You’ve spent a great deal of time, maybe even years, looking for the perfect lake location to live in either year round or as a summer home. The views are breathtaking, and the lake is pristine. The cottage or house that currently resides on your new lake property, unfortunately, is not exactly your dream home. Your dream lake property needs your dream lake home nestled in your new sanctuary. You have options: remodel it, put on an addition, or perhaps tear down the existing residence and build a new home.
The experts at Colby Construction are able to evaluate the situation and recommend the best advice for your situation. Tearing down a home and rebuilding, putting on an addition and even remodeling is more complex on a lake with the regulations and ordinances governed by the county in which the lake is located. An experienced, custom homebuilder will be able to guide you through the confusing red tape and will be able to help you create your dream home with creative ideas. Many counties have stipulations when building on lake property, from square footage restrictions to impervious surface regulations. You must take into consideration the placement of the home, topography and drainage. Building, remodeling and adding on to a lake home requires a custom homebuilder who understands the process and rules. Here are some considerations when deciding how to proceed in creating your new luxury lake home.
If the home has a solid foundation, is well-built, and is in the ideal location to be renovated to create your dream lake home, then a remodel is your answer. Many changes can be made both internally and externally to make your desires a reality. Opening up the kitchen and living space, creating a master suite, raising ceilings and adding windows for more natural light… the possibilities are endless. Using the “dead space” and unnecessary areas, a small, compartmentalized dwelling can be transformed into a completely different space.
The home is not a tear down, but perhaps it was a cottage. Now, you’d like to make it your permanent residence, so an addition will be necessary. The amount of square footage that can sit on a property is based on county regulations, lot size, the current impervious area and other factors. An experienced lake homebuilder will be able to help you understand what you are allowed to do on the property.
When the cost to improve the home exceeds the cost of tearing down the original residence and building from the ground up, it simply makes sense to start over. The investment is in the land, and you now have the opportunity to design your luxury, custom lake home from the bottom up. Again, county regulations will cause restrictions and rules about the size of the home and staying within the original footprint.
When selecting a custom homebuilder for any of these options, what is most important is selecting a builder who understands the regulations and is creative enough to maximize the home and property to its fullest potential.