Visit UtahPropertyFinder.com for an extensive list of available Utah real estate listings. Acquaint yourself with great investment opportunities in the surrounding Utah areas, including the Sandy Utah real estate market.
So you need more space, but you really like your neighborhood and would rather not move. Adding on to your existing home may be the way to go. A home addition is a complex undertaking, but with the right amount of planning and assistance, you'll breeze through it in no time. Here are some guidelines to help you start out on the right path.
Determine what both you and your partner want from this renovation. Maybe you're looking for extra space for the kids, but your spouse wants a quiet area for office space. Sometimes both your needs are very different. List on paper your goals and wants in order of priority.
Visit your local building department, to explore the rules and restrictions for additions to your particular property and neighborhood. There will be rules as to the size and height of a structure, distance it must be from the property lines, height restrictions or possibly restraints due to historical designation. Find out what type of permit is required and get a cost break down for the permit.
Plan your new space with an open mind. You may have to shuffle things around to get the most effective use out of your new addition, and this use of your space may not be what you had originally envisioned.
An addition does not necessarily mean BIG. Sometimes smart use of existing space goes a long way to satisfying your needs. Look for closets or hallways you may be able to borrow extra space from. Maybe breaking down the wall between the master bedroom and the tiny spare room is all you'll need to do to get that dream closet.
Sometimes an addition is a good opportunity to enhance the look of your home's exterior. An added gazebo, breakfast nook, or front porch can add interest to an otherwise tired looking home.
Wherever possible, an addition should appear as though it was always part of the original structure. Sometimes, it's impossible to match outdated siding or brick. When selecting exterior finishes, use similar styles and coloring with a slightly different texture to compliment, not compete with the existing design. This includes using similar roof lines if you're adding an entryway or additional floor.
Consider existing landscaping patterns and floral borders to ensure they too are repeated. If you have a walkway circling the house, but it abruptly stops where the new addition starts, it may detract from the overall finished look of the house.
If all the rooms are fairly small, but you add a master bedroom the size of a city block, it just doesn't sit right. Keep the add-on in proportion to the rest of the house.
Stick to the same architectural and building styles as your original home. If you are only replacing two windows and your existing windows are sliders, don't suddenly introduce casements as a window style – learn to go with the flow.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Quebec Home Improvement And Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC)
- Home Improvements Diy Renovation
- Unsecured Home Improvement Loans – Renovate Home Through the Finance
- Home Improvement Loan: Renovate Your Home
- Secured Home Improvement Loans – Renovate Home Through Cheap Finance
- Home Improvement Magazines: an Endless Source of Home Improvement Ideas
- Renovation Recommendations For Your Home Improvement Projects
- Financing Home Improvement Projects: How to Get Them Done
Best Ways to Save Money with Roofing
By: Jeff Revior | 26/12/2009Fixing your roof can be really annoying if you don’t know what you are doing. If you are new to all of this figuring out you will need a hand starting out with all the basics that will guide you through the process.
DIY Bathroom Remodeling Projects
By: Gene B. Pineda | 26/12/2009A home is a big investment and keeping it updated, maintained and in good condition requires not only basic maintenance such as pressure washing and painting to protect the outside, it also requires home remodeling on the inside to address repairs and upgrades. Keeping your home well maintained and current with new décor and accessories benefits the homeowner by increasing the properties value as well as creating an aesthetically pleasing home.
The Fresh And Hospitable Experience Of Country Kitchen Décor
By: Douglas M. Parks | 26/12/2009A country theme is one of the most popular themes for kitchen décor, so whether you have just moved into a new home or wish to redecorate your kitchen, there is a lot of country kitchen décor on the market to select from. You should first decide whether or not you prefer your theme to be more specific, such as country apple, country cat, or farmhouse rooster, or whether you want to incorporate multiple subthemes into an over country kitchen theme.
Experienced Outdoor Décor Ideas
By: Floyd P. Dietz | 26/12/2009Creating outdoor spaces that are comfortable and inviting can be more difficult than some people imagine. It takes more than a few chairs and a table to create outdoor décor that makes you want to spend time in your garden. Make your outdoor space as inviting as your living room so that you always want to spend time in your garden. Think about what you want to do in your outdoor space and when it will be used and you will get an idea of what needs to be done for your outdoor décor.
Bathroom Remodeling Ideas: Hints For Success
By: Kenneth D. Tafolla | 26/12/2009Bathroom remodeling ideas can be simple or complex much like any other remodeling ideas such as basement or kitchen ideas. By remodeling your bathroom you can create a retreat where you can relax and unwind. When it comes to bathroom remodeling ideas, everything can be personalized from the sink and bathtub to the cabinets and floor.
