Home Improvement Blog

Are You Ready for a Room Addition: Eight Facts You Need to Consider

May 5, 20150

Ask the right questions before a home addition.

A home addition can be a major undertaking.

A home addition in Weston can be a great way to create more space in your house. However, before you start working on home addition floor plans, it’s important to do your research on the topic to ensure you are fully prepared for the project. This includes viewing photos of room additions before and after in Weston and the surrounding areas, as well as taking into consideration the following factors.

1. Set Your Budget

The cost of a home addition can vary greatly, depending on the current structure of your home and how much work needs to be done. For this reason, it’s important to work with a home improvement contractor to determine the overall cost of the project. Setting a budget ahead of time can help them recommend a home addition that fits within those constraints.

2. Get Your Funding

After you have a quote from your contractor, you need to arrange for the funding before your project begins. Take your quote to your bank or another lender to apply for a loan. Your mortgage lender can also help you get a home equity loan if you have enough to cover the project.

Home addition floor plans require a good budget.

Set your budget for home addition floor plans.

3. Create a Wish List

You likely have visions of what you want from your home addition floor plans. Looking at images of room additions before and after can help you determine what you you prefer. Make sure your contractor knows what is a necessity and what is negotiable.

4. Match the Exterior Materials

One of the most difficult aspects of a home addition, especially on an older home, is matching the exterior materials. However, it’s essential to make sure your home flows well together and doesn’t look awkward.

5. Check Your Zoning

There may be legal ramifications to adding a home addition, especially if you’re planning on building out toward the property lines. Your contractor should be able to help you get the permits you need. Once the zoning regulations are addressed, you will be able to move forward with your project.

6. It’s All in the Details

Don’t forget you need to pay close attention to all the details to ensure your addition matches the rest of your home. In addition to the exterior materials, you’ll need to choose lighting fixtures, windows and other features that blend with the rest of your home.

Look at room addition before and after pictures.

Room addition before and after pictures can give you ideas.

7. Don’t Forget Landscaping

A home addition in Weston will change the landscape of your yard. For this reason, you will likely need to re-landscape areas of your property. This can include putting in a new garden or changing the path of your walkway.

8. Expect a Little Chaos

Home remodeling projects aren’t a walk in the park. When you’re adding onto your home, life may become a little chaotic. There will be a lot of noise and dust and you may lose some use of your home for a short period of time. The good news is, it will be worth it in the end.

If you’re looking for a contractor to help with home addition floor plans, contact us. Our Massachusetts contractors can help you design the perfect addition for your home.

Tips for Designing a Custom Built Home Plan

April 30, 20150

Design your home with custom built home plans.

A custom built home plan reflects your wishes.

The best way to get exactly what you want in a house is to design your own home. A custom built home plan in Brookline provides a variety of benefits, including full control over the design and budget, as well as the ability to achieve the unique living space you want. The following tips will help you create the home of your dreams as you work with an experienced contractor to design your plans.

Start Simple

You may have big ideas for your home additions floor plan in Brookline, but this doesn’t mean you should start with all of the complexities. Instead, you should begin with a simple overall layout so you can determine exactly what you want from your home. You can embellish it with the details later. This allows you to brainstorm and consider a number of ideas before you finalize your plans.

Consider the Future

You may only get the chance to design your own home once. For this reason, it’s important to consider your future when creating your plans. For instance, if it’s currently just you and your significant other, but you know you want children in the future, you need to make sure you have room for everyone. As long as you think ahead, you will be happy with your home for longer.

Design your own home so you’re happy with the end result.

Prioritize the Features

Your custom built home plan in Brookline is designed with your own personal touches. However, sometimes things may not go as planned and certain aspects will need to be changed to meet your budgetary requirements. For this reason, it’s essential to prioritize which features are a must-have and which ones are negotiable.

