There are many ways in which your family can grow – a new baby, an adoption, adult children returning home, grandkids moving in – or even Mom and Dad retiring to Sarasota!
If you find that you need extra room, buying a new home is always an option. But many area homeowners love their home and don’t want to leave. If you have enough space in your yard, a home addition may be a great solution.
When a Home Addition Makes Sense
Before planning a home addition, you will have to understand your zoning laws. A practical place to begin is meeting with a Longboat Key or Sarasota general contractor. They have the expert knowledge needed to help you brainstorm where you can build an addition, which permits are needed, and what the city ordinances or neighborhood bylaws will allow.
In determining where to construct the home addition, the custom builder will also take trees, water tables, and easements into account. Having a professional in your corner from the very beginning can help you to avoid problems down the road.
If you determine that a home addition will make sense, there are several types of renovations you might consider.
- Go Up: Many older Sarasota homes are one story ranch properties, and therefore you may have the option to build a second story. Homeowners often choose to build an expansive master suite on a second floor, freeing up the bedroom downstairs for extended family. Another option is to build several guest bedrooms, a full bath, and a common area in the middle – a perfect oasis to put all the kids. If you have an unfinished attic space with room, you may wish to consider turning it into a loft space. This will allow you to stay within the original frame of the home, but utilize space more efficiently.
- Go Out: With enough space in your yard, you can build an extension off the back of the home. People often build out over an existing patio or deck which has a foundation. By locating the water pipes running to an existing bath or laundry room and building the bathroom on an adjacent wall, you can make this addition an easier project.
- Go Adjacent: Your garage is often a logical space to extend into – by adding the right insulation and running vents for air conditioning, an extra bedroom is just an extra wall away. Of course, you will likely want to then build another garage, but constructing an exterior space may cost less and be less of a project. The garage can also be a free-standing structure – add a breezeway to protect yourself from rain! Some of Sarasota’s more historic properties have detached garages already. If you have one of these, check zoning laws to see if you can build an apartment in the upper level of the garage.
When it comes down to it, home addition is really only constrained by your imagination – and your neighborhood’s rules. Like any home construction project, do your homework and then plan your design with a Sarasota custom home builder. Expert general contractors not only build new homes, they are masters at home renovations and additions. Lindahl Construction will be a valuable partner in the design and conceptualization of your home addition. They can also advise you of the zoning laws and building codes, apply for any permits or zoning variances, and even present your case to the city if needed. If your family is growing and you need more space, don’t give up your home – call Lindahl Construction!