You love your home - but just want a little more space. Maybe you need a home office, or perhaps your family is growing and a new bedroom will allow you to stay where you are. A home addition is a practical way to make that happen. For less than you might spend buying a new house, you can make your current house your forever home.
The more you know about Connecticut home additions, the better. Knowing your budget, how to hire the right contractor and what's involved in creating a home addition can help you get through the initial challenges of planning such a home upgrade.
Get started with your Connecticut home addition by making goals for your home upgrade. Answer the questions below to help shape the conversations you'll have with your design-build contractor.
Home addition timelines vary depending on how long it takes to find a contractor, approve a design, order materials, and so on. Material shortages in 2021 have lengthened the time it takes to receive supplies once they're ordered.
Permits also need to be obtained before work can begin. Permitting time can vary depending on how busy the permitting office is, but the average permitting time for Connecticut home additions is about 4 weeks.
Once you've made the decision to build a home addition, and you've found a contractor that works for you, here's what you can expect:
The cost of a typical home addition varies depending on the scope and size of the addition. Plan to spend approximately $200 to $250 per square foot of affected footage.
What do we mean by that? Affected square footage isn't just the square footage that's being added to your home - it also encompasses any square footage that's impacted by the addition.
Example: maybe you're adding an addition to your kitchen. As a result, the entire kitchen must be remodeled, with new flooring installed, walls painted a new color, new cabinets installed, etc. The affected square footage is any square footage that's being added onto your kitchen, plus any other affected space.
Building a home addition causes a lot of disruption to everyday life. Living with contractors in your midst for months at a time can be stressful and also distracting. Don't plan any major family reunions or family events while your home addition is being built.
Building a home addition that works for everyone in the house can be difficult. Be sure that you're including all affected parties in the initial discussions when you're planning your home addition, to ensure that everyone's viewpoints and needs are met. Are you building a bedroom for your teenager? Include your teenager in the planning discussions to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
It's vitally important to choose the right contractor to build your home addition. Look for a contractor that has experience building Connecticut home additions. You can gauge their experience by looking at their portfolio, asking lots of questions during the vetting process, and checking their references.
Contractors who build home additions in Connecticut are required to be licensed. It's also helpful to hire a contractor that is a member of professional associations. For more information about hiring the right contractor to perform your home addition, download our free guide to selecting a professional home remodeling contractor.
Home remodels in 2021 are taking longer than in years past because of material shortages. If you're in need of a home addition to make your home a more suitable place for your family to live, get started with your home addition today.
Whether you need a new room for the coming baby or you're in need of a home office where you can comfortably work, your home addition could be finished by this time next year!
For more information about hiring a contractor for your upcoming home addition, download our free guide, or call Litchfield Builders with questions.