Has your growing family squeezed you out of your living space? Are you planning a room addition to increase home value for resale? No matter your reasons, adding a room to your existing home requires planning, budgeting, and a careful evaluation of contractors if you expect a solid return on your investment.

 

It's always a good idea to begin the planning process by determining which room or rooms you intend to add, what you want to use them for, and how large they need to be to suit your current or long-term needs. Knowing the measurements of your current floor plan can help because you want any room addition plans to map out new space in the same relative scale as your existing rooms. Make some rough sketches on paper or use one of the many inexpensive room design software programs you can find in a computer or home improvement store.

 

You may want to visit your lender next and get pre-qualified for a loan. You don't need to know the precise dimensions of your addition at this point. But starting the financial process early can help eliminate setbacks in your schedule. Next, find out from your city planning department what the maximum size for room additions is according to local zoning regulations.

 

Finally, once you've decided on a rough plan, contact local contractors to get a rough estimate of cost-per-square-foot for additions in your area. Perhaps you want to engage one of them to help you complete formal plans for the room. You may have to pay the initial design cost without having financing. But when you're done, you should have an excellent idea for the room you want to add, its square footage, the local requirements you need to satisfy, and a sense of how long it should take to complete. Most importantly, you'll know what you can afford.

 

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.