"Room Additions"

Besides providing your home with more living space, building a family room addition can be a terrific investment. However, before embarking on building a family room addition the homeowner should first consider several important items. These items include: home market values in the neighborhood, financing, home building costs, family room design plans (size and scale of project), architecture, timetable for completion, personal disruption/inconvenience threshold and the sweat equity commitment level.

Prior to actually breaking ground on a family room addition, it is best to first have a plan. You need to determine what you are looking for in terms of additional living space. For example: How many square feet? What types of rooms? Once this is understood, it is then important to find out the market value of homes in the local area with similar size and features to the new and improved home.

With this information the homeowner can then calculate the difference between their current home market value and the new and improved home market value. This difference should represent the maximum cost budget for the new addition if a positive investment is desired. For example, a homeowner would not want to spend $40,000 on a new family room addition that provides only $20,000 in increased market value to the improved home.

The next important question involves how to fund the cost of the family room addition. Unless the project is being funded via cash/savings then financing will be required. If current mortgage rates are higher than the existing mortgage, then a home equity loan will probably make the most sense. If current mortgage rates are lower than the existing mortgage, then refinancing the entire home, including the cost of the family room addition project, may make the most sense.

Once the financial items have been addressed it is then time to focus on the size and scale of the project, as well as the architectural and aesthetics of the new family room addition. The family room addition should be of size and scale such that it aesthetically melds into the original house. It should not be too small or too big. Frequently, homeowners get carried away and add large amounts of new living space without sufficient thought on the outside appearance.

From a market value, there is more to a home than just pure living space. A home needs to maintain its exterior aesthetics as well. It is important to consider such items as siding, doors, windows, rooflines, and elevations. All should meld into the existing home exterior seamlessly and aesthetically. If an architect is not planned for the project, then the homeowner should at least make some sketches of the home exterior with the new addition.

The building inspector will probably require them anyways during the permit process. Also, there are many Home Design software packages on the market today that can help create such drawings. SunderInc, of Vail Colorado can help you design and build your Vail custom home addition.

The next two items that should be considered include the timetable for completing the project and the homeowner sweaty equity commitment level. Many homeowners assume they can do a lot more than they are either skilled to do or have the time to do. From personal experience, I would suggest contracting out the site/ground work, rough framing, roofing, siding, heating/cooling, and the drywall. All of these tasks require skill, time and brawn.

If local laws permit, electric and plumbing may be tackled by the homeowner. However, both require skill and can be life threatening if not performed properly. Other tasks that a homeowner could tackle include installing interior doors, finish trim, painting, cabinet installation, tiling and hardwood flooring. Prior to a homeowner signing up to any specific task however, they should first honestly assess their skill and available time, and compare them to their project schedule. If they don't match, hire a general contractor like SunderInc.

Finally, a homeowner should consider their threshold for inconvenience and disruption. A family room addition, particularly if it involves the kitchen, is very disruptive to today's busy lifestyles. It is also a dusty, dirty and noisy endeavor. In addition, dealing with subcontractors can be challenging at best. For a typical family room addition anticipate several months of effort and inconvenience.

If after assessing all these issues you are still willing to move forward with the project, contact your subcontractors, pull your permits and get ready for an exciting time. For most homeowners building a family room addition is a positive experience that provides both new living space and a great investment. For more help on building a family room addition, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's Room Addition Bid sheet. The Room Addition Bid Sheet will help ensure that your room addition project goes smoothly and is completed on time and budget.

ABOUT SunderInc... "For Sunder, Inc., the construction process begins with the end result in mind. By asking questions and listening carefully to you, J.P. Sunderland has the ability to understand, conceptualize and execute fine home construction from the resident’s perspective. He can influence site selection, creation of the living space, to the final details of the materials, look, feel and ambiance of your dream home. You can't find a better builder in Vail for your custom home." Maggie K. Curtis Vail Real Estate Blog

Why should you consider us? We have a 30-year history in Vail building custom homes. We also handle both construction and project management. Our construction team has experience and the skill needed to deliver a superior custom built home. We meet the exacting standards of our clients, and deliver mountain dream homes on time and on budget!
Thanks so much, J.P. Sunderland."

John “J.P.” Sunderland, the principal of Sunder, Inc., moved to Vail in 1976 from North Dakota. With his love of the Colorado mountains, innate creativity, affinity for the planning and construction process, and meticulous attention to detail, J.P. is perfectly suited for his work as general contractor of custom homes that reflect the unique character, personality and lifestyle of their owners.