Home Addition Ideas

If you know you want to add living space to your home, but you're not sure where to start, check out these home addition ideas.

Adding living space to your existing home can be invaluable. How you use the added space will depend on your individual needs. Additional space can allow you to work at home in a well-organized home office or studio, provide a much needed storage area so you can reduce clutter, give your children a place to bring friends or provide overnight guests with a comfortable space to call their own.

Home additions also provide excellent monetary value by increasing the resale value of your home. New bathrooms and expanded kitchens provide some of the best resale value when it comes to home additions. Outside decks add excellent value, too, because not only do they expand your living space, but they also improve your home's curb appeal.

Second story additions and basement remodels offer good, but not excellent, resale value. New family rooms or great rooms that are blown out from existing rooms or added above garages also provide decent financial value. The same goes for expanded master bedroom suites.

While financial return is important, so is feeling comfortable and happy in your new space. To make sure any addition to your home is functional and aesthetically appealing, factor in all of the following:

• space requirements
• interior and exterior