Should I buy a new home or add space with a home addition?

Add living space or move?

If your family needs more room than your current home has. Then the question is, is it best to add on extra space or to move? While neither option is perfect for both situations, part of the question should be. Do we need the additional cost to break ground just to add space? Using existing unfinished space is one of the few expansion projects that can return its full investment through added real estate value.

The majority of homes have convertible space from unlivable to livable footage. Areas that are not under air, like garages and screen porches, are convertible to more living space. By definition, converting finished living space is an addition, because you are adding more living area to your existing home. Enter the home addition.

Stay in your home and add on
Most homes have room to expand. A home addition might be just what you need to create a functional home office, make additional rental income, host out-of-town guests, or accommodate family members moving in or growing.

It can also allow you to stay at home as you age. Staying put, as your family grows, your neighborhood, schools and routines won’t need to change. Plus, your home will be more comfortable and enjoyable to live in as a whole.

Whether you’re thinking of building out, up or adjacent or want to convert your unused space, the possibilities are life changing. If you’re wondering how to add an addition or conversion to your home, the design/build experts at db Home Improvements are here to help.

Add a small, separate living space on the same lot as a single-family homeIf you have a large enough yard, a great option is a secondary living structure detached from the main house: an ADU or DADU.

There are many reasons why adding on to your home is better for one situation while moving is the better option for a different situation. Consider some of the reasons people pick one choice over the other. Costs should always be considered when deciding to expand or move.

Should I sell, buy and move?
Selling your home, buying another house and moving is no light task. Moreover, buying an existing or a new construction house will normally not meet all of your needs unless you go the high-end custom way, then it will. Adding space to your existing home is always customized to your specifications, you will have the opportunity to make it your forever dream project.
Often, only after you’ve moved into the new house that you discover unexpected issues that can include major repairs and upgrades over time that come with new or used houses.
It is understandable why so many families move. Because we find that homeowners move because they aren’t aware of the choice regarding the possibilities of their current house. Our recommendation is to visit the house you are buying more that the first showing then home inspection. The more time you spend on the property, the more familiar you will become with it. It is big decisions don’t let the “sellers inconvenience” bother you.

What type of additional living space can I have?
If you are planning a renovation project entirely for your own enjoyment, like a three or four-season porch conversion sun room, or a dry finished living or play area in the garage. You should still consider the return on your investment ROI. In most cases, adding on to your home will lead to a notable increase in your home’s resale value. Factors depend on your neighborhood and location.

When you add more livable square footage, a home addition can increase your property’s value. We will want to make sure everything is correctly designed with architectural detail that has great flow with the existing home.

Your addition needs to be well-engineered and seamlessly integrated. The best outcome is that no one complements your addition except the neighbors that saw your project progress.

Also, it’s important everything is built to wind code and living space code so that it qualifies as actual living space. For instance, a garage conversion should have egress windows, that is, A window that opens large enough for a firefighter with his equipment to be able to pass through. Or an entry door for fire escape and any bedrooms needs at least one window and a built-in closet.

Misconceptions about additions
Some other misconceptions we have seen can be answered by explanation. Finished living space is the most valuable space in real estate on the market. Is it worth eliminating a garage or eliminating more of an “already small yard”, or a screened porch?

Yes, finished living space will appraise higher, banks will lend more to any potential buyers’ purchase, or a homeowners’ equity loan, and it will sell higher when the time comes to sell. There are people that value yard space, garages for their car and enclosed porches more than finished living space, mainly because they don’t need more living space. They are looking at less square footage homes to fill their needs and will most likely be paying less for it. Nothing is worth more than well designed finished living space.

Life changing additions
We can help your home become less cramped and more content by adding usable, functional, and valuable living space. With perfectionist mindsets, high-quality craftsmanship, and a knack for creativity, our approach to being in the building service industry leaves our customers satisfied and happy.

The process begins with a consultation to help you define your needs and desires. db Home Improvements team will get together with you on a project design and scope of work that is guided by your budget and dreams.

Why db Home Improvements?
We’ll communicate with you every step of the way, see that the project stays on track, and make sure when possible your home is livable during construction.

At db Home Improvements, from consultation to estimating, design, engineering, permitting, and start to finish construction, we will handle your entire project. We will let you know what to expect, eliminating surprises before they are surprising.

What about the condition of our existing house? db Home Improvements has been in business in Florida since 2006. We have A+ Better Business Bureau Accreditation and we are Florida Certified.
Along with giving you more living space, we also specialize in interior design and remolding. We open floor plans, move walls, reconfigure kitchens and bathrooms, we replace impact doors and windows with hurricane products. As with all of our projects, we are there start to finish.

Customer satisfaction is our best offering. For interior projects, we have our own patented negative pressure dust control system that keeps the job clean and our longstanding team of craftsmen is happy to have clean air to breathe on the job site.