According to Bob Vila, adding a new room to your home will set you back about $80 to $200 per square foot. The price depends on the size of the new room and what materials you plan to use. But budgeting is just one of the many aspects of adding a new room to your house.
As your family grows, there comes a time when building a new room for your growing family is no longer optional. However, adding a new room is easier said than done. In fact, most families don’t know how to add a room to a house, but that’s where we come in.
In today’s post, we’ll be highlighting a few incredible ways to add an extra room to your house.
1. Add an Internal Room:
The easiest way of adding an extra room to your house is to partition an existing one. Adding an internal wall is not only cost-effective but also a great option for people with limited wall space.
Find the largest room in your house and build an internal wall smack dab in the middle of the room. The two small rooms could make excellent bedrooms for the kids, given that kids don’t need that much space.
If you decide to add a partition wall in one room, you need to plan where the entrance to the second room will be. Adding a door to the load-bearing wall to enter the second room might compromise the home’s structural integrity. A simple solution is to add a doorway to the internal wall.
2. Convert the Garage Into a Room:
Another cost-effective way to add a new room to your home is to convert your existing garage into one. You can always park your car in the driveway and it’ll remain safe and sound. Driveway parking for a comfortable living space is a fair trade-off for any reasonable homeowner.
However, before getting to work, check first with the local authorities. Some regions may not permit garage conversions because they want to reduce on-road parking. But if the authorities give you the green light, go for it.
Remember, to legally convert your garage, you need to bring it up to habitable standards. Ensure the garage is up to code before you can have anyone sleeping in it. Because most regions consider garage conversions as permitted development, it’s likely that you won’t need planning permission.
3. Try Your Hand at Loft Conversion:
If you have an empty loft, why not convert it into an extra bedroom? A loft conversion is one of the most practical home addition ideas, especially if you have a sizable loft.
Don’t despair if your loft seems too small to be habitable. A simple extension will provide you with all the headroom you need. After that, you can consider adding a dormer window to allow natural light inside.
To increase floor space, you might want to consider loft boarding. Not only does it increase floor space, but it also prevents heat loss to help you keep warm during the winter. The best part is the cost of loft boarding is very pocket friendly.
4. Build a Mezzanine Floor:
If you’re lucky enough to have a home with high ceilings, then a mezzanine floor is just what the doctor ordered. A mezzanine floor is a little “half-floor” between an existing floor and the ceiling. It’s like an internal balcony that extends much further and has stairs leading to it.
Again, mezzanine floors only work if you have really high ceilings or have no problem extending the height of your current ceiling. The problem with mezzanine floors is that the floor is exposed to the rest of the house. It may not be an ideal room for a bedroom because of the lack of privacy.
However, this shouldn’t stop you from building a mezzanine floor. You can circumvent this by transferring an existing room to the mezzanine floor and converting the room into a bedroom; problem solved.
Because of its inherent complexity, building a mezzanine floor isn’t a DIY project. Despite your considerable DIY skillset, you’re better off leaving this one to the pros.
5. Add a Room Above the Garage:
If converting your garage is completely out of the question, you should consider adding a room above the garage. This is a great idea if you don’t have enough space to extend your home. Plus, it’s a great way to save on building a new foundation.
Before starting on your project, it might be a good idea to look up your local building codes. Adding an extra room above the garage requires planning permission. Different areas will have different guidelines for building a room above your garage.
Some common guidelines include:
- The room must not extend right up to the boundary to prevent a terracing effect
- The extension shouldn’t face the neighbors’ property
- Flat roofs may ruin the street view
- The room’s exterior must follow the details of the existing house
If your additional garage room meets the above criteria, you’ll most likely get the green light.
6. Build a Sunroom:
Another great way to add an extra room to your house is to build a sunroom. A sunroom is an additional room that homeowners attach to their homes for extra space. They’re usually covered by windows to allow as much sunlight in as possible.
Sunrooms are a lot more affordable than an actual house extension. Plus, there are plenty of DIY sunroom kits that you can get online. The only downside to sunrooms is that they don’t make very practical bedrooms.
How to Add a Room to a House Made Easy?
Now that you know how to add a room to a house, our work here is done. It’s now up to you to pick the best method that works for you. Get a reputable contractor for the job, and you’re destined for success.
For more informative room addition ideas, check out the other posts on the site.
