Why More Homeowners Are Choosing Additions Over Moving
For many homeowners, the issue is not that they want to move. It’s that they need more space than their current home allows. Moving can be a major disruption, especially when your kids like their school, you have good neighbours, and you’re close to the amenities and routines that make life easier. A home addition can be a practical way to stay in the location you already enjoy while improving how your home functions for the long term. That is exactly the situation behind a home addition project we are currently working on in Sturgeon County, where a family needed more space for their growing household and a dedicated area for a home-based business. And like many additions, creating that extra space starts well before the structure begins to take shape.
Start With What’s Underground
One thing that often gets overlooked, especially early on, is what is already in the ground. On this project, installing the screw piles took a bit of extra planning because of existing power lines, water lines, and gas lines. Before any real work could move ahead, everything had to be properly located and mapped out to avoid issues and make sure the foundation work could be done safely.
How the New Addition Connects to Your Existing Home
It’s also really important to think about how the new space is actually going to tie into your existing home. In this case, tying the new roof into the existing structure was a big part of the build. You want it to look right, of course, but more importantly, it has to perform properly and hold up over time, especially with the kind of weather we get here in Alberta.
Planning the Layout for Real Everyday Use
Another thing to keep in mind is how the space will actually be used day to day. In this case, the addition is being set up for extra bedrooms along with a home-based salon. Thinking through that early on really helps make sure the layout ends up working the way it should once everything is finished.
You can see here how we’ve completed the interior framing, clearly laying out each room and how the space will flow. From this point, the homeowners will take it from here and handle the interior finishing themselves so they can finish it exactly the way they want.
Interior framing completed for this home addition, laying out bedrooms and a future home-based salon.
At this stage, the main structure for the home addition is now in place, and we were actually able to get this part completed in just 7 days. That said, this is really just one stage of the build, there’s still quite a bit more to come.
What’s Next on This Project
Next, we’ll be heading back once the windows arrive so we can get those installed. After that, we’ll move into siding, soffit, and fascia to start getting everything closed in and protected.
What You Should Think About Before Starting a Home Addition
If you’re thinking about doing a home addition in the Edmonton area, it’s worth taking a bit of extra time upfront to think through a few key things. Things like your site conditions, how you’re actually going to use the space, and how everything will tie into your existing home.
Getting those details figured out early on really does make the whole process go a lot smoother and helps avoid headaches later on.
If you’re considering a home addition, we recommend you check out this page to learn more: https://highthorncontracting.com/home-additions-edmonton/