Home Addition Ideas: Transform Your Living Space
In our homes, the living area is a versatile space that serves as a hub for relaxation, conversation, entertainment, and socializing. Whether you’re watching a movie, playing games, or just hanging out, the living room is the perfect place to unwind and connect with loved ones.
But why might you need to transform the main part of your home? It could be you want to increase the value of your home, you have additions to your family, or the ongoing knock-on effect of the pandemic affecting how much time you spend at home.
Either way, sometimes your home just stops working for your lifestyle and it can be intimidating to find expert contractors who are trustworthy and able to deliver on your dreams.
Q&R Construction Services is a trusted remodeling and construction company. With almost a decade of experience serving the amazing community in Salem, Oregon, we are committed to providing the best quality and reliability.
We hope that this article will inspire you with the confidence to transform your home and build a better life for you and your family. And if you need it, we’re here to help.
I. Planning a Room Addition
A. Understanding the Purpose
Knowing where to start is the key to any successful home addition. At this first stage, you need to define the purpose of the room addition. It may be to increase the square footage, accommodate a growing family, or add a sunroom.
Create a wishlist of key features you want to include in the space, at the top level. Some of these may not be achievable within budget or other constraints, but it is important to get everything down on paper. That way you can begin to prioritize different items as you go through the planning process.
It’s also a good idea to think about how you may want to use the space in 5-10 years. Planning ahead now will save a lot of regrets or costly amendments down the road.
It is also important to carefully consider how the room addition fits in with the overall aesthetics and functionality of your existing home. Either that or you can use it as an opportunity to create something new that experiments with more sustainable materials in a way that complements your home but makes a statement about the future you want for your family.
B. Assessing Feasibility
The best way to guarantee your project will come in on budget is by making sufficient assessments first to mitigate any unexpected costs. One of the big considerations is the structural integrity of your plot and whether it has the capacity for your home remodeling ideas.
Laying new foundations or reinforcing your existing structure is a time-consuming and expensive process that will add time to your project. Fortunately, our team has a ton of experience working with the most complicated projects so we can guide you every step of the way.
We will assess the feasibility of your ideas compared with what your plot can sustain and provide professional guidance to make your dream a reality.
C. Setting a Budget
It is easy to fret over home addition costs, but it doesn’t need to be a make-or-break situation!
The trick is to establish a realistic budget that accounts for materials, labor costs, and unexpected expenses such as delays due to extreme weather or production delays from third-party suppliers. Even the most watertight proposals can be prone to small delays which is why it is best to account for them before starting.
Another idea is to include a small contingency budget for additional ideas and details that may come at a later date. While this isn’t “ideal” we know from experience that some homeowners can only see the opportunity for additions once the structure starts to take shape.
We will advise you on these as much as we can beforehand, but keeping an additional budget aside always helps. The finishing touches will make a big difference to how satisfied you are with the new extension and it is always best to do them before moving everything into your new living space.
II. Designing a Home Remodeling
A. Engage a Professional Designer
You may have a clear idea of how your remodel will look and feel, but never discount the experience and insight you get with a professional designer. It is less about having somebody else design the space for you—although that is an option—and more about finding creative solutions.
With their creativity, a designer can suggest unique concepts, materials, color schemes, and furniture arrangements that you may not have considered on your own.
Designers are also experts in optimizing space. They have the knowledge and skills to maximize the functionality and efficiency of any room addition, ensuring that every square foot serves a purpose. This insight will help you maximize your available space with clever storage solutions, efficient flow, and multi-purpose design elements.
Q&R Construction Services can partner you with a carefully vetted and skilled designer experienced in projects just like yours. Whatever your ideas are, we know the right designer for the job.
B. Tailor to Your Needs
It is easy to get lost in ideas when scrolling through design magazines or searching for inspiration on Pinterest. Oftentimes you can fall in love with a design but have no idea whether it will work for you and your needs.
A big part of this is reducing clutter. A professional designer can assess your storage needs and design customized cabinets, closets, and shelving units that optimize space utilization and cater to your specific storage requirements. This enhanced usability ensures that your new space will always be functional.
When customizing a room addition, you have the opportunity to consider your future needs and incorporate elements that can adapt to changes. For example, if you anticipate your family growing, the designer can include flexible spaces that can be easily repurposed.
It also allows for the integration of smart home technology, energy-efficient features, and sustainable design principles, providing long-term benefits and reducing the need for future renovations.
Some of the most popular home addition ideas include creating a sunroom, a home gym, or a bathroom addition. They could also expand on current living areas like a kitchen extension or second story giving you a little extra space or freeing up other existing spaces in the home.
C. Maximize Natural Light
Making sure your new space addition gets sufficient natural sunlight is a major factor, even if it is something as simple as a mudroom. You must understand how light enters the space and consider how neighboring areas also affect sunlight.
There are many ways you can maximize available sunlight. Large windows and glass doors are a great place to start, but skylights could be a better option depending on how the sun hits your property at different times of the day.