Maximize Your Space

While you may have clear ideas for what you want in your home, your contractor may be able to offer ideas that maximize the space you have. Certain layouts will work better depending on the size and shape of your lot, as well as the position of the house on it.

Consider Function

Another important element to consider in your home designs is the functionality of your layout. For instance, placing your living room right next to what would be your child’s room may make it more difficult for him or her to sleep while you stay up and watch a movie. Another example is the ideal positioning for the bathroom. A central location, often close to the bedrooms, is essential.

When you design your own home, you will be able to create the house you’ve always dreamed of. However, when you’re creating your custom built home plan in Brookline, it’s important to start simple and consider your future in your designs. Along with working with an experienced contractor, you can build a home that meets your needs and reflects your personal tastes.

If you’re interested in creating a home additions floor plan in Brookline or the surrounding area, contact us. We can help you create the home of your dreams.

Create More Space with a Second Floor Addition to Your Ranch Style House

April 28, 20150

Make your ranch home bigger with a second floor addition.

A second floor addition makes your ranch home bigger.

Ranch style homes are extremely popular and offer a number of advantages over two-story homes. However, when you’re thinking about your ranch style house plans in Dover and the surrounding areas, you should consider a second floor addition to create more living space in your home. This allows you to remain in your existing home, while increasing the space you have and creating an entirely new layout you can enjoy.

Consult with a Professional

Before you finalize your custom built home plans in Dover, it’s important to consult with a professional who can let you know if a second floor is a feasible option for your existing structure. Some homes don’t have a foundation capable of handling the weight of a second story. An experienced contractor will be able to evaluate your home and consider all the elements necessary to help you decide if a two-story home is the right choice for you.

Don’t Forget about the Stairs

One element many homeowners don’t think about when considering a second floor addition is the staircase. Ranch style homes don’t have a designated area for a staircase, which means you’ll need to give up some space on your main floor. For instance, a hall closet may need to be removed to make room for access to your second floor. Your contractor can help you find the ideal location without disturbing too much of your current layout.

Create a second floor with ranch style home plans.

Ranch style home plans can create a second floor.

You May Need to Upgrade

When you purchased your heating and air conditioning system, for instance, you probably bought one that exactly accommodated a ranch style home of your size. Adding an entire second floor will increase the demand on your unit, either overworking your current system or forcing you to upgrade to a new one. Your contractor can help you pick an HVAC unit that will provide the perfect amount of heating and cooling for your new home’s size.

Find Another Place to Stay

Unfortunately, second story ranch style home plans in Dover will require the removal of your roof, leaving the interior of your home relatively unprotected. This means you will most likely need to move out of your home for the duration of the project, at least until the exterior aspects of the structure are complete. While you may be able to keep some items inside your home during construction, anything valuable or breakable should be removed and placed in storage to prevent accidents or theft.

Ranch style homes are ideal for many situations, but they don’t always offer a lot of extra space. If you find you need more room for your family, a second floor addition can be the ideal option. Creating custom built home plans in Dover will allow you to maximize the use of your property by building up instead of out.

If you’re interested in creating ranch style house plans in Dover or the surrounding areas to build a second story, contact us. Our experienced Massachusetts contractors can help you add more space to your existing home.

Add Value, Space, Light and Luxury by Designing Your Own Home

April 23, 20150

Add light when you design your own home.

Design your own home to add light to your home.

The ability to design your own home offers a large number of advantages over settling for an existing build. For homeowners who take this important step, creating custom built home plans in Duxbury can add value, space, light and a feeling of luxury to any home. Whether you are building from the bottom up or are renovating an existing home, working with experienced contractors will ensure you maximize the benefits.

Ensure You Have Enough Space

First and foremost, many people choose to create their own home addition floor plans in Duxbury and the surrounding areas to make sure they have enough space for their family. Whether you are happy with the size of your family or you still plan to add to it, it’s important to make sure you have a sufficient number of bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as ample storage space so no one feels cramped. When you design your own home, all of these elements are up to you to determine.

