A home addition is a great option if you love your current home and neighbourhood, but you’ve outgrown your space. An addition gives you more square footage and adds value to your home. When you bought your home, it might have been the perfect size and suited your needs. But over time, as your family grows and your needs change, a home addition lets you customize what you already have for what you need now.
While a home addition is often less stressful than relocating, there’s still a lot to consider. Planning around your current home, the property, your budget and the local Midland, Ontario requirements is necessary to ensure the process goes smoothly.
Here’s what you need to know about planning, budgeting, local requirements and working with an experienced builder during a home addition.
Define What You Need the New Space to Accomplish
The first question you should ask yourself about a home addition: What do I need from this new space? This prevents you from looking at the change in terms of “how big can we go,” and helps you concentrate on what the space should do.
Is your family growing? Do you need space to work from home? Are you hoping to create a guest space for visitors? An in-law suite? More primary living space?
All of these are legitimate reasons to add to your home, but maxing out your square footage isn’t always ideal. A better solution is a well-designed addition that solves your specific problems and improves your home’s function. Understanding your needs helps you steer your addition in the right direction.
Property and Permit Requirements
Once you have a general idea of the direction of your addition, it’s time to consider local requirements and building permits.
Midland homeowners, or their contractors, must obtain zoning approval and a building permit before expanding their homes. The zoning rules address issues like location and building use, and the plans must comply with Ontario’s building code.
Once zoning approval is granted, you or your contractor can apply for a building permit through the Town of Midland. Permit costs vary based on the project, but the current minimum fee for most additions is $347. Zoning review can take up to five business days. Once zoning approval is complete, the residential building permit review can take an additional 10 business days.
An experienced builder can not only help you plan an addition with the highest probability of approval, but they’ll also guide you through the process of working with your local municipality for approval.
Create a Realistic Budget
An important part of the planning process is establishing a budget. The discussion about your budget should begin before planning, but once you have approval and make any required changes, you can get specific about your budget.
A budget for an addition is about more than just the cost of adding square footage. You’ll also need to take into account factors such as:
- Complexity of adding space
- Foundation work
- Heating and cooling
- Electrical and plumbing
- Windows and doors
- Roofing
- Exterior materials
- Interior finishes
Your goal is to make your addition feel like part of your existing home. You aren’t just attaching a new room to your home. You want it to feel natural and flow with the existing square footage. This means choosing exterior materials, windows, doors and other architectural features that match or complement what you currently have.
If your budget allows, this might be a good time to update other features of your home to coordinate with what you want in an addition. If your budget is tight, choose materials that blend with your home’s current exterior so you’re not making more changes than necessary.
Ready to Plan a Home Addition?
If you’re ready to update and expand your Midland, Ontario, home with an addition, DeCarli Contractors can help. We’ll guide you throughout the entire process, from planning to budgeting to construction. To discuss your home addition goals or to learn more, contact us today.