Getting the balance of these features right is vital to a perfectly lit space all day long without feeling like you live in a goldfish bowl. That is unless you want to!
Building an Extension
A. Hire Experienced Contractors
Bringing your dream space to life is more than just making it look pretty and keeping it on budget. It is about ensuring that quality and reliability are built into every detail so that your new dream space will keep looking that way even after a few years of use.
Choosing reputable contractors that only work with other reputable producers and specialists is crucial. Q&R Construction Services has built its reputation by doing just that and delivering on our range of construction services with customer satisfaction at its core.
Be it a basement conversion or adding a mezzanine floor, we strive to deliver the highest quality craftsmanship and especially timely delivery to minimize the disturbance to your lives.
After all, while we endeavor to make the whole process as easy and stress-free as possible, we want to get the job done right and on time so we can leave you to enjoy it for years to come.
B. Secure Necessary Permits
With all the hard work you have put into planning, designing, and building your new home addition, the last thing you want is for your local authorities to issue you an expensive penalty for not meeting code requirements. That is why obtaining the necessary permits and ensuring that your design complies with local regulations is just as important as every other step in the process.
In addition to merely financial implications, you could open yourself up to legal action and risk having the addition forcibly removed from your property. It is the kind of headache and heartache we want to avoid.
Q&R Construction services have extensive knowledge and experience in navigating the permit process. We have worked with clients on all kinds of construction projects and we are well-versed in Oregon, Salem, and Marion County (where our office is situated) building regulations. We’ll ensure your home addition is fully up to code.
C. The Construction Process
For many clients, the construction process can feel overwhelming. It involves a big disturbance to your day-to-day and it can feel like you are totally uninvolved in the outcome. Here is a general breakdown of the construction process so you can know what to expect and make any arrangements if necessary:
- Foundation construction: Creating the foundation involves clearing and preparing the area, building a frame, mixing and pouring concrete, and then finishing.
- Build the walls and roof: First, the skeleton, floor joists, and subfloor sheeting are completed before a protective wrap is installed. Speed is important at this stage.
- Install mechanical equipment: This includes wires, pipes, sewer lines, vents, water supply lines, shower units or bathtubs, electrical wiring, receptacles, ductwork, and vent pipes for the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system.
- Add Insulation and vapor barrier: This involves trimming and fitting insulation in the wall cavity before securing it in place and fitting a vapor barrier over it.
- Drywall and Paint: Drywall is hung and taped to the interior walls before any gaps or custom features are mudded and five coats of paint are applied.
- Finish off mechanical installations: Mechanical technicians will need to be brought back on-site to install any HVAC components like radiators or air conditioning units. If applicable, plumbing is done now also, as are the electrical outlets, switches, covers, and lighting components.
- Install floor and trim work: At this stage ceramic tile, vinyl, or wood flooring is installed (membrane optional) in addition to countertops, exterior finish grading, and trimming.
Stay involved in the entire construction process so you can be aware of any potential complications or schedule delays. Make sure that whatever contractor you choose, they are committed to open communication. You need to be confident in their ability to manage the project well and pay close attention to all details. That is how we do things at Q&R Construction Services.
IV. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Addition Plans
A. Assess Skills and Resources
There is nothing to stop you from attempting a DIY home addition project. But, be advised that your capabilities and resources will strongly impact how the project turns out. We recommend you research any unfamiliar processes and take your time on the project.
With large-scale projects, you must be highly organized to juggle all the individual tasks and technicalities involved. Assign a large portion of time to plan the precise order for each task and keep in mind that the weather will play a role in the foundation and skeleton stages of the project. Also, get all of your resources in place before commencing the project. That way you will mitigate the chances of falling behind on your schedule due to complications.
B. Collaborate with Professionals
Doing it yourself doesn’t mean doing it alone. Seek out professional guidance and do your research to ensure that you can safely perform each task and achieve the best possible results. Regulation compliance is crucial so build this consideration into each step of your project to ensure that you overlook nothing.
Q&R Construction Services also offer expert consultations and support for DIY enthusiasts so get in touch with us today if you need some guidance.
Tips for a Successful Home Addition Project
The best way to ensure a smooth and efficient construction is by respecting the process. Take your time through the planning stages to look at all possible options and consider what complications may occur later. By preparing for these with contingency plans and budgeting, you can prevent stalls in progress.
When choosing the right contractor for your project, consider their reputation, expertise, and experience with your type of project, and knowledge of local building regulations. You want to be sure that your financial investment is sound and that you will be kept informed of any important updates throughout the planning, design, and construction processes.
Looking for reliable and quality contractors in Salem, Oregon? Look no further than Q&R Construction Services. We have transformed the living spaces and lives of so many of our clients with our commitment to quality and customer service.
Check out our website to explore our portfolio of residential and commercial projects, and don’t hesitate to contact us for any more information or to book a consultation.