As life changes, so too do your demands for what you want in a home and having your existing home remodeled is something that more and more people are keen to do. I did it myself two years ago, my partner and I bought our first home in our 20s and as our careers progressed, salaries improved and kids came along, we realized that the home we had wasn’t quite first for purpose. We managed to save up some money, contracted a local company Excel Builders and set about increasing the size of our home and tweaking the way it looked. This was a far better idea for us than moving home entirely and if it is something that you are thinking about then here are questions that you should be asking yourself.
Why Are You Building?
It is important to think about the big picture when it comes to your home extension, if it is for the kids then you should be thinking about what their requirements are and how long they are going to be at home. You should always have one eye on whether you are adding value to your home, an extra bathroom for example can offer great value for money, so too can a loft extension. Consider all aspects of why you want to build in the first place.
Is It Cost Effective?
When designing how your house will look you should be focusing on which ideas are the most cost-effective. For example, demolition work is one of the most important aspects of the building process and you may be able to find other ways of getting the space that you want without a high level of demolition. Materials too should be well thought out, there are often materials that will give you the same effect and look that you are after, for a much better price than the materials which you want. Additional expenses like renting roll off dumpsters should also be factored in when creating your budget.
Would You Stay?
There are benefits and disadvantages to staying in the home during the building process and you should decide which is best for you and your family. It is likely that the project will be completed sooner if you aren’t there, but this could result in additional expense and unnecessary upheaval for you. A longer project could cost more money than the cost of living away from the house and you should weigh up all pros and cons before making your decision.
How to Find a Builder?
The key to the success of your project will be finding a great builder or home remodeling company. In order to find the best you need to look for companies who have experience doing this kind of work. In order to find the best, you should speak with your architect or building designer who will have a list of contacts and you can also ask around between colleagues and friends to see if there is a contractor which one of them have used in the past. You may also consider working with an acoustic consultant especially if your construction project could affect or disturb your neighbors.
Home remodeling is a big project and one which deserves careful planning and execution, finding the answers to these important questions will enable you to ensure that you are ready for a task of this size.
