FYI: the DIY, HGTV, and one of the Discovery channels have current series that follow building and adding on to a house: Be Your Own Contrator, HomeIQ, and HouseLift. [Go to respective websites to find who shows what and when.]
Gives a basic insight into the decisions required and the inevitable pitfalls. Video is a better medium for a novice (like me) since it turns jargon into a viewable lesson.