Home Extension Guide

Why move when we can transform and extend the living area of our house? Whether for economic, practical or aesthetic reasons, many people embark on house expansion projects. These large-scaled projects have many steps that must be respected to ensure that the result lives up to our expectations. 

In this guide, we have gathered all the articles that touch on the subject of home additions and different aspects of home renovations associated with this type of project. We hope that this guide can help you in your endeavours. 

The average prices of home extensions

It is not always easy to calculate the cost of a home extension project. Unplanned expenses can start accumulating and the prices of materials and labour can vary depending on the span of the work. In the following articles, we present an overview of the average prices of different types of extension projects as well as other associated work:  

• The cost of a home addition project

• The average costs to build a home addition

The different types of home additions 

Building a new floor, extending towards the side, setting up a basement, adding a cantilever extension... You will have to choose the type of addition that best suits your needs, your budget as well as the rules and regulations that are effective in your city. Learn more about the characteristics related to the different ways of increasing and transforming your home's surface area: 

• House extension project: what you need to know

• Everything to know about the cantilever extension

• Why you should use wood for your house extension project

• How to build a home addition

• Can you build a home addition?

• Building an addition in Toronto

• Building a floor above a garage

• What you should know before adding a floor to your home

Adapting a basement or a crawlspace

Both the basement and the crawlspace can be transformed into utilitary spaces. In the case of the crawl space, we are of course mainly referring to storage space, but this set-up can still contribute to a general improvement affecting the configuration of the house. Of course, spaces that are located below the earth have very specific characteristics concerning light and ventilation. You will find more information in these articles: 

• What is a crawlspace and how to know if your house needs one

• Basement excavation project: creating extra living space

• How to insulate a crawl space: tips and guidelines

• 6 ways to convert your basement

• How to finish your basement

• The costs to remodel your basement

• RenoQuotes.com guide to basement remodeling

• How to soundproof a basement

Attics 

Attics can also be turned into liveable spaces! Incidentally, Pinterest and other home decor sites are chock-full of photos presenting bedrooms or apartments that are located under a roof. Here are two articles about attic insulation, which is essential when making this space inhabitable: 

• How to insulate a roof and an attic

• 6 signs that your attic is not well insulated

Verandas and sunrooms

Taking advantage of the natural light and the outdoor environment whilst being protected from bad weather is one of the main purposes of verandas and sunrooms. Depending on your budget and preferences, these can be set up to be used during certain seasons or year-round. 

• How much does it cost to build a porch

• How to choose between different types of sunrooms

Building and setting up a garage

A garage is a structure that first serves to store cars but that can also be used for storage, or transformed otherwise if you don't need to use it for a car. Here are 3 articles about building and setting up garages: 

• How to renovate your garage

• How to install shelving in your garage

• What type of lighting should you install in your garage

Foundations

Oftentimes, to build a home extension, you have to strengthen the building's structure. Here are 3 articles about this subject: 

• 10 signs that your foundation needs renovation

• How to repair or replace an existing foundation

• How to repair cracked foundation walls

The practical aspects of building a home addition

As you can see, home extension projects contain many steps as well as an impressive amount of things to consider. Here are a few articles that can be useful to learn about building permits, subsidy programs and other prices for home renovation projects (floors, walls, paint, insulation, etc.). 

• Home renovation price guide

• When is a building permit required in Toronto?

• The main steps to take to remodel a house

• Subsidies and tax credits for renovations in Ontario

• Subsidies and tax credits for renovations in Nova Scotia

• Subsidies and tax credits for renovations in Alberta

Other advice

Finally, here are a few other articles that can be useful in this context: 

• The pros and cons of living in a multigenerational home

• Renovation projects that will help you sell your home

• Five tips to help decrease renovation costs

• When should you renovate your home?

• Moving your kitchen to another room

• What are the techniques to lift and move a house?

• Rebuilding a house: what you need to know

• What are the costs to consider when building a new home?