You’re relaxing on the couch watching an HGTV remodel marathon when you wonder, “Could we afford a room addition Houston? How do you budget for that kind of thing anyway?”
If you’re thinking of adding on to your Houston home, read to learn what to consider when budgeting for a room addition.
What Kinds of Room Additions Are There?
Before you jump online and start researching architects and contractors, you have to decide what type of room addition you want. It’s not as simple as attaching three walls and flooring. There a few different kinds to consider and they all have their pros and cons. Typical room additions are:
- Add-ons
- Sunrooms
- Detached Additions
Add-Ons: Building Out Vs. Building up.
Add-ons are what you probably picture when you think of room additions. They can be:
- Offices/ studies
- Game rooms (with or without a wet bar)
- Nurseries
- Libraries
- Guest rooms
- Mother-in-Law master suites
- Master bedrooms
- Bathrooms
- Entertainment rooms
But believe it or not, there is more to it than adding in a couple hundred square feet of space. You have to ask yourself, “Do I want to build out, or build up?”
Building Out
Building out means you’re adding the extra space to the ground floor of your house.
The Pros: Building out is a lot simpler to complete and is a great way to add footage that seamlessly connects to the rest of your home. You can add a bedroom, or maybe get that billiard room with a bar you’ve always wanted.
The Cons: Building out means you’ll have less yard space, and you may have Homeowners’ Association rules and restrictions to deal with. So the first thing you should do when considering building out is to check with your HOA to see if there are any rules you have to follow. You can do this by calling your HOA office directly, or you could go to your HOA’s website and see if they have a downloadable PDF of their by-laws. This will make it easier to design your build out and will avoid any headaches in the future.
Building Up
Building up means your room addition Houston will be added to the second (or higher) floor of your home.
The Pros: You’ll have more space to play with and you won’t lose any yard footage. You could even add on a whole other floor, giving you more than just one extra room.
The Cons: Whether you choose to add a whole new floor or just one room, you’ll have to ensure the rest of the house can bear the extra weight. Keep that in mind when you’re starting a design with an architect.
Sunroom
Sunrooms are great for people who want a light-filled room and a light budget. Depending on the size, their construction time could be shorter than other projects. However, they have their own unique set of options to think about, like whether or not you plan to use it year-round or only two-three seasons.
The Pros: Sunroom additions area great for watching the kids play in the backyard, watching the rain with a good book or cup of tea, or playing games on a nice summer day. Since heating and cooling is optional, the cost of a sunroom is much lighter than adding a typical room in your home.
The Cons: You will need heating and cooling if you plan to use your sunroom year-round, which could add to the overall cost. You’ll also have to factor in yard size. You don’t want a sunroom so large that it takes up more than it’s share of grass.
Detached Additions
With the tiny house movement going strong, detached additions have been a popular choice for many homeowners. They’re so popular, in fact, that YouTube DIY stars Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh of Threadbanger decided to add one to their yard when they bought and renovated their first home. Their tiny house is pictured on the left. You see the full video of their tiny home here.
“What if I don’t want a tiny house?”
The beauty of detached additions is their versatility. They can be work rooms, art studios, offices, or storage sheds. Have you always wanted a quiet space to paint? Maybe an office all to yourself to get some serious work done? With a detached addition, you can create the perfect space you need.
The Pros: Their uses are as limitless as their possibilities. There is a lot you can do with a detached addition to make it unique to you and your life.
The Cons: Because they’re so versatile it’s hard to say exactly what a detached addition costs. If you opt for a simple shed the cost could be quite light. But if you go for the tiny house option with working electricity and plumbing, the cost could be somewhat heavy.
So How Should I Budget for my Room Addition Houston?
The only real way to know how you should budget is to first know what you want. Look at the options above and really consider how they’ll fit your needs. When you have settled on an idea, speak with an architect to flesh it out and then thoroughly vet a contractor. A contractor can take a look at the room addition plans and where the room will go to give you an estimate of what you might pay.
“On HGTV I’ve seen people pay X for a room addition.”
You could pay the prices you’ve seen on TV, or could pay something totally different. HGTV is TV after all. It has real people in it, but that’s where the reality ends. The rest is a drama-filled story crafted by producers and a lot of behind-the-scenes magic to make things interesting.
HGTV is after ratings, not truth. So while it’s fine to watch it for style ideas, ignore the numbers you see on the screen. Your wallet will thank you.
