Advice for Home Additions

Plan for Upgrades

Whether or not your addition project will be phase one of a multistage master plan, you may want to factor in a certain amount of long-range planning as you fine-tune the design. What may seem like overkill construction could save you major building costs down the road when you're ready to tackle the next phase of your master plan or are simply adding some finishing touches to your current project. Plus, luxurious add-ons increase home values.

Go High-Tech
When adding new space with house additions, it's smart to incorporate state-of-the-art technology that can be expanded later to include the whole house. High-tech features that are rapidly becoming standard in new construction—such as intercoms, home security systems, whole-house home entertainment systems, and networked home computers—involve complex wiring that's much easier and cheaper to install when the framing is still exposed. With the core of the system installed in the addition, expanding it later to include the whole house will probably be much simpler and less costly than doing the entire project later after the framing is covered.

Allow for Add-Ons
Certain features on your wish list that don't fit your current construction budget can be added later at modest cost if the design and rough-in work are done now. Special framing needed for a prefab fireplace or a hot tub can be included during rough construction, and the fireplace or tub can be added later without tearing into walls and floors—a process that often requires replacing the finishes throughout a room, not just in the area where the feature is being added.