Heidan Construction

Additions

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Making Your Home Feel More Spacious

When your house feels cramped, it can really be stifling. Maybe you’ve had kids since moving or maybe your hobbies have been accumulating. No matter what the circumstances, a crowded home isn’t a happy one. So how do you make your home feel more spacious?

Organization

The first step to creating more space in your home is organizing. It may seem like you need everything you own. However, if you haven’t looked through it in a while, you might be surprised what you forgot about. Checking through your belongings, especially those in closets or your back room, can lead to rediscovering lots of space.

Donating or selling old items and organizing what’s left in storage bins can free up closet space. But, before you get to using up the new closet space, make sure what’s joining the old is worth it.

Prioritizing and Rearranging Furniture

One of the things that can make a room feel small is the amount of furniture and the way it’s arranged. If a room feels cramped with what’s in it, try rearranging. Keep furniture along the walls to allow for easily traversable space in the center. The easier it is to move around a room, the less the size will get in your way

If you have trouble making more space by rearranging, consider donating or selling some unnecessary furniture. Maybe the side table makes the coffee table obsolete. Perhaps the potted plant in the corner is taking up space where the bookshelf could go. Prioritize what you’ve got and remove what’s unnecessary.

Lighten the Room

When you’ve minimized the contents of your room, adjust the lighting. Ample light in a room will give it a more open feeling. Utilize windows and consider investing in some lamps.

Actual light isn’t the only important thing. Using lighter paint colors will make your room feel less closed in. There is one exception: using black as a focus wall. Painting the furthest wall from the door with black or a dark color of your choice creates the illusion of depth. Because dark paint hides shadows, it can give the impression that the room is deeper than it really is.

Expand Your Home

Sometimes going through closets and rearranging the living room just doesn’t cut it. If you’re in need of some more genuine space, it might be time to expand your home. Adding on additional bedrooms or expanding upward with a second floor is completely possible.

Moving can be a huge hassle, especially if you want to remain at your current job, keep your kids in their current school, and hold on to the house you’ve grown attached to. Many people don’t realize they can expand their home. The truth is, it’s really as easy as calling professionals who know how to get the job done. Heidan Construction has nearly two decades of experience finishing the exact kind of projects you’re looking for help on.

Give us a call and we’ll help begin the process of designing and building whatever additions you may need.

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Expanding Your Home Upward With A Second Floor

If you’re running low on space, expanding your home with an additional floor could be the solution for you. Why would you want to add a floor to your home? Let’s see how the process works so that you can be better informed!

No Yard Redesigning

If you need more space in your home, additions on the first level of your home can be a huge hassle. It alters the footprint of your home. You’ll need a foundation for your home and if you’ve got a septic tank or a lavishly designed garden in your yard, that can be a massive inconvenience. It’s expensive having to alter the design of your yard like that. You’re committing not only to the structural addition, but also to the landscaping that will have to be done to bring your property back to your standards.

Adding a second floor won’t have an effect on your yard design. There might be some messes during the construction process, but Heidan Construction professionals clean up after themselves. Your yard will look just as good as when construction started.

Some Things To Consider

When adding a second floor to your home, there are some things you’ll need to keep in mind that aren’t necessary to consider when adding ground level additions.

  • Your home might not be able to bear the weight of a second floor. At the very least, it will likely have to have some additional support added into the structure.
  • Instead of extending the current HVAC system, a second one might need to be installed. This will help keep the temperature of the house regulated. A single HVAC system can lead to inconsistent temperature in two-story houses due to the upper floor being warmer.
  • The second level’s floor structure can usually be installed over the top of the first level’s ceiling. This means your ceiling won’t need to be replaced.

A Second Floor Increases Property Value

Like most additions, a second floor expansion will increase your property value. Many people value two story houses more than single-story houses because it makes it possible to separate sleeping areas from active areas. A second floor also gives the house a bigger appearance from outside than a large one story house would have.

All of these aspects make adding a second floor give your home more appeal to buyers. If you’re planning on selling, giving your home another floor will help it draw a lot more attention than it would as a single-story home.

Our Team Will Help Every Step Of The Way

We know a big step like adding a floor to your home is stressful and can be somewhat overwhelming. Fortunately, Heidan Construction’s team of professionals will be there to help and answer questions every step of the process. If you’d like to find out more about giving your home another floor, please feel free to reach out to us. We can answer your questions and discuss pricing for future projects!

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How Can A Rear Addition Improve Your Home?

How Can A Rear Addition Improve Your Home?

