Home Addition Costs, Cost of Home Additions, Plans For Home Additions

Home Addition Costs - How Much Does it Cost to Build?

Home addition costs can cover a wide range of prices, and there are many relevant factors that can affect the price you will pay to add on to your home. You may need more room for many reasons, such as an expanding family or the need for a home office, and this is a common reason to consider either moving or adding on to your existing home.

Home Addition Costs The cost of home additions is normally viewed as an investment, with the expectation that if you sell in the future these costs will be recovered with a higher sale price. After you have determined what your addition project will be it's time to determine a cost estimate for this renovation, and this can help you evaluate whether or not the project is a smart move.

Plans for home additions can cover many different sizes, types, and materials. You can add a bathroom, garage, or even construct an entire private apartment or additional floor in your home if your space needs are extensive.

You may choose to add an addition to your home because it is crowded, to allow a family member privacy and independence, or simply to improve the function and appeal while expanding your living spaces. You can get the master bed and bath suite you have always dreamed of, or finally create the rec room and play area you have always wanted for the kids and grandkids to enjoy with minimal home addition costs involved.

Home Addition Costs Compared To Buying a New Home

One of the most common conflicts is whether to buy a new home and move or to take advantage of plans for home additions to improve the home you already own. In some cases it may be better financially to move, and in others the added value of an addition makes this a better option.

Home addition costs can add up quickly, with an average bathroom costing around ten thousand dollars, and a kitchen project starting at the most basic level for this amount. In many cases this is a better option than selling your home, buying a new one, and moving all of your belongings.

The cost of home additions can be calculated by using any of the available home addition calculators available online. This estimate will help you determine whether it's a better choice to add on or whether it's more cost effective to move and buy a house better suited to your needs.

If your home is already at top value for your location and other relevant factors then the home addition costs may not seem as reasonable or such a good idea. You could end up spending tens of thousands of dollars to improve your home and this expense will probably not be recouped if you ever sell, unless property values increase significantly in the future.

The majority of the time it's a better choice to add on to your house, especially if this project increases the value of your home. When the costs of a new home purchase are compared with the costs of renovating your existing home it's usually less expensive to add on.

The Type of Addition Will Affect Your Home Addition Costs

One important factor with the cost of home additions is the type of addition you are looking for. Constructing an in-law suite or separate apartment will have a higher total cost than simply adding a bedroom or increasing the space in your living room.

Home addition costs will need to include the expense of any plumbing and electrical work which must be done, and if your addition includes either of these elements it will generally cost more to complete. This is why a kitchen addition will usually cost much more than a bathroom or bedroom addition, and for projects that add more than one room the costs can multiply quickly.

Your choice of appliances, fixtures, and materials are also involved in reaching a final project cost. The average cost of home additions in the US can run from one hundred dollars per square foot up to seven hundred dollars a square foot, depending on the area you live in and the specific addition you want.

Plans for home additions can be found that can fit in almost any budget, and it's possible to adjust your project expenses by choosing lower cost materials, fixtures, and appliances. Almost every expense included in your project costs can be lowered with some effort.

The Emotional Factor and Home Addition Costs

One factor that may not show up in your home value or any spreadsheet is the emotional attachment that you have to your home, and this is a common reason why an addition can be the best choice. Sometimes the cost of home additions may never be recovered even if you eventually sell your home, but this does not make this type of project a bad idea in all situations.

Home addition costs look at the numbers, but what about the value of your memories, experiences, and previous home improvement projects? Your home may be where you raised children, or even grew up yourself, and for some moving is not an option in any way because of the emotional attachment felt towards your home.

If moving to a new home is not an option for you there is a wide range of plans for home additions that can fit any home style, design, and type. A quick online search will reveal thousands of plans that may be a good fit with your existing home.