Add Value to Your Home

When the housing market crashed, many people lost a significant portion of the value of their home. While the market has improved in recent years, a custom home addition can be another way to increase the value of your home and help recoup some of your losses. This is especially true if you are interested in selling in the near future. If you don’t want to move, custom built home plans in Duxbury can be more cost-effective than relocating to a larger home.

Add more space with custom built home plans.

Create a Feeling of Luxury

You are the king or queen of your castle and you deserve to feel like it. This is one of the biggest reasons individuals choose to add on to their existing home. For instance, perhaps your master bedroom isn’t much larger than the other bedrooms in your home. Creating custom addition plans will allow you to expand your bedroom into a master suite, complete with a walk-in closet and private bathroom. This can lend your home a more luxurious feel.

Let the Light Shine In

Natural light can provide a number of benefits, including lower utility bills. Many home addition floor plans in Duxbury include skylights to help you maximize the amount of sunlight that enters your home and help heat it in the winter months. The addition of skylights brightens your home naturally and gives the appearance of larger rooms.

If you thought designing your own home was just a pipe dream, think again. Custom built home plans in Duxbury can be an excellent way to increase the value of your home, ensure you have enough space, add a touch of luxury and provide natural sunlight. With the help of experienced contractors, you can transform the look of your home instead of shopping for a new one.

If you’re looking for experienced contractors in Massachusetts, contact us. We can help you create custom addition plans build the home you’ve always wanted.

Ready to Renovate? How to Get Loans for a Home Addition

April 21, 20150

Home addition floor plans require funding.

Learn how to fund your home addition floor plans.

You’re ready to design your own home in Hingham, MA, but you don’t have the funds available to complete the project without financial assistance. Many homeowners aren’t in a financial position to pay for home remodeling projects on their own. This is why it’s important to know how to get a loan to make your home addition floor plans a reality.

Consider the Loan Type

Finding the right kind of loan for your custom built home plans in Hingham is extremely important. For most homeowners, there are two main options from which to choose:

Home Equity Loans – When you have equity in your home, which refers to the difference in the value of your home versus what you still owe on the mortgage, you can take a loan against that amount. However, most lenders prefer for homeowners to leave at least 15 percent of their equity unused.
Home Improvement Loans – Similar to personal loans, these loans require specified collateral in exchange for lending the money. This is often the only option for homeowners who don’t have equity in their homes. However, this type of loan often has a higher interest rate. You may also be approved for less than what you need.

Carry out custom built home plans with a loan.

You need to get a loan to carry custom built home plans.

Don’t Forget to Shop Around

Keep in mind you don’t have to get a loan through the same company as your mortgage. If you’re working on home addition floor plans, it’s often best to shop around and look for a lender who will give you the best rate for your loan. Your mortgage lender should be one of those companies, but you shouldn’t assume they will give you the best rate simply due to your history.

Get Approval First

While you may think you have good credit, you might not be approved for a loan as easily as you expect. For this reason, it’s important to get approved for your loan before you take the next steps with your contractor. When you design your own home in Hingham, MA, your contractor needs to know you have the funds to pay for the project before they can get started.

What to Watch For

Like all other financial loans, there are certain things you should look out for to prevent complications. For instance, if you’re planning on selling your home in a few years and your remodeling projects are designed to increase the value of your home, having a loan may reduce the profit you make from the sale. A home improvement loan can also make it more difficult to refinance if you want to lower your interest rate.

Getting a loan to cover the completion of custom built home plans in Hingham is often an important element. It’s crucial to understand the different types of loans for which you may be eligible, as well as how to obtain one so you can move forward with your plans. As long as you exercise caution in borrowing money, just as you would in any other situation, you will get the beautiful home you want without putting yourself in financial jeopardy.

If you’re looking for a contractor to handle your home addition floor plans, contact us. Our Massachusetts contractors can help you build the home you’ve always imagined.