When you decide you need more living space whether because your family is growing or just feeling you need a little change a home addition is much cheaper than moving. If you don’t have much experience with carpentry or home additions it’s wise to consult professionals before knocking out any walls. However, many people choose to make adding to their home a do-it-yourself or family project. Before you start it’s wise to figure out what kind of addition you’re making.

If you haven’t already this would be a good time time to pick up instructional DVD’s and media available to show the proper ways to do things such as frame roofs or install windows and doors. According to Amazon.com there are quite a few DVDs available on related topics, not just DVD collections of This Old House and home remodeling TV shows, though these aren’t bad ideas to seek inspiration from, they won’t necessarily show you the precise way you need to install bracing for supports or how to fit a bay window in.

Whether you’re building an entirely new extension or turning your garage into a new recreation or bedroom you need to draw out your floor plan. There are many factors you should take think about when drawing up your home addition plans to ensure you end up with the most cost-effective and visually attractive design. Also, there are quite a few software programs that will help you with this stage just by entering the dimensions you want the room. Or if you don’t like computers or dislike the idea of purchasing more software you may only find an excuse to use once you can, on graph paper with a ruler and a pencil, make a scaled drawings of the floor plan

The second step to getting started on the addition is comparing prices . Visit home improvement stores and compare prices for the materials you’ll need like lumber, sheet rock, insulation, electric wiring and lighting fixtures, plumbing, paint, tile and flooring, and calculate how much material will be needed for each part of the project to get a basic idea of the budget you’re looking at. Once you know your addition is within your budget it’s time to show your plans to the building inspector and get the permits required to start building. Depending on your region you may discover you don’t have the option of performing all of the construction on your own and will have to contract plumbers, electricians, and other experts for specific installation jobs.

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