Home Renovation Ideas for the New Year
By: Oswald Melman | 25/12/2009A new year is rolling around, and all throughout the nation home owners are thinking about what sorts of resolutions they will be implementing. Many new year’s resolutions revolve around personal and professional issues, yet a good deal also have to do with the condition in which a person’s house happens to be at present
Five Home Improvement Projects for a Master Bathroom
By: Oswald Melman | 25/12/2009Any realtor will tell you about the importance of keeping a master bathroom in excellent shape. Apart from the kitchen, it factors into a prospective home buyer’s decision more than any other place in the house. Besides that, it is the place you start your day every morning and is one of those spots in the house which can have a big impact on your psyche. Thus, it should be high up on the list of home improvement projects on your radar.
Don’t Let D.I.Y. Become D.I. Why Oh Why: Tips on Avoiding The Mistakes of Kitchen Renovation
By: Oswald Melman | 25/12/2009It’s tough to learn how to do something if you never give it a try, but the best way to learn this lesson certainly isn’t to be standing knee-deep in wreckage in what is supposed to be a beautiful new kitchen. While the scene isn’t always exactly that dramatic, rookie mistakes when it comes to home renovation are not a stretch of anyone’s imagination.
Rain Gardens as an Eco-friendly Landscaping Alternative
By: Christian Jacobsen | 02/12/2008 | LandscapingSo, if by adding a garden, you can add to your home's attractiveness, increase the resale value and get an "eco-friendly" boost, wouldn't you do it? Rain gardens are one of the latest strategies to combat flooding and pollution, and they can be exceptionally attractive.
Craigslist Rental Real Estate a Target for Scam Artists
By: Christian Jacobsen | 28/11/2008 | Real EstateBy this time, thought, you two are fast friends... somehow, at least on your renter's end. They can't wait to meet you, they're sure that you'll make the world's best landlord EVER and they don't care about the property that much... as long as you're the one renting to them, they're sure it's perfect in every way.
Go With the Flow When Adding on to Your Home
By: Christian Jacobsen | 04/11/2008 | RemodelingSo you need more space, but you really like your neighborhood and would rather not move. Adding on to your existing home may be the way to go. A home addition is a complex undertaking, but with the right amount of planning and assistance, you'll breeze through it in no time. Here are some guidelines to help you start out on the right path.
Haunted Ogden
By: Christian Jacobsen | 31/10/2008 | HistoryBy day, Ogden appears as a typical small town in Utah, but by night, this quiet little community awakens more than its share of spooky happenings. Ogden was not always such a friendly community. In the late 19th century it was full of opium dens and brothels along 25th Street. Many were connected by underground tunnels that were the scenes of violent acts. In fact, for a short time, Ogden was known as the "murder capital" of the West! Today, walk along 25th Street at night and you may hear the
Eco-scents for Your Home
By: Christian Jacobsen | 26/09/2008 | DIYEssential oils have a myriad of uses around the house, and have the added benefit of the soothing aromatherapy effects they emit. Some of the more popular scents include lavender (calming); lemon or grapefruit (cleaning and refreshing); eucalyptus (revitalizing); and peppermint (energizing). Pick out three or four and begin building your own collection. Some people also like to use pine or fir oils in the colder winter months.
Use Paint to Add Punch!
By: Christian Jacobsen | 26/09/2008 | Interior DesignOn the total opposite end of the spectrum comes a cosmopolitan influence that dares to combine the rustic country feel with the exotic. Take earthy colored metals, such as copper, bronze and gold, and intermingle with Bamboo, Brazilian Cherry or other exotic woods, then add a splash of silk or embroidered velvet.
First Time Buyer's Huge (temporary) Tax Credit
By: Christian Jacobsen | 29/08/2008 | Real EstateNew (brand new) housing sales are predicted to bottom out in the spring of 2009 and then they may start rising according to a comment made by Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors (NAR) Chief economist.
How to be a Prime Mover
By: Christian Jacobsen | 28/08/2008 | Real EstateUsually the last things out of the old house are the first things you need in the new house; this means moving house should be easy, right? Wrong! Chaos reigns on moving day because most of us are more worried about the 'moving-out' side of it and devote our energy to leaving the old home sparkling for the new owners. We do this, even though most of us have to return to work almost as soon as we are moved in, and we know that the more efficient the move is, the better it is for us.