Have you thought of having an addition added to your home? Maybe you've considered adding a bathroom in a large hallway. Hiring contractors to make this sort of changes in your home is a way of experiencing growth. You've realized that your home no longer fits your life, and you want to expand it.
Making the decision to add on to your home, or to have any other type of construction work done, is a lot easier when you know a little about construction work. You can learn enough to inform yourself on this blog. We'll venture beyond the basics and into lots of great details.
3 Things To Think About When Choosing An ADU Floor Plan
Building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a great way to expand your property's overall living space without making any changes to your main house. You can use the unit as a guest house, a business office, or even a rental home. Choosing an ADU floor plan is the first step of the building process. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are comparing ADU floorplans and deciding which one to build:
Window Placement
Depending on where you want to build your new ADU, you should consider how the sun will hit the place throughout the day so that you can determine where the windows should be placed. Most of the windows should be facing toward the south so that the sun doesn't hit them directly during the summer months. This can help to reduce heat buildup within the home and improve overall energy efficiency.
Therefore, it's a good idea to choose a floor plan featuring windows that will face toward the south once the place is built. The placement of your ADU will determine where the unit's windows will direct. If you can't find a floor plan to meet your needs, consider having a custom floor plan designed that will optimize window placement.
Exterior Embellishments
If you want to extend the living space of your new ADU to the outdoors, it's important to choose a floor plan that offers the ability to enhance access to the exterior and that supports outdoor living. For example, the floor plan should be able to accommodate awning add-ons so that they look like a seamless part of the structure. Look for a floor plan that features a sliding glass door for easy access to the outdoors. You may even find a floor plan that features unique siding or other embellishments to give the place a charming aesthetic that is enjoyable to look at when spending time outside.
Multi-Purpose Utilization
Consider whether you can use your new ADU for more than one purpose before you start looking at floor plans. You may intend to use the place for friends and family members that visit you, but maybe the space can double as a home office or gym when nobody is staying there. You could use the ADU for a variety of purposes including a library, a kids' playroom, a home theatre, or even for storage.
Determine how much space you need to accommodate the main purpose of the structure, then decide how much more space you would need to accommodate the secondary purpose. You can then start looking for ADU floor plans that offer the space you need with the setup you want. Keep in mind that you can add or remove interior walls pretty easily if a floor plan doesn't completely meet your needs as-is.