Spring is right around the corner, the perfect time to start your next home renovation project. The weather is favorable enough to begin preliminary construction, and if you plan correctly, you may be able to make the most of your renovation by summer.
Home additions are a great way to create more space. There are countless creative ways to tackle a home addition project, ranging from dining rooms and great rooms to entire second-floor additions. You can build up or out on your existing building and create extra rooms where needed.
If you are considering a home addition, you may still be wondering what to do with the extra space. Most houses have a place that makes sense to add additional space in, but what is the best way to use it? Consider using the space for an extra bedroom, workspace or even storage.
Bedroom/Bathroom Combination
If the kids are getting older and need an extra area to call their own, it may be time for a home addition. With extra bedrooms, siblings that have had to share in the past can be separated. Also, if there is no room for guests or company to stay, creating an extra room makes visits easier to manage, especially if the stay is long term.
Another idea involves giving an older child a little more freedom. Construction can provide them not only with some privacy and a place to call their own, but a separate way in and out of the house, giving them a more independent feel. Sometimes called a mother-in-law suite, it may include a private bath and even a small kitchen space. College students can use this as their very own dorm that attaches to mom and dad, just in case they need food or money.
When making this decision, it is important to look at the big picture. Will this become a space for an elderly relative that needs care later in life? As you build, consider what else you will want from the room in the next several years and plan accordingly.
Extra Storage
Everyone accumulates “stuff” and you may be looking for somewhere to store it. Home additions can be the perfect place to keep holiday decorations, keepsakes, and even seasonal clothing. When building, be sure that you can use every inch available and keep in mind any type of storage containers or shelves that you are planning to place in the room.
Remember that you want to be able to find everything when you need it. Use labels to clearly mark what is inside of each container. Also, group like items together so that they are easier to find. This should free up some other space in the house for you to use in a completely new way.
Workshop/Office
Working away from the office can be a difficult task if there is no place separated from everyone else in the family. You may need to be able to shut the door and seclude yourself to allow focus on a main task. In this case, home additions would be able to help. As you are working through the designs, consider how important it may be to have a door that can close and let other family members know that you are unavailable.
If you want a workshop or hobbies space, your needs may be completely different. Think about where you will store all of the tools you need. What type of flooring will work best for the materials you use? Do you need space to house completed works as well as those in progress? Be sure to consider exactly how you are going to use the workshop so you get the maximum benefit.
There are a variety of situations that lead people to consider a home addition. Maybe you bought the house of your dreams. You shopped the market and researched houses all over the city until you found one that suited your needs perfectly and you felt that there was nothing that needed to be changed. But then maybe your family grew and what was the perfect space for two people is a little too crowded for four.
Alternately, maybe you finally attained your goal of homeownership but the house you could afford did not quite meet the ideal you had in mind. Or maybe you are just the kind of person that likes to have a project and you can see your house ten years down the line fully remodeled. If you can relate to any of these ideas you are probably considering one or more home additions.
Home additions are a great way to create more space. You can build up or out on your existing building and create extra rooms where needed. Beyond the functionality of home additions there is the added benefit of increasing the value of your property. The higher the value the more you can sell the property for or if you plan on staying the more money you can borrow against it. These remodels can also vastly increase the beauty of your property.
All of these benefits show what a good idea remodeling and expanding can be so let’s consider some of the various choices in home additions.
One of the first changes most people build is the addition of a new bathroom. They are an excellent choice for a first project because a bathroom can be installed in a small space or even a redesigned closet. Everyone wants a more conveniently located bathroom so consider installing one.
Building a garage or redesigning a carport into a garage are both popular choices when considering places to remodel. Many people expect to have a garage when purchasing a house so building one opens up the market greatly. Also, if you live in a climate with a lot of rain the added protection and covered storage afforded by a garage will keep your car out of the elements.
The most drastic change you can make is to build extensions to the existing structure. Some people opt to build an entire floor on top of the rest of the building, but this is a serious undertaking. More often people expand or extend rooms like the kitchen or master bedroom. Perhaps you add a couple bedrooms to one end of the building for the kids. Alternately, you could make a dining room or breakfast nook to enlarge the living area of your kitchen.
Whatever your reasons for enhancing your property the benefits and joy you will receive will be worth it.
