Need more room? Time to add on!

Photo courtesy of All Decks and Improvement

This addition by All Decks and Improvement, when completed, housed a new master suite.

This is the first of four articles on building an addition to your home. Look for the next installment on July 17.

Summer is the season when things grow - your lawn, your garden - and possibly your house, too! Today, rather than "trading up," many people are opting to expand their present homes. And what better time for such a project than during this warmer, and often more relaxed, time of year?

PHOTO COURTESY OF thinkstock

More people today are choosing to add on to their present homes, rather than moving.

THE BENEFITS

Building an addition not only lets your family enjoy more elbow room now, but also may increase the future value of your home.

Additions have become popular these days because fewer homeowners are able to sell, said Fred Hirsch of Comfort Guard Contracting, Lodi. "People were holding onto their money because of the economy, but now they feel safer," he said. "They want to put it into their home and bring up the worth of the property."

"It is harder to sell a home today, so people are opting to add on to get more comfortable living space," agreed Ellen Tesauro, owner of All Decks and Improvement, Wayne. But she also cautioned, "You need to be careful - don't overspend on adding more rooms than are needed."

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Need more room? Time to add on!