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Adding a room to a house is a wonderful way to bring a new look to your home but also to bring some much needed added room. How to add a room to a house cheap can be done in a number of different ways, but you can say that one of the cheapest ways to add a room to your home is to simply work on what you have – existing space.
How to add a room to a house cheap can be achieved in a number of ways, but unless you plan to do the job yourself, you will need to be prepared to spend some money. When you choose to add a room with building experts, you will also need to accommodate for some delays and also some expenses that you did not bargain for.
How to add a room to a house cheap – Your basement
Has your home got an unused, and perhaps unfinished basement? How to add a room to a house cheap requires taking a basement into account. A basement can easily be turned into a functional room that can be used in lots of different ways. Most people like the idea of a family room, but it can become an extra bedroom or even converted into a bedroom with its own bathroom.
It will work out to be fairly cheap as the entire structure is already there. There are, however, one or two alterations that will have to be made such as decent flooring as well as plumbing and electrical work to the room. If you are an able and experienced handyman, how to add a room to a house cheap becomes even cheaper as you do not have to hire contractors.
How to add a room to a house cheap – Converting a garage
Many families no longer feel the need for an additional car and by getting rid of it, they have extra garage space. This is one good way on how to add a room to a house cheap.
Turning a garage into a room is a cost-effective way to increase your living space. Sometimes home is lucky enough to have two garages and two carports and then with a double garage, you have got about 55 square meters that can be converted into a flatlet complete with an en-suite bathroom and a kitchen – the ideas are endless.
How to add a room to a house cheaply when you are converting a garage is not just a case of willy nilly moving your furniture in. There are some things that require consideration.
The Council will have to give approval
If you are making structural changes to a garage, you will need planning permission from your local council. Things have to be done properly and you will need an architect roped in to draw up plans, even though it is an existing building with windows and doors.
A plumber and electrician will also need to bring about changes. The council will have to give approval before you can get going with the changes. Many people fancy the idea of converting their garage into an accommodation unit that can be hired out and then an electrician will be required to install a dedicated electrical supply separate from the main house so that its electricity can be billed separately.
Modular room additions are easy and convenient
How to add a room to a house cheap has to include a modular room. It is so convenient and in a jiffy, you have got the extra space you need.
Modular construction is a great, convenient way to build an addition. You get both quality and cheapness as well as speed. Speed is always beneficial as no-one likes their life disrupted.
You could say that the most popular type of modular home addition is when it is attached to the side of a home. Then again, when space is a problem, people consider turning their single-story home into a double story home.
How to add a room to a house cheap is seriously what you get when you add these pre-fabricated rooms as an addition to your home. Rooms are customized to your requirements at the building site and are ready for use within just a few weeks.
The modular addition is assembled at the building site, transported to the home, and set into place, creating an instant extra room to the existing home. There are quality control checks throughout the production so that there is nothing inferior about these home additions. Plumbing, electrical wiring, and drywall all conform to regular building standards.
Mezzanine floors
A mezzanine floor is a worthwhile consideration when you want to know how to add a room to a house cheap as the ‘shell’ of the room is already there.
They are usually built to add more much-needed room so it could be a bedroom, but more popular ideas are home offices, studies, or even a library. Its design will depend on how a person wants to use it.
They can be trendy places these but you want an expert who knows how to add a room to a house cheaply while still ensuring the strength of materials and that your mezzanine room is sturdily constructed.
Some people like the idea of using lots of wood and glass to give it a casual, light, carefree feel it. Homeowners might worry a little bit about privacy with a mezzanine room, preferring to convert it into an office. These kinds of rooms are always wonderfully light and airy. With the right building professionals, they can help you ensure your mezzanine reaches its best potential.
You still have to comply with building regulations
Converting an existing mezzanine is really a cheap, easy way to provide you with attractive additional space. Just like when you convert a garage into an accommodation space, with a mezzanine, you also have to meet building regulations. The main purpose of these building regulations is to ensure that the mezzanine floor still remains safe should a fire break out and that it is a safe structure
A Bump Out
The benefit of a bump-out in terms of cost and being far cheaper is that it gives you much needed extra space but avoids you making a full addition.
