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Home additions are a popular and practical way to improve your home, increasing its functionality and value. Home additions, whether they involve expanding a kitchen or converting a porch into a sunroom, allow you to tailor your current living space to your specific needs.
Aside from allowing you to better customize your home, home additions add real value by increasing the square footage and beautifying it. Consider all of the different types of home additions to see which ones will best meet your needs and increase the resale prospects of your home.
Types of Home Additions
There are many different types of home additions, ranging from simple and less expensive options like adding a porch to more extensive additions like completing a second floor to double your home’s bedrooms. Certain home additions will fit within your budget, timeline, and goals, while others will not. Before hiring contractors, weigh the costs and benefits of each type of home addition.
Room Addition
Room additions entail physically attaching a new room to the existing structure of your house. Room additions are ideal for people who intend to live in their home for an extended period of time. This type of addition caters well to growing families who need extra bedrooms or communal areas, or those looking to create a dedicated private work space.
Room additions can be costly because they necessitate extensive structural changes and may have an impact on the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems.
Bump-Outs
Bump-outs increase the square footage of a room without the extensive structural changes that a full room addition requires, though they may still necessitate changes to the floor or roofline. This type of home addition is ideal for someone who wants to expand an existing room to create a functional area or to beautify their existing space with more windows or doors.
Bump-out home additions will not add significant space despite the disruption, so make sure that the bump-out will add value to your home, either aesthetically or functionally, before proceeding.
Second Story Addition
Second story additions entail adding a second level to an existing structure, which typically results in additional private living spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms. This type of home addition is ideal for people who live in one-story homes and want to stay there by expanding their living space to accommodate more people or long-term needs.
This is one of the most expensive kinds of home additions because it necessitates extensive planning and structural changes to integrate it with your current structure. Only consider this type of home addition if you have the time and resources to benefit from it.
Sunroom or Enclosure
Sunrooms or enclosures are areas with large windows that allow for plenty of natural light. These areas provide additional space for relaxing and contemplating nature while avoiding exposure to the elements. Sunrooms and enclosures are ideal for people who spend a lot of time at home for work or relaxation, as well as those who have access to views of nature.
Depending on the type and insulation of these spaces, you may be unable to use them all year. The cost of this home addition varies greatly depending on its size and the materials used.
Garage Conversion
Using a garage space to add more living space is an effective and budget-friendly type of home addition. Garage conversions can be as minimal as removing the garage door and adding a ceiling or more extensive as a complete modification of the walls and floor and adding heating and cooling capacity and plumbing.
This is an excellent choice for homeowners who need more common living space, an exercise area, or space for your teenagers to host band practice without breaking the bank. Before you begin converting your garage, think about the loss of parking space, the challenges of adding insulation, and any zoning restrictions you might face.
In-Law Suite
In-law suites are all inclusive living spaces designed to accommodate family members or other guests. These areas usually include a living and food prep area, as well as a bathroom and sleeping quarters. They range in size and complexity. These home additions are beneficial for those who want to house elderly relatives or children who want more independence. They are also useful for anyone looking to create a space for renters’ quarters.
The cost of in-law suites varies depending on the size and style of the home addition, as well as the condition of the space where the addition will be located. These are popular in basements that already have a structure, but structural changes or additional plumbing and electrical capacity may be required. Even though the cost may be high for in-law suites, you should balance this with the saved costs for external elder care and the revenue that you can generate with rental income.
Porch or Deck
Porches and decks are outdoor spaces that can expand your entertainment options or increase your enjoyment of the outdoors. These are especially useful for people who have unused outdoor space or want to improve their home’s curb appeal. Porch or deck additions can be expensive, depending on the size and materials used, but they are far less invasive than home additions that alter your indoor structure. To benefit from outdoor home additions such as porches or decks, you must live in an area with at least some temperate weather.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are areas where dirt and water can be contained before they enter your home. Mudrooms are useful additions because they provide a specified entry point for shoes, coats, and outdoor gear. These are excellent additions for families who spend time outside or want to organize their outdoor clothing and tools.
Mudroom costs vary depending on the size and scope of the renovation required to create the space. You will need to budget for additional costs when building cabinetry or shelves, as well as plumbing for options such as utility sinks.
Basement or Attic Conversion
This kind of addition entails using existing square footage in your basement or attic and transforming it into additional living space. Like garage conversions, transforming the basement or attic into a usable room is more cost-effective than adding additional square footage to your home.
This is a good option for people who have this additional raw square footage but need more living space, like a bedroom or a hang-out space for older children. Consult a reputable builder or architect so that you can mitigate the potential drawbacks of less natural sunlight and potential moisture issues.
Kitchen Expansion
Kitchen expansions involve adding more space to increase the kitchen’s food preparation or dining capacity. You can accomplish this by adding square footage or by transferring square footage from an existing space, such as a dining room, to the kitchen.
Kitchen additions are ideal for people who enjoy cooking and entertaining, as well as those who require large-scale cooking facilities. The cost varies depending on whether you need to add actual square footage to your home. Even if you use the existing square footage in your home, you may still need to make costly updates or modifications to the plumbing or electrical capacity. It is also possible that you will have to vacate your kitchen during construction.
