Maybe your family is growing and your home is starting to feel a bit too small, or maybe you need an actual home office. Whatever the reason, many St. Louis homeowners may be considering an addition to their home. Before diving into the specifics of finding the right contractor and thinking about design, it's important to take the time to consider if an addition is the best move. Here are a few areas worth thinking about:

Finances

Any major change in your home should probably start with consideration of your budget. First, you want to look at your own finances and determine what your budget is, leaving some wiggle room for unexpected expenses. From there, you may want to reach out and get a few estimates to see if that budget will support the addition you’re envisioning. While sometimes an addition can be a better option than moving, other times it may make more sense to simply move to a bigger home. This is why getting clear on finances is key.

Options

What are your options when it comes to putting on an addition? Homeowners need to investigate the legal requirements around if they’re able to build at all and which permits they may need. You certainly don’t want to take any shortcuts here, so getting all of these details early on is key. Perhaps you find out there’s a path to your dream addition, or maybe you find out that you’re not able to build out in the way that you wanted. Either way, it’s worth getting this information early on to keep yourself on track.

Vision for Future

While no one can predict what will happen down the line, it’s still valuable to think about your vision for the future and how that aligns with your plans for an addition. You might think about the immediate future, and if having construction in that area of your home would work for you and your family. And then you’ll also want to think longer term. Are you putting on an addition to address a temporary space problem? Often, homeowners can find more strategic, less expensive ways to address temporary space challenges. Do you anticipate needing this space for the years to come? Putting on an addition is an investment, so it’s important to think about how much value it will provide you now and in the future.

Property Value

How would an addition impact your property value? This is another important area homeowners will want to look into before building. If an addition adds value, it could be a smart investment that also gives you the space you need. Reach out to some professionals to help you assess.

Have you considered an addition? What stage of the process are you in? Or have you already built an addition? We’d love to hear your thoughts!