Homeowners hire home remodeling contractors for many reasons but one of the most common is that they run out of room. A two-bedroom bungalow was great for a couple and two young children but children get bigger and the family begins to accumulate possessions. Pretty soon the laws of physics take over and the quaint, roomy bungalow suddenly becomes as cramped as a submarine.
When a home becomes too small the family can move to a bigger place or get construction remodeling ideas from several home remodeling contractors. The problems with moving are many and include:
- Location: When a family gets situated in a location this means that the kids are settled into schools and activities. They begin to form friendships as do the parents. All the routes to shopping, schools, and work become second nature and carpooling makes longer commutes easier. Moving means breaking all these bonds and the long journey to rebuild them in another location. Home remodeling contractors can redesign the home so that the space will be there and moving will not be necessary.
- Selling the Home: Deciding to move is one thing, however selling the place for the right price may take as long time in a tough economic period.
- The Right Home-The Wrong Location: The further out of an urban area you look the easier it is to find a great buy. However, this is the dilemma. Because not only is the commute longer so is the distance to amenities like stores and schools. Children's activities are further away meaning that you are spending more waking hours on the road than at home.
- The Art of Moving: Very few people like moving. Not only is it hard work but it always takes much longer than anyone calculates. Regular schedules are disrupted and the kids have to be enrolled in new schools and other activities.
Home Remodeling Contractors Are Spacemen
The main difference between home remodeling contractors and building contractors is that the latter gets to start fresh every time. It's like working with a clean sheet of paper. However home remodeling contractors have to take a structure that someone else built and add space to it or change it in other ways. In most cases they do not have the original plans and so have to deal with design issues as they come up.
There are basically four (4) ways to gain space in a home: cannibalize, down, up or out:
- Cannibalize: Homeowners who want to change the space in the interior of a home without expanding the structure will have to take space from one part of the home and give it to the other. This might mean giving up one bedroom in a three-bedroom home to make that grand spa-bathroom you've always dreamed about. Or it may be that the living room is too big and you want to carve out a small study beside it. Another way is to move into the attached garage and build a living room.
- Down: For home remodeling contractors redoing the basement area into a livable space is one of the easiest space-adding renovations to do and there are a lot of basement ideas. This is because the utilities are close and there are no exterior walls to construct. In addition, in most cases the family can stay in the home while the basement renovations are being completed because the noise and the mess stays downstairs.
- Out: Adding a room addition out the side or back of the home requires that home remodeling contractors bidding on the project know they have to build another new structure. This is so because there has to be a foundation, an exterior wall or walls and roofing on the new section. The new part is then attached to the main home and it is usually fed by the same utility system. Most of the work is completed outside and so the family can stay in the home and be devoid of the mess and noise. Of course this is a more expensive option that going into the basement or out into the garage. Another way homeowners get space is by building a large deck. This deck can be a series of levels and can include an outdoor kitchen or even a living room area
- Up: One of the most difficult projects for home renovation contractors is to add a story onto a home. This is because they have to take the roof off a house first and strengthen the walls before building the new addition. Not only is this costly for the homeowner but they will definitely have to move out while this is being accomplished. This is because of the noise, the mess and safety concerns. But once completed it will almost double the floor space of the home.
Whatever the renovation make sure you hire licensed home remodeling contractors if it is applicable in your state. To find qualified home remodeling contractors consult our Contractor Directory or simply post your project online.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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