If you’re looking to enlarge your home with a home addition, be sure you work with an experienced home remodeling contractor who has the expertise to turn your vision into reality.
Built the Right Way
With over 30 years of experience, fully licensed and insured, and a team ready to help you at every step, make your home truly yours with remodeling from RWC.