Thinking About the Could-Be-Perfect Home

Sometimes, a buyer will consider a home that doesn’t really meet their wants or needs, but they picture the property after they have done some work to it and decide that it “could be” the “perfect home” after those changes were made.

However, sometimes those changes pictured by the buyer includes adding-on to the property.

In most cases, it’s not really the mechanics of adding a room, or rooms, to a home that is the hardest part of the process, and if you’re thinking about the purchase of a home to which you would like to add, here’s a few things to think about: 

1. Bulding Codes – You will want to make sure that the addition is built in accordance with local (state, county, and/or city) building codes. This could involve hiring a licensed contractor, or including features that could cost you more than you planned on.
2. Zoning – Make sure the plans you have aren’t in conflict with city or county zoning with regards to the size of the house or it’s capacity or design.
3. Subdivision Rules – If the house is located in a subdivision, or has covenants and restrictions that affect the size and design of the house (and any additions), you’ll definitely want to check those rules out before starting your project. Most subdivisions also have rules about how close an addition can be to the property lines (called “setbacks”).

This is probably not an exhaustive list of all the things to think about, but don’t just buy a home with the assumption that you can add on to it or make it larger to fit your needs. There’s some research to do first.

For more information regarding the purchase of your first home, check out our website at http://www.springfieldfirsthome.com or call or text us at 417.872.9222.