Often when people are dissatisfied with their home, they believe that their only option is to put their current home on the market and search for something bigger and better. But as Ferdinand Steyer, owner of Mountain Works LLC, a home contracting company, points out, there is no need to leave behind the house that you have worked so hard to turn into a home. Instead, decide what it is about your home that you’d like to see change, and determine if those changes could be made by remodeling the home you currently live in. There are plenty of advantages to adding to the home you already have, explains Steyer:
New appreciation: Steyer notes that many clients who have made home additions, whether it be through upgrading their kitchen or building extra bedrooms, have discovered a new appreciation for their home. Sometimes, when you have lived in a place for a long time, you start to lose sight of its beauty. But, when you add to it, you look at your home like its new again, and you start to take pride in the house as a whole, instead of picking apart the aspects you didn’t like.
Your choice: One great thing about putting an addition onto a room or designing an entirely new room is that the choice is completely yours. If you are satisfied with the size of your kitchen, but wish the master bedroom had a bathroom, then go ahead and add that bathroom. Or, if within the past few years, if your family has expanded, you may choose to build onto the children’s bedrooms, or add a playroom to the lower level to house all their toys.
Resale value: At its current state, and for the past few years, the housing market has been in the favor of buyers. This means that those who are financially equipped to buy a new home call the shots. For buyers, the advantages are more choices and better homes at a lower cost. But for the seller it means more competition. At any given time, dozens of homes in your area could be for sale. So it is crucial that your home stands out. You buyers to have a reason to give their money to you. Any additions you have made to your home give potential buyer something that other homes in the area aren’t offering.
Don’t have to move: If you have been looking to upgrade to a larger home, but just don’t feel that buying a new property is financially possible for you right now, add onto your existing home. It’s like trading up without the hassle of putting your house on the market, worrying about it selling and finding a new home you love. And, by adding an addition, you get the floor plan and design that you desire instead of settling for layout of another home on the market.
No drawbacks: According to Steyer, there are no conceivable drawbacks to adding to your home. There is never a downside to more space, he says.
If you feel as though you housing woes could be rectified by an addition, call a home contracting company in your area to discuss building plans and pricing options.
