There are many things to consider when planning for an addition. Let me take you through some to prepare you for your first meeting with your contractor.The first thing you should do is go to the building & zoning dept. of your town and find out what your property lines are and what the minimum set back requirements are for adding an addition to your home. Ask them for an "As-built " drawing if they have it. This shows your property lines and building set backs of your existing buildings on your property. The other thing you want to ask about is what is the maximum impervious surfaces you can cover. This means, how much of your land can be covered with things such as buildings,blacktop driveways,concrete patios, etc. Ask how much is covered now and see how much space you have left before you exceed the limit. It is possible to have the property set backs available, but not meet the impervious surface ratio. Below is an example of an "as-built".
If you don't meet some of the requirements for zoning , it's possible to apply for a zoning variance. To get this you have to go before the township in a zoning hearing and prove a hardship. An example may be , you need to build an in-law suite to aid your aging parents in their living requirements. Usually you need to pay a fee for the hearing if you win or loose your case.
Second thing you should do is go home an verify your building setback requirements of your property. Then you can start to determine where you can add on to. You should also find out where your utilities exit the building such as sewer, septic tank & drainage field, well, electric, phone, & cable. You don't want your addition to interfere with these items if possible and you certainly don't want to hit them during excavation.
Third, you should start thinking about the kind of contractor you want to hire. Some are bigger outfits and you'd be dealing with multiple people throughout the process. You might see a designer 1st, then a salesman, then a carpenter,then a supervisor, etc. Or you may want to deal with a smaller outfit where you'll have one person to go back to at all times if you have any concerns. That's where we fall in. We can take you through the design, through estimating your job costs, through the building phase,through finish & cabinet installations if there is any, to the end of the job.
Fourth, you need a design and drawings before anything can be estimated for building costs. You can hire an architect first and pay for all the services they provide or use a contractor that can do what is called "design-build". They can do the design and build the project complete. There is a fee to pay someone to do the drawings either way. A good architect or designer can provide floor plans, 3d renderings, and even movie walkthroughs of what it would be like walking through your plan, it's really neat. We can supply all of these services and below are some examples.
You should also be thinking about your budget in the fourth step. Don't be afraid to share that up front with the designer. In many cases, you can be guided through certain selections to stay withing a given budget.
Fifth, How are you going to pay for it now?
- Cash-You have the funds saved up for your investment and will pay for it out of pocket.
- Home equity loan- borrow money against your home equity
- 2nd Mortgage-Take an additional mortgage out to pay for the home improvement
- Cash out refinance-Where you refinance and take out the additional funds to do the home remodeling project
Sixth, If you don't have a contractor yet, you need one at this point. There are several thing to consider when you're selecting your remodeling contractor. Do you like the person. This person is going to be in your living space for the next 5-10 weeks , if you don't like them now, you'll probably like them less at the end of the job.
Ask for referrals and make sure to call some of them. Ask about their experiences with the contractor. Both good and bad. And most importantly, how did they respond to your concerns. Did they follow up promptly or did they take forever to follow through. Ask if you can visit a similar job to check out the workmanship of the contractor. Were all calls & Emails returned promptly. I have a Blackberry, and all my Emails and phone calls come straight to me.
Will they respect your property, cleaning up regularly, covering up and protecting your floors etc. Do they use dust control walls to help contain dust and the mess? Do they smoke and will they not smoke in your home if they are smokers?
Will they give you a schedule showing the job progression steps and a reasonable time frame to complete the tasks. If they can't beware, they don't even know how long the job will take or what it will cost them to produce.
Are they Certified , such as a NARI Certified Remodeler? This is an extra step on their part to better themselves within the industry. NARI's certification program offers this assurance through its extensive screening, training and testing process. In addition, NARI certification programs require on-going education and training to maintain certification status.
Only full-time, professional remodeling contractors are eligible for certification by NARI. You can be assured that any time you hire a NARI certified remodeling contractor, you are hiring an individual who has made a strong commitment to the professionalism of the remodeling industry and to his or her business. And because remodelers are not eligible for certification until they have been actively involved in the remodeling industry for at least five years, you know that the NARI certified remodeling professional you hire for your home improvement project has had many years to develop the experience and skills that can only be gained through extensive hands-on practice.
Isn't it good to know that your remodeling contractor has a long-term commitment to his or her work?
Are they a NARI Member? This is short for National Association of The Remodeling Industry . Members must comply with a Code of Ethics and have proper licensing and insurances.
Are they licensed or registered with the State that they will work in? In PA & NJ it is a requirement now.
And make sure to ask them for a Certificate of Insurance to make sure they have the necessary insurances in place. And most of all, get it all in a well written contract. Happy Remodeling.