Are cottage additions on your radar this year? If you find that you are outgrowing your cottage, an addition might just be the answer to give you that extra space and versatility that you need to make your cottage even more amazing. We've put together the ultimate guide to cottage additions to help you make your cottage addition as spectacular and stress-free as possible. If you are planning a cottage addition and are looking for a quality custom builder in the Kawartha Lakes region, contact Conlin Premier Construction today.
"Excellent work done by professional contractor, builder and crew. My house was built with care and attention to detail. Very informative when it came to meeting certain timelines. Ongoing two way communication made the whole process very enjoyable and very pleased with the finished product. I would recommend Conlin Premier Construction to anyone who wants their home built by experienced people who know what is needed to meet your expectations."
- Hilda Johnson
You know that you want to improve and expand your cottage, but you may not be sure where to start or what you should do. The possibilities are endless when it comes to cottage additions. Here are some of the more popular choices when it comes to cottage additions:
Check out our post "10 of The Best Cottage Addition Ideas For 2019" to get some great inspiration and ideas about what the possibilities are for you cottage addition.
Finding the right builder is probably one of the most important steps in doing a cottage addition as you want to be sure that you can trust them to produce the exact vision you have. It is a good idea to choose the right builder early in the process because the best builders will be busy, so the more lead time you can give them the better. If you choose one well before you are thinking of actually starting your addition, they will be better able to fit you into their schedule.
Here are some helpful tips for choosing the right builder for your project:
Ask People You Know For References: Ask family and friends for recommendations of trusted builders that they have used before. A personal reference is very reliable and it will give you a good idea as to the builder's quality of work, professionalism and cost.
Check Out Your Local Home Builders Association: Your local home builders association can give you a list of local builders that meet their standards of professionalism. The goal of many of these associations is to ensure that their members provide "quality housing using environmentally sound practices."
Meet with Your Prospective Builder: Talking face to face with your prospective builder will give you a chance to see if this is a person that you can work with and you will have the opportunity to ask questions such as:
Once you have chosen your builder, they can give you a better idea about what you addition will actually cost. They can be a great resource in helping you determine a realistic budget. Some of the steps involved in setting a budget include the following:
Plan Out Your Financing: If you haven't already done so and you are planning on financing your addition, contact your financial institution to arrange a construction mortgage and find out how much they are willing to lend you so you will have a good idea of how much money you will have to spend on your new home. Another alternative is to apply for a line of credit. The advantage of the line of credit is you only need to pay interest on the funds that you use. As you require more money you can get it on the credit line. If you secure your line of credit to your home's value, you will probably get a much lower interest rate as well.
Determine What Things You Can Include: Once you know how much money you have to work with, you can decide what can fit into your budget and what you need to leave out. Your budget will dictate the size of your intended addition as well as they types of materials you want to use. For example, if you are a little short on funds, you may need to decide on a slightly less expensive flooring or if you actually have more than you thought you would, you may want to upgrade on the appliances that you would like to install.
Make Room for Items Other than the Actual Building: Don't forget to leave room in your budget for items such as furnishings, decor, and if applicable landscaping.
Set Your Budget and Stick to It: Once you have determined your budget, try your best to stick to it. Don't be tempted to add in extras along the way that you really can't afford.
Depending on the complexity of your addition, you may need to hire the services of an architect or an architectural technologist to draw up the plans or your builder may be able to help you with this. You should have a good idea of the type and size of addition you want and how much you can spend. Many architects and builders are able to generate a computer generated 3D model of your design to give you a better idea about what it will look like so you are better able to give them suggestions about things that you like or want adjusted.
Just like building a new home or cottage, building an addition also involves getting the proper building permits before you begin. A good custom home builder will be familiar with all of the necessary paperwork and will be willing to help you look after this. Applying for permits can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.
Once you have your plans drawn up, your budget set, and your permits in place, you will finally be ready to start the construction or your cottage addition. Your builder will:
Ready The Initial Preparations: Some builders take care of these steps themselves and others will sub-contract them out. The initial stage will include excavating the site, adding the foundation and putting up the framing. During this initial phase, there will be very little input required from you. You probably will, however, want to have a walk through to make sure that things like the placement and sizes of windows and doors is what you expected.
Close in Your Addition: During this next stage, a lot takes place as your addition is closed in and the electricity, plumbing, insulation and heating/air conditioning is installed. You will need to make occasional visits to confirm the placement of fixtures, where you want outlets located, and where the water will go if applicable.
Finish Your Addition: During the final stages of construction, your cabinetry, plumbing, lighting, flooring, windows, and painting will be done. Your cottage addition will finally start to change from an empty shell into the finished product. This process may seem to take a long time and you will probably need to be in close contact with your builder in order to provide any information that they may need about these items and to make sure that what you chose is being installed.
Now that the construction of your cottage addition is finished, it's time to get to work adding your own personal flare into your room. This part of the process can be extremely enjoyable, but if it really isn't your cup of tea, you can always hire an interior decorator to give you some helpful advice or do some shopping on home decorating sites such as Wayfair. You can find lots of inspiration and decor at reasonable prices online.
You can trust Conlin Premier Construction to give you a beautiful cottage addition at an affordable price. Conlin is a quality custom builder who takes pride in every home and cottage they construct; If you are looking for a custom addition, built exactly to your specifications and with the high quality you want, contact Conlin Premier Construction. You can rely on Conlin to help you build the cottage addition that is perfect for you and your family.
At Conlin, we do all of the work ourselves and we have our own sub-contractors who do the mechanical work. This means that we can be in charge of the quality control on every part of your home's construction, from start to finish. And we make sure that you are with us all through the process. Your complete satisfaction is our ultimate goal and that is why we prioritize excellent communication.
The following video will further explain why Conlin is the best for custom homes and cottages in Kawartha Lakes.
Conlin Premier Construction is a family owned business with over 30 years of experience and expertise in the custom construction industry located in the Kawartha Lakes area specializing in new custom home builds as well as:
If you are looking for a premier builder in the Kawartha Lakes region that you can trust, talk to the professionals at Conlin and then contact us today for a no obligation quote.
