Anonymous wrote:Our two story addition was $225 K including architect fees. We did two bathrooms but no kitchen.

How much were the architect fees?

new website! pretty cool you can search on lot widths now

http://www.newdimensionsinc.com/

Anonymous wrote:I really think it depends on your contractor. We talked to a reputable contractor in Anne Arundel County, MD who works in the DC area. The estimate for what described above was about $200K. We know he's good b/c my dad is a brick mason in AA County and they do a lot of work together. We had a stone fireplace (huge) put in in Chevy Chase, MD for $7K using a AA County brick mason. Look farther than DC Metro area for a contractor.

We did that and were disappointed with the quality - apparently people in Baltimore aren't as picky as people in the DC area (our contractor was working with a number of people in the B-CC area and commented on this to us). Then he went bankrupt and we ended up having to pay more to get the job done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is about the time someone posts the NDI link and shows us all that for 300k we can get a brand! new! home!

much better than the unlivable midget garbage in chevy chase

hence the need for the addition LOL

Anonymous wrote:This is about the time someone posts the NDI link and shows us all that for 300k we can get a brand! new! home!

much better than the unlivable midget garbage in chevy chase

Anonymous wrote:We did this recently and it was $400k. We got six bids from reputable contractors and they were all the same ballpark.

Can you recommend the contractor you went with?

This is about the time someone posts the NDI link and shows us all that for 300k we can get a brand! new! home!

Our two story addition was $225 K including architect fees. We did two bathrooms but no kitchen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did similar work about 5 yrs ago including kitchen and spent about $325k in McLean.

very close to getting ripped off hopefully all metals are solid platinum and diamond counters

I don't think you could be more wrong. But think what you will. I'll live where I want in the house I want.

Five Stages Of Grief
1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance

What about laughing all the way to the bank with my increased property value, willing buyers even in down markets, relatively short commute, continued long lasting friendship with neighbors, location, location, location, etc., etc? Don't cry for me new house builder dude.

Anonymous wrote:The $300K being quoted for a new home isn't the type of home you'd build in a nice neighborhood in Bethesda/Chevy Chase. Aside from cost, many of us actually prefer older homes and would pay a premium to live in an older home with charm. I have tons of friends who have done additions just like you've described and we have also. You won't find a reputable contractor in this area to do it for less than $300K and at that price, you're closely watching your budget and not making any top-of-the-line choices.

scam alert "nice neighbhorhood", I guess places like McLean and North Arlington are NOT nice neighbhoroods? Please...

FYI those new homes are much better quality then the old ones with "charm" aka problems. An Addition is nothing more than bad plastic surgery and a botched boob job on something old and falling apart. Lipstick on a pig or trying to shine a turd etc... Of course unless the home is a historic like lived in by George Washington or Ulysses S. Grant's last residence during the civil war it is probably nothing that is worth keeping.

The $300K being quoted for a new home isn't the type of home you'd build in a nice neighborhood in Bethesda/Chevy Chase. Aside from cost, many of us actually prefer older homes and would pay a premium to live in an older home with charm. I have tons of friends who have done additions just like you've described and we have also. You won't find a reputable contractor in this area to do it for less than $300K and at that price, you're closely watching your budget and not making any top-of-the-line choices.

200k per sq ft is what is ideal. Quotes any higher than that are considered boutique and you could essentially build a new house for 300k sq ft. Consider this if you are doing a construction loan...you house has to appraise for the value of the loan or else you come out of pocket. So keep looking until you find a builder that can do it for 200-250k per sq ft.

looking at mls listing and seeing what the sq footage breakdown of the home should show you that 300k plus is too much..at that price just move.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did similar work about 5 yrs ago including kitchen and spent about $325k in McLean.

very close to getting ripped off hopefully all metals are solid platinum and diamond counters

I don't think you could be more wrong. But think what you will. I'll live where I want in the house I want.

Five Stages Of Grief
1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance

This may also help you out with overpaying for the addition

http://www.goodtherapy.org/therapy-for-grief.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did similar work about 5 yrs ago including kitchen and spent about $325k in McLean.

very close to getting ripped off hopefully all metals are solid platinum and diamond counters

I don't think you could be more wrong. But think what you will. I'll live where I want in the house I want.

Five Stages Of Grief
1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did similar work about 5 yrs ago including kitchen and spent about $325k in McLean.

very close to getting ripped off hopefully all metals are solid platinum and diamond counters

I don't think you could be more wrong. But think what you will. I'll live where I want in the house I want.