Looking to give your home a pick-me-up can come from many different reasons. You could be selling soon and want it to catch the eye of the next buyer to stop by. Or maybe your family is growing and you need to expand so everyone has a little breathing room. No matter your reasoning, adding a rear addition to your home could be the next big step you take to improve your property. What benefits come along with a rear addition? Let’s look at a few of them.

It Preserves The House’s Appearance

If the front of your house already looks how you want it to, adding an addition off the side or front can completely ruin the balance. A rear addition won’t change the entire view of the front of the building. Therefore, you don’t have to redo the lawn or front gardens once construction is completed. You also manage to avoid the house becoming the neighborhood eyesore while building takes place.

It Can Serve Many Functions

A rear addition can serve many different functions. The back of the house is a great place for additional bedrooms, but it’s also the closest spot to the backyard. This is a fantastic place to add on a nanny suite accessible only from the outside. That kind of space is useable for in-laws, live-in nannies, or as a guest suite.

If you have a pool or other amenities in your backyard, a rear addition can also function as an adult space. The back of the house is a great place for something like a ground-level den. A guest space is also used this way when unoccupied. You could incorporate a bar, entertainment space, and add storage for things you can’t leave on the patio during wet seasons.

It Increases The Property Value

A rear addition, like any expansion of your house, will increase the property value. That makes it a great move if you’re planning on selling your home.. If you work with our team to design it strategically, it can even raise the property value by significantly more than you paid to have it built.

Make sure to include something useful or unique in your plans. The addition of a bathroom or a room that can function as a bedroom will make your house look even more appealing to families.

Improves Your Quality Of Life

No matter what you do with your extra space, it’s sure to improve your quality of life. You have more functionality and breathe life back into a house that’s grown to be boring. Plus, an addition is an embodiment of your hard work. Every time you use it or see it being used, you can relish in the pride of putting your hard earned money into improving your environment.

Heidan Construction aspires to excellence. We have professionals dedicated to quality. Adding on to your house is easy when you’ve got a team of experienced contractors leading the efforts, from beginning to end with no hassle to you. When all is said and done, you have a clean and functional new addition with no trace of the building process left behind.

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Should You Renovate or Demolish and Build a New Custom Home?

 

What if you love the area that you live in, but you’ve outgrown your current house? How can you stay in place and gain more space instead? This situation usually comes down to the debate of: renovation versus demolition.

 

Although home additions are generally recommended as the first consideration, the dilemma begins when unforeseen costs of renovating older houses start ballooning. The demolish-and-rebuild route, which requires a strong design build expertise, suddenly starts to look much more attractive. However, it’s not always about costs either. Sometimes, the history and emotional value of the original house is just as important.

 

With these highly subjective factors to consider, you may need to take a few steps back before you can answer the question of: “Should you renovate or demolish and build a new custom home?”

 

Check local zoning laws

Some municipalities don’t allow older houses to be demolished so as to preserve the overall historical character of the area. Certain houses are even protected outright as heritage buildings. If the age or status of your home falls within one of these protected categories, then renovation is the only viable answer to the question.

 

Assess your emotional attachment to the old house

If your house is not prohibited from demolition, how vital is it for you to preserve its original architectural style? Are there some elements or layouts of the old house that you want untouched because you love the memories that form a part of them? The more original features you want to keep, the more you should lean towards renovation.

 

Identify major structural changes needed

Just when it seems like renovation is the final answer, the first catch appears. It helps to ask a professional contractor for a thorough analysis because all the changes you want done may impact the very bones of the house. With older houses, there’s also a high risk of accumulated safety hazards to load-bearing structures. If that’s the case, you’re much better off demolishing and rebuilding anew.

 

Analyze best fit on property lot

Something else to consider is the size and shape of your property lot. Do you have enough space on your lot to accommodate the new home additions? And even if you do, will the additions get sufficient sunlight through their windows? Sometimes, getting the ideal fit and sunlight-optimized orientation on your lot may very well require a complete rebuild.

 

Everyone’s circumstances and priorities are unique. At the end of the day, the decision that feels most right to you overrides the recommendations you hear.

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Why You Should Consider Home Additions Before Anything Else

Heidan Construction - Custom Homes

 

There may come a day when you look around your house and think, “How did it shrink so fast?” That’s when you know it’s time to expand your living space.

 

But before you call up your real estate agent and start poring over new listings though, there’s an option you should consider: home additions. Read on to find out why you should consider home additions before anything else!

