My wife and I are gearing up to build a new addition on our house, and I want to make sure we avoid any pitfalls before dropping more cash into the project. I've done a bit of homework—measured our house, checked out the county's site plan, and even drafted a floor plan using Sweet Home 3D. My wife, who oversees the home planning commission (she's the brains behind this operation!), made some suggestions, and we got a tentative bid from a contractor buddy after he checked out the plans. He didn't foresee any major issues, but cautioned that we should brace for about 10-15% in extra costs.
The planning commission is cool with the potential overruns, but shot down my idea to build some furniture ourselves to save cash. I also talked to the city's building department and learned that our proposed plans intrude about 2 feet into a 6-foot setback, meaning we need to pay $180 to see if they'll allow that. They say it's a common request, so fingers crossed.
Here's what I have on my checklist so far:
* Pay the city to vacate the setback - $180
* Hire an architect to finalize plans - around $800-900 according to my contractor buddy
* Figure out who pulls the permits - looks like I might be able to do this myself
* Secure a loan for the funding - haven't started that yet
* My contractor buddy expects to kick off the project around April and finish by June
Does this sound about right, or am I missing some hidden snags? I'm planning to reach out to the city tomorrow and will look into architects as soon as I get their feedback. Should I start getting the loan process rolling now, or is it too early?
1 Answer
I’d be cautious about that timeline—2 months seems super fast for any addition, especially if it includes a bathroom or kitchen. Make sure to talk to your contractor about the windows; they can have long lead times (like 8 weeks). Also, keep in mind that you should definitely have a solid contract in place. Contracts not only protect you but also your buddy. Make sure it includes clear payment milestones based on work progress. That way, you're both on the same page!