Home Addition Costs Are Affected By Geography

Your final home addition costs can vary by a substantial amount according to where you live, and some areas have higher construction and material costs as well as increased contractor and labor costs. Whether your home is located in the north, south, east, or west will determine your final project expenses and total costs involved.

You will find plans for home additions that are suited for one of these specific regions as well as plans that can fit almost anywhere in the USA. Some regions of the country have certain styles, and these designs can also affect any project costs.

One reason why material costs can vary by a large amount is the transportation involved. If you choose materials that are not found locally these must be transported in, and this can increase your material costs significantly.

Average Home Addition Costs per Square Footage and Area

The table below shows the average home addition costs broken down according to the region and the type of project and budget included. These averages can change depending on the specific city and neighborhood you live in, but they can help you calculate a rough estimate for your project.

Region	Shell Only	Budget	Mid Level	Custom
West Coast Region	$75 - $150	$100 - $200	$200 - $300	$300 - $600
East Coast Region	$75 - $125	$150 - $250	$250 - $350	$350 - $700
Northern Region	$50 - $100	$75 - $150	$150 - $200	$200 - $450
Southern Region	$50 - $100	$75 - $150	$150 - $250	$250 - $500

A shell only addition only includes the bare basics, and will not include any electricity or plumbing. These are generally not finished on the inside, and will involve additional expenses to finish the interior in many cases.

Home Addition Costs A budget project will include costs for home additions that are economical and do not involve top dollar materials, appliances, or fixtures. These projects will supply a finished addition area but little else.

A mid level addition can include higher home addition costs, but you will get better materials and appliances in many cases in exchange for a higher price. This choice is somewhere between the basic and the custom options, and can be more affordable than having a custom addition built usually.

A custom addition is the most expensive choice but also gives you exactly what you are looking for. These additions can cost one hundred thousand dollars or more, and with this option you can choose every aspect of your new space according to what you want.

With a custom addition one of the costs of home additions is the expense of having custom plans created by an architect. This step alone can cost thousands of dollars, and using plans that can be purchased for a lot less online can really help lower your project costs.

Home Addition Costs and the Available Options

The cost of home additions will depend on what available options you are interested in, and the type of addition you are looking for. Your options can include:

Another Bathroom- A bathroom addition will normally average around ten thousand dollars for a middle of the road project. If you want a deluxe bathroom with all the perks you could spend fifty thousand dollars or more.

An Extra Bedroom- An extra bedroom can cost you between eight thousand and twenty thousand dollars for a budget or mid level addition, but this will depend on the other factors as well. A top of the line option could cost in excess of thirty or forty thousand dollars.

A Deck- A deck can be a great way to add living space while keeping home addition costs down. This option can be built for less than six thousand dollars if you go budget, and a custom deck could cost twenty five thousand dollars or more.

A Dormer Addition- This project may run anywhere from seven or eight thousand dollars up, depending on your specific project and region.

A Sunroom - Plans for home additions include many sunroom options, and this can be a very inexpensive way to add on to your home. Sunrooms can start at around five or six thousand dollars and will go up from there.

A Second Floor- Adding a second floor can be a costly effort but one that is worth it when you see the finished results and additional space added. You can expect to pay around forty thousand dollars or more for this type of addition, but it can double your living space.

An Attached Garage- An attached garage can start at seven or eight thousand dollars, and this is a low average for home addition costs.

An In Law Apartment or Private Suite- An in-law suite or private apartment can be built on a budget for around thirty to forty thousand, but if you want a custom addition the cost will be much higher than this.

A Family Room- Adding on to an existing family room can be managed for as little as five to ten thousand dollars, but if you choose to add amenities and options this cost will increase significantly.

A Bigger State Of The Art Kitchen- A kitchen addition will usually start at around ten thousand dollars for the most basic model, and can go up to seventy five thousand dollars or more for a state of the art version with top end appliances and amenities.

A Master Suite- The home addition costs involved in adding a master suite can range from around fifteen or twenty thousand dollars up to fifty grand or more.