First Floor Additions

 First floor additions construction is usually wood construction or concrete block construction. Most of the wood construction is in the colder northern climate & the concrete block is in the southern & warmer climate. Houses with basements prevail in the north & cement slab houses prevail in the south.

All you have to do is look around you & see what is prominent in your area. That is what you are going to be buying. Both lumber & concrete have their pluses & minuses so I think it is a draw between the two methods of construction.

Construction Tips & Advice

Foundation
If your house is a slab house then I advise you to add a slab addition & if you have a basement or crawlspace home Then you should build a crawlspace foundation.

You can add a full basement if you want but I warn you, you are flirting with all kinds of problems. Soil conditions & terrain tend to exaggerate water problems & all in all adding a full basement is very expensive. So before adding a basement I would suggest you have a very good reason to do so. I added a few basements when I was in business & had large problems each time. I then refused to add a basement addition on all future requests from homeowners. This saved the homeowner money & saved me from an ulcer. Add a full basement at your own peril.

Siding
You should of course match the siding with whatever is on your house. There is one exception & that is if you have brick facing. Matching it is almost impossible & it is ridiculously expensive. Try Adding cedar or vinyl siding to the addition instead. I will blend nicely.

Roof Design
Roof design is important. Usual choices are Shed, Gable or Hip roof. Each one is more expensive than the next but remember if it does not blend in with the rest of the house it lessens the quality & value of the addition & in turn your home. If you have a few extra dollars a skylight doesn't hurt anything but adds a lot.

Windows
Windows & doors "make" the room so quality, style & location is very important. Be cautious with your selections.

Heat & Electric
Let the contractor suggest the best heating installation but you should give much thought to electric outlets & switches. If you don't the electrician will put them exactly where they should not be. I guarantee it!

Flooring
The least expensive way is to have the contractor leave you a plywood floor ready for carpet. If you want wood flooring or tile or ceramic that's fine but remember the price stars to climb quickly.

This is just a short list of things to consider of course. There are many, many construction items involved in any addition. I cover them al in my books.  

First Floor Addition E-book

"A home addition is not an expense, it is an investment"

A first floor home addition is one of the best investments you will ever make. I call it an investment because that is exactly what it is. Better than bank interest, better than any stock.

After 25 years building first floor  additions I have never seen a homeowner lose money by adding an addition to his home.

First floor additions are the most popular type addition simply because they can be easily adapted to the original house design. Adding a bedroom or extending an existing room, adding a bathroom & adding a family room are the most desired by the average homeowner.

Adding to the rear or side of the house is by far the most prevalent simply because it easily adapts to extending living space to any kind of room you need.

Building a first floor addition on the front of the house is less prevalent because it is usually more expensive to do so & frequently there are issues with property set-back limitations. The front addition is more expensive because it almost always entails new front doors & new steps & walkways. All are relatively expensive items.

Planning includes blending in roof design, foundation, siding, windows, doors etc & a host of large & small items. These additions do not come in a box, wrapped up & ready to use. Each first floor addition is custom built to your specifications & those specs include many, many options & choices.

It has been my experience after giving thousands of estimates to homeowners that most have no idea how to buy an addition. They know little about planning & design & haven't a clue how to get the cost down to an affordable price.

It takes more than getting three estimates & pick the low price which is what the majority of the homeowners do. There is nothing difficult about buying an addition if the correct simple method is spelled out for you to read & absorb.

You will save thousands of dollars by learning how easy it is to do it. I can show you how to buy a quality remodel at the lowest price available in your area.

• How & where to get started
• Where the inexpensive plans come from
• How to find a good, experienced, inexpensive contractor
• How to get the true low price
• How to add more value to your remodel
• Avoid those dreaded contractor extras
• A simple way to add additional space for cheap
• Free bid sheets
• More than you thought there was to know about a first floor addition

(See more Testimonials =>Here 

How to Plan & Design a First Floor Room Addition &    Lower your cost For those who want a one or two story addition off the rear, side or front of the house. Knowing what I know now & with the experience I have, then If I were you, this is how I would proceed to plan, design & build a room addition or extension with a foundation, onto my house. Additionally, this is exactly how I would proceed to hire a contractor at a lower cost, to complete the addition.(or a shell).  Only $9.95