 

Saving on unnecessary costs

First things first, let’s talk money. If you need a bigger space, home additions are hands down much less expensive than buying a larger house. The price gap is even more apparent if you’re buying into a rising house market. You’d be swapping the current equity you’ve built up with this house for a new inflated mortgage. And don’t forget either to account for the selling and buying costs as well as the cost of moving. For those who want the best bang for their buck, home additions are the most economical solution.

 

Taking care of the practicalities

You may think you need a whole lot of space when, really, you only need one more room. By considering home additions first, it gives you a more grounded and realistic perspective about your needs. What’s more, it’s next to impossible to find a new house that fits your needs exactly because everyone has different preferences. The great thing about home additions is that they will be custom-designed to your specifications.

 

Keeping what you’ve got going on

It’s hard to let go of what’s right in front of you. All the happy memories in your home where you’ve watched your family grow. The neighbours who’ve looked out for you and became your best friends. The community groups you believe in and support. Even the local stores and restaurants you’re fond of. So why give them up at all?

Making the decision to add to your house means you can have your cake and eat it, too. It extends the beautiful memories you’ve already created in your current home with the opportunity for many more. You also get to maintain the relationships you’ve built up over the years in your neighbourhood and community.

 

Inspiring your creativity

When you set your mind to a home addition, you’ll find that you’re encouraged to get creative in maximizing your property space. Maybe you don’t actually use the backyard as much as you originally thought. Go with a rear addition! Or if the land around your house is limited, you can also consider building up with a second floor addition. Have fun looking for different ways you can make use of the space you have. You’d be surprised at how much more you can squeeze out of it.

 

Investing in your future

A commitment to home additions is a sign that you’re taking a long-term view on your home. In return, you receive peace of mind when you downsize in the future because the extra space can be rented out later on. It also adds value to your home even if you do decide to sell it one day.

For instance, the income potential of an added in-law suite would be very attractive to future buyers. Dining rooms are coming back into fashion and luxury backyards to impress guests are a big draw.

 

There are many benefits to putting home additions at the top of the list. The numbers of the economic benefits speak for themselves. The emotional benefits though are priceless.

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4 Design Considerations for Second Floor Additions

Heidan Construction - Custom Homes

 

Sometimes, building up with a second floor addition may be a better idea than building out. Or upgrading to an entirely new and larger house for that matter. It’s great if you’ve already maxed out your property lot and if you don’t want to buy into an overpriced market.

 

Whatever the reason, here are 4 major design considerations if you decide to build a second floor addition:

 

Structural strength of house

One of the most important preliminary steps of adding on a second floor is to make sure your house can hold up the addition. You also have to factor in the additional weight when the rooms fill up with furniture, fixtures, and potentially more people. All this involves having your contractor verify that the foundation and load-bearing structures are up to code. Older houses and areas that are prone to earthquakes also need careful attention to make them structurally sound.

 

Strategic placement of stairs

This can be a tough design choice if you have limited floor space. No matter how creative you try to get and still keep to code, the new staircase is still going take up a significant amount of room. The best-case scenario is if you already have stairs going down to the basement. That way, you can just put in the second floor staircase directly above that. Otherwise, it’s best to ask for help from your contractor’s professional creativity.

 

Behind the walls

With the addition of extra rooms in the second floor, you have to make sure that the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems can take on the strain. Can the existing systems handle the extra outlets, fixtures, and vents? What’s the most efficient way to install the necessary ductwork, wiring, and pipes to connect the second floor to the rest of your house? These are important questions your contractor can help you answer. The solutions will ensure that the inner workings of your house will run properly after the addition. A second floor addition is also a timely opportunity to overhaul the internal mechanics of the house for future energy savings. Think about upgrading your furnace, electrical panel, and hot water tanks as well as their respective delivery systems. Then install energy-efficient fixtures that will minimise the use of electricity and water. Beefing up insulation while you’re at it will also help in reducing HVAC costs.

 

Roof over your head

How you decide to deal with your roof will have a huge impact on your budget. The more expensive way is to completely demolish the roof and build a whole new one on top of the second storey. The advantage of this option is that you’ll get a brand-new roof that’s custom-fitted to the second floor addition. The more economical way is to temporarily lift up the entire roof and replace it as soon as the framing’s done for the second addition. A lot of work has to be put in afterward though to seal in the roof properly since it won’t be a perfect fit. Of course, if you’re simply building a small second-floor space on top of your garage or porch, then the existing roof wouldn’t be an issue at all.

 

The finishing phase of a second floor addition melds the style of the new structure to that of the original one. A successful addition is one that looks as if it belonged there the entire time.