How to Design an Addition to My House

Decide where you will construct the home addition. Consider the existing rooms in your home and the current placement of windows and doors and decide on a site that will meet your needs while also allowing you to easily add a new room. Choosing a site for the addition also means you will need to decide on the location of the entrance door to the addition. You may get ideas for new additions from various websites, but bear in mind that many sites charge for copies of their plans.

Sketch the new addition onto a piece of graph paper and draw in the intended location of doors, windows, plumbing and electrical wiring for the new living space. Sketch various designs until you come up with a final rendering that works best for your needs and desires for the addition. If you are unsure about the completed graph, speak to a professional.

Draw a blueprint or have one drawn using your graph paper sketch from the previous step. Include precise measurements, which you can obtain by measuring the outdoor space where the addition will sit. Include precise locations for the windows, doors, outlets, lights, air vents and plumbing in the blueprint, to guide you or contractors and carpenters during construction. Many hardware stores can turn your simple floor plan sketch into a blueprint, give you a list of necessary materials and estimate a price for your project.

Use the final blueprint to price the project, so that you know if you can afford the addition and design you have created. If you cannot afford the addition, you may need to consider a new design or seek a loan. With the money and blueprint in hand and a final design in mind, you can then begin purchasing materials and tools to start the construction process.