How and Why to Build a Home Addition in Toronto
Why Should I Build a Home Addition?
BVM Contracting is a home builder that specializes in home additions, home extensions, and generally any residential renovation projects where home owners are looking to add more square footage to their home. Below we go over and answer the following topics and questions:
We have found in doing many home addition projects in Toronto and the surrounding area that the definition of a home addition is sometimes ambiguous to home owners while starting the process of evaluating how they want to renovate their homes.
A home addition is any alternation to a home that adds square footage to the existing structure. Even if you add one room off of the back of your bungalow that is technically considered a home addition.
There are as many reasons for adding to your existing home as there are types of home additions. Maybe you’re planning a larger family, or perhaps you just want to add to your home’s aesthetic appeal. Many people build an addition to take better advantage of views surrounding the home, some building up and some building out, or both! And, of course, for many people, a home addition is a financial investment.
Many times we see growing families that want to utilize the equity they have gained in their home to add space so that they can accommodate a larger family. A lot of times as well we also see families turning their single family home into a duplex by installing a legal basement apartment, so that they can subsidize their mortgage by gaining additional income through rent.
With the high cost of selling and acquisition of residential real estate in Toronto comes high costs of selling your existing home to buy into a larger home. In our experience, 99% of the time you can build more square footage into your existing property so that you can avoid the large costs of transacting real estate.
A second storey addition to a bungalow in Toronto
Here is a list of different types of home addition projects you can complete in Toronto:
Existing Bungalow to Two Storey Home Addition (see example here)
Existing Bungalow to Three Storey Home Addition
Existing Two Storey to Three Storey Home Addition
Existing Bungalow to Two Storey Home Addition w/ Two Storey extension into backyard (see example here)
Adding Additional Floors to Side Split Home (see example here)
Adding Additional Floors to Back Split Home
Turning your Attic Space into Additional Living Space
Extending Your Existing Bungalow
Extending Your Existing Two Storey Home
Existing Bungalow to partial second storey home addition
Adding space over your existing garage for a two storey home.
In our experience, these are the most popular types of home renovation and home building projects. Though there are many more different types of home addition and extension projects, the one thing that all of these have in common is that they are all constrained by local zoning by-laws and variances depending on the type of property and area of the city the home is located. BVM Contracting will be able to help you determine what is possible to complete on your property by completing a no obligation renovation consultation and working with our designer to help get you started off on the right path.
The first step in planning your home addition is to have a clear sense of why you’re building it in the first place. You can get a lot of good advice from your local home builder, who will help you clarify your goals and assess the feasibility of your plan. In the final analysis, however, this is your vision, and it should reflect your needs and desires. Having a “wish list” of ideas for your addition is always a great starting point. You may or may not have the funds for everything on your list, so prioritizing what is needed now and what can wait until a later date will help. Or alternatively, if your budget doesn’t allow for everything to be completed you can also hold off until you can afford the entire package.
Your general contractor will be able to assist you with these decisions and should also be able to provide a rough order of magnitude budget base on your project wish-list. This will allow you to understand exactly what you can afford before investing in any designs for the proposed home addition project.
Use BVM Contracting’s Renovation Consultation Service or simply head over to our residential construction cost calculator to get a better sense of how much your home addition will cost.
BVM Contracting’s Recommendation
If you want to add to the size of your home, but don’t want to decrease the size of your yard, have a relatively small property, or want to convert a ranch style house into a multi-level structure, you can remove the roof and add another floor or two. Work with your general contractor or home builder to take advantage of the new views of your surroundings this kind of addition will give you.
Many times in Toronto due to local zoning and variances you will be constrained by the amount of floor space that your home can cover your property. That is why building up instead of out is always the best way to start the conversation, then seeing if you can add more to the front, back, or side of your home will work with your designer or architect.
Conclusion
Building a home addition is an important decision. The right addition is a sound financial investment as well as a significant lifestyle upgrade. At every phase of the project, your experienced home addition builder or general contractor will walk you through the process and give you smart advice at every step along the way.
To learn more about your home addition options, contact us today.
About BVM COntracting
BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.
Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.
To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.