Family Room Addition

Besides providing your home with more living space, building a family room addition can be a terrific investment. Has your family outgrown the space in your home? Are you unhappy with your first-floor layout because you don't have a secluded family space?

Before embarking on building a family room addition a homeowner should first consider several important items.

These include: home market values in the neighborhood, financing, building costs, family room design plans (size and scale of project), architecture, timetable for completion, personal disruption/inconvenience and the sweat equity commitment level.

It's best to have a plan. You need to determine what you are looking for in terms of additional living space.

How many square feet? What types of rooms? Once this is understood, it is then important to find out the market value of homes in the local area with similar size and features to the proposed improved home.

With this information the homeowner can calculate the difference between their current home market value and the improved home market value. This difference should represent the maximum cost budget for the new addition if a positive investment is desired.

For example, a homeowner would not want to spend $40,000 on a new family room addition that provides only $20,000 in increased market value to the improved home. The exception to this is if you're going to stay in the house for several years and you want to increase the home's comfort for your family. The next important question involves how to fund the cost of the addition. Unless the project is being funded via cash/savings, financing will be needed.

If current mortgage rates are higher than the existing mortgage, then a home equity loan will probably make the most sense. If current mortgage rates are lower than the existing mortgage (as they probably are today), then refinancing the entire home, including the cost of the family room addition project, may make the most sense.

Steps in planning your family room addition should include:

Assess the property (grade, easements, etc) and determine where you will build your family room addition. Consider access to the new room.

If you place the addition in a particular location, how will it connect to the existing structure? What changes to the existing structure will be necessary to provide access to the new family room? How will this affect the functionality of the existing space?

If your home is on a sloped lot, how much will you need to "build up" the foundation to position the new space on the same level as the existing structure?

If the new addition will be several feet above grade, how will you use the space under the new room? Is this a good space for storage?

Is it something that can be finished into another usable space? Is it a place to store lawn equipment and supplies, or bicycles and other outdoor items?

What is the appropriate size of the new family room? You will want to consider not only your space needs, but also the size of the existing structure. Proportion is important, especially when considering resale value.

There might also be zoning restrictions. Most towns will limit the size of the living space as a proportion to the size of the overall plot.

It's helpful to create your checklist of tasks and note who will perform each stage of the construction.

Adding a family room will almost certainly require some demolition of all or part of an existing exterior wall.

Who will build the foundation? Who will complete the framing?

What kind of roofline will fit into the existing roof? What kinds of roofing materials are indicated in order to match the rest of the house? Who will do the roofing?

Who will construct exterior walls? How will they match or complement the rest of the exterior of the house?

Who will install electricity, heating/cooling, plumbing (if included)?

What kind of windows and doors are appropriate in order to make the addition look like it has always been part of the house?

Is this an opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of your home?

Should you add skylights or solar panels? What kind of walls will you have? Who will install drywall or paneling, windows and doors?

What kind of ceiling will you have? Will it be drywall or a drop ceiling? Who will install it?

What kind of floor covering is best? Will it be carpet, vinyl, hardwood, or tile? Who installs it?

Will you have built-in shelves or cabinets? Who will build them?

Will the room have a fireplace? Will it require a gas line for gas logs or a gas starter? Who will install lighting fixtures?

Who will paint or hang wallpaper? You can use the form at the bottom of the page to get free quotes in order to determine the cost of the addition.

Design Considerations

Once the financial items have been addressed it is then time to focus on the size and scale of the project, as well as the architectural and aesthetics of the new family room addition. It should be of size and scale such that it aesthetically melds into the original house.

Frequently, homeowners get carried away and add large amounts of new living space without sufficient thought on the outside appearance. From a market value, there is more to a home than just pure living space.

It is important to consider such items as siding, doors, windows, rooflines, and elevations. Make sure the local building department will approve the scope of the project before you start spending any significant money.

If an architect is not planned for the project, then the homeowner should at least make some sketches of the home exterior with the new addition. The building inspector will probably require them anyway during the permiting process. Also, there are many Home Design software packages on the market today that can help create such drawings.

Schedule

The next thing that should be considered is the timetable for completing the project and the homeowner's sweaty equity commitment level. Many homeowners assume they can do a lot more than they have the time or skill to do.

From personal experience, I would suggest contracting out the site/ground work, plumbing, electrical work, rough framing, roofing, siding, heating/cooling, and the drywall. All of these tasks require skill, time and brawn.

Other tasks that a homeowner could tackle include installing interior doors, finish trim, painting, cabinet installation, tiling and hardwood flooring (referred to as "the finishing trades").

However, before a homeowner tackles a specific task, he/she should honestly assess their skill and available time. If this is going to be a problem, hire the contractor.

Inconvenience and Disruption To Family Routine

Finally, homeowners should consider their threshold for inconvenience and disruption. A family room addition, particularly if it involves the kitchen, is very disruptive to today’s busy lifestyle.

It is also a dusty, dirty and noisy endeavor. In addition, dealing with subcontractors can be challenging at best. For a typical addition, anticipate several months of effort and inconvenience.

If after assessing all these issues you are still willing to move forward with the project, contact your subcontractors, pull your permits and get ready for an exciting time. For most homeowners, building a family room addition is a positive experience that provides both new living space and a great investment.

Resale Value Added To Your Home

Most people who look at homes prefer a first-floor family room. A first floor location makes the space more accessible, easier to monitor, and more functional. According to Remodeling Magazine's latest cost/value estimate, you can expect (on average) to recoup about 83% of the cost of the addition when you sell your house.

This estimate can vary from one location to another, so it is a good idea to check out the local market. The value is also impacted by overall improvements that might be part of the project. These could include central air conditioning, energy saving windows and/or insulation, upgrades to your heating system, and so on.

Adding a family room can create the perfect space for your family to actually live in. These additions provide extra space that you can define and redefine as the needs of your family change.

Fill out this quick form and get free bids from contractors in your area. This service is completely free with no obligations to hire. You will never be asked for credit card information.

Find pre-qualified contractors for the addition you need - call 866-452-3059 for free quotes with no obligation to hire.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about a family room addition by clicking here.

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