Common Home Addition Mistakes to Avoid

You're finally in a position for a home addition. It may be a home office, a walk-in pantry, a nursery that will become an extra bedroom, or an entire mother-in-law apartment. But before you spend your time, energy and money, there are things to avoid.

Choosing a Different Style for the Addition

Say most of your home is in a lovely French provincial style, with exposed rafters in the kitchen, a chandelier and a big table of rough-hewn, whitewashed wood. The living room furniture is a little more refined but has the same rustic look. Now imagine you're determined that your new addition be the home's one oasis of brutalism, with poured concrete walls, floor and furnishings. This won't work. An addition should feel like it belongs to the house it's attached to.

Passing on Permits

Do not forget to get the proper permits for your addition. If you don't want to get them yourself, make sure your contractor does. In fact, it can be a good idea to let your contractor handle permits anyway. Permits make sure you build according to local rules and regulations. You don't want an inspector finding that your addition is out of code and forcing you to build the whole thing over.

Building an Addition Too Big for Your Property

One aspect of curb appeal is symmetry. An addition that is much too large breaks that symmetry and makes your property look crowded and unwieldy. You might also no longer have room for a proper garden, patio or swimming pool.

Make Sure Your Property Can Support an Addition

Before one spade of soil is turned over, you'll need to find out whether the soil is stable enough to support your addition. You'll also need to know how the rest of the house, including its electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, will be affected. A professional contractor can help with this.

Don't Skimp on Materials

Buy and use the best quality materials you can afford. If that means waiting a bit longer to save the money, then wait. Do not use cheap materials or take shortcuts on an addition. You'll end up paying a lot of money to replace second-hand drywall, flimsy furnishings or worm-eaten wood planks that you thought you got a good deal on.

Get in Touch to Learn About Home Additions

There's much to celebrate about building an addition to your home, but there are plenty of pitfalls. To spot them early and create a beautiful, comfortable addition, call the professionals at Fisher Construction of Selah, WA.