Room additions have always been popular. The idea of making the house a little more spacious and giving everyone a little more room to spread out has almost universal appeal. The obvious goal:
More Space
On of my all-time favorite projects!! (after)
As families grow, the need for space increases. When my wife, Kim, and I were fist married, we lived in an apartment that was about 400 square feet. Even with just two of us, we wanted more space pretty quickly!
Bring kids, friends, dogs, and twenty years of collected ‘stuff’ into the mix and most people start to feel like they are bursting at the seams. In a recent post on making best use of small spaces I talked about how to maximize the space you already have.
Some of you probably react to that something like this “Look, Remodeling Guy, yeah, yeah, yeah…I understand the whole efficient use of space concept; but you don’t understand, I need a room for guests to sleep in, a room for kids to play in, and a room to do my work in…I can’t do these things under my bed, no matter how creative I get!”
Point taken. Many folks are in a situation just like this. They usually have two options: buy a new house, or build a home addition.
Just after “Before” (does that make sense?)
The Economy of Additions
The current gloomy state of the housing market is having a major impact on these decisions. The option of buying new is fading away for many people. This is happening for a number of reasons:
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Existing house value has depreciated
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Outlook for an acceptable and quick sale is weak
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Access to credit is squeezed
Of course, at the same time, if some of these issues aren’t a concern for you, now might be the absolute best time to buy a home. There are some great deals to be had.
The result of all of this is that more people are considering additions.
The Real Reason for an Addition
Economy is one thing, but it’s not the biggest reason people add-on. I know from experience (I’ve built hundreds of additions) that the main reason people add-on is this: “I love the neighborhood!”
The real reason for an addition isn’t negative at all. It’s 100% positive. People love where they live, so when life circumstances change and they need more space, they start making room addition plans.
My honest opinion is that the challenges of the economy will actually force many people into doing what they really wanted to do anyway. I’ve seen people move out of a neighborhood they love simply because they were afraid of the process of building a room addition.
Here are the major steps:
The major steps of an addition follow the same sequence as any other project, just in a bigger way. Regular Remodeling Guy Crew know that these consist of four categories: Dream, Design, Build, Live.
Dream
The first step in building an addition is to develop the vision you have for the project. Know what you want it to be. Know what you need to accomplish. Know your limitations, but don’t place false limits on the project.
Let me tell you something: The Dream phase is the true “foundation” of the project, well before the first concrete is poured. Don’t rush through it, don’t take it for granted, and don’t let someone else do it for you.
Design
This is where the dreams are put on paper. The design phase looks with a creative eye at how to make those dreams come true. During design, all of the home addition costs are considered. Building permit considerations are dealt with. Real working drawings are developed.
Build
A work in progress!
When it comes time to finally build something, people get very excited! The day has come, the end is near. But of course the build process has to start with a long list of decisions such as “should I hire a contractor?”, “should I contract this myself, or DO this myself?”.
People consider contract related questions and insurance related concerns. The list goes on, and on, and on. This is the part that many people don’t get past. The fear of the unknown can paralyze homeowners who have a great vision and a design in hand!
It can be done. There is no real need to be paralyzed and if approached in the proper manner, this needn’t be so tough.
Live
For those who make it past the first few stages, the ultimate enjoyment arrives eventually! One of my favorite compliments at the end of an addition is “I just wish we had done this sooner! The extra space makes a huge difference!”
Consider the following list of a few addition types:
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Garage Addition
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Second Story Addition
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Family Room Addition
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Bedroom Addition
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Bathroom Addition
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Sunroom Addition
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Bonus Room Addition
These are just a few types of space that can be added if you want to add room to your home. The list is as long as your imagination!
Need Help?
I can help you with this. This is one of the areas where I have unique experience and due to the amazing relationship building of blogs, I can get to know you and help you with your project.
Just stay in touch through the email Newsletter, and the regular subscriptions to the blog itself. You can also email me with your questions and I’ll do my best to answer.
Want to see the inside?
Interested in a couple of pictures of the inside of the job shown at the top? Here ya go:
This is a two sided fireplace!
You’re seeing two sides in the pictures!
The roof-top deck is a great place to hang out! Just step out of the Master bedroom French Doors.
Add-On your thoughts!
How about some additions to this post? Let me know your addition thoughts or questions right in the comments!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow…what a difference! The outside is beautiful and the two sided fireplace is a great way to save on space and materials! We will be converting a portion of our garage into a bonus room this year. Not quite as dramatic as what you did in those photos, but it will give us a much needed play/ school area!
Mrs. Q’s last blog post..DIY:: Bring It Into the 21st Century!
I think the addition is great! The balcony is awesome!
I have a request for a post. How do you make lamp cords shorter so that if they are placed in a bathroom there is not as much bulk to hide?
Tim, I love this deck and I think I remember the house. Is it waterfront? Hopefully they have something great to look at because I would be spending lots of time reading from that spot.
Now thats a deck!
Thanks for helping to “unparalyze” us. How’s that for a word? Dale is glad to just get beyond the dream stage & have a plan. I have no intention of staying in stage two as long as we did stage one. I just spent yesterday staining the panels for mission style frame paneling in our basement The basement should be all done by the end of the March.
We have an older home (circa 1930). There is a sun porch on the back of the house that we would like to make a real part of our home. One wall is brick – the exterior of the house. The other three walls are jelouise (?) windows that crank open. I wonder what advice you might give concerning making this an enclosed part of our home with minimal expense. I have talked with window people and received estimates of $15,000 to $22,000. My thought is to build a half wall so that we can purchase smaller windows and also install a wall hvac unit. I’m concerned with having too much wall and not enough window. Also concerned with being able to control the climate in the room. Do you have any budget friendly advice for making this a real part of our home?
Just found your blog… Love it. We are the the process of moving to my husband’s family farm this spring, where we plan to live for years and years and raise our children. It’s looking like this will be a long-term residential committment to say the least, so adding on may be in our long-term future, hopefully. I’ll know who to check in with when/if that day comes!
Looking at your blog again for maybe the hundredth time, but I find something new in it each time. I am planning an addition or two which I e-mailed you about the other day (short version). But I have a lot of question and ideas but I also need a lot of help and advice. I’m glad I found you.