People find that just 2 extra feet can make a world of difference but how to add a room to a house cheap can also be affordable when the bump-out is 10 feet or more. In fact, a bump-out that extends 3 feet from the house and is more than 10 to 15 feed wide adds roughly 40 square feet to the house. This can be looked upon as a significant space maker.
Nothing is set in stone as to what really makes a bump out and they come with different construction methods and designs. These bump-outs, because of their small size, do not change the exterior of the house that much. They are often added to rooms that are already small and they can greatly enhance such a room. Sometimes a bump-out can be sufficient enough to add a much-needed shower, toilet, and wash-hand basin or it can add a large pantry to a kitchen.
While the total cost of a bump out is far less than a regular size house addition, it costs more on a square foot basis as a large part of the cost is involved with the plans, permits, and opening up the part of the house where the bump-out is to appear.
In fact, small though a bump out is, you are still going to have to do the same things, like call in an electrician or plumber – just like what you would do with a full-size addition. Costs vary significantly but a 4 feet x 10 feet bump-out will cost you in the region of about $30,000.
Before you think of knocking down some walls for you to bump out, first think about how much additional space you actually need and the purpose of the extra room. Small though they are, these bump-outs still require the regular building codes and permits.
Converting a patio into a room
How to add a room to a house cheap might be a case of converting a patio into a room and converting it into a sun-room, study, or family room. As with all additions, plans will have to be submitted for approval.
You have to ensure that no moisture enters into the structure, and building codes will lay out the manner this has to be achieved. There will quite possibly be some major modifications required to achieve the requirements of the building codes for a room to be used for accommodation.
Just for starters, the level of the new floor may need to match the level of the floors that exist already for the house. Maybe the floor will need to be steel-reinforced concrete? A complying ceiling will need to be installed and plumbing pipes may need to be redirected.
A building permit will be required before any construction work for the conversion can begin. Changing a patio into a habitable room is going to still require quite a lot of paperwork being submitted even though the position of the proposed room is there.
If your home is fortunate to have a patio or porch type structure, much of the structural work already exists. You can count yourself as lucky because converting it into a finished room can provide you with space you need and it can be a far simpler, cheaper way to gain extra room.
There may be quite a few things that need to be done with the conversion of a patio into a room. It may include insulation, additional windows, and plumbing. Plumbing can impact the cost quite a bit.
Even if there is already some lighting on your porch, you will still need to update your electricity to meet your area’s local building codes. How to add a room to a house cheap, even with all these building elements thrown is, can still be far more cost-effective than adding a whole new room to your home to get that additional usable space.
While enclosing your porch is a cost-effective solution there will always be one or two things to particularly look out for. Your building contractor will need to be aware of your area’s local weather conditions and take that into account when designing your new room. In the 21st century, insulation and energy are important considerations.
The foundation is also an important aspect, and the depth of your foundation must be such that it can handle the additional weight of the porch’s new walls, roof, and windows.
Altering the patio without proper foundation preparation can see cracks in the foundation and the roof and in the long run will cost a fortune in repairs, defeating the purpose of converting a patio into a habitable room cheaply. Remodeling your porch in the right way can create that additional living space that adds so much functionality to your home.
Cheap it may seem, but costs CAN add up – that’s the reality
Finally, how to add a room to a house cheap can also be a case of knocking through some walls to create a bigger living area or bigger kitchen or whatever the case may be. Some older homes and even some newer ones may have tiny, pokey little rooms that are no good to anyone. You may even have a few unused rooms, and knocking down some walls and making a larger, open room can be a wonderful room addition to your home.
If you are not a handyman, how to add a room to a house cheap should not be attempted by you. It would be better to get a building expert in as there may be electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, and air vents in the walls that will need to be rerouted. Knocking down walls will add space without changing your home and it can provide you with a whole lot of space and light while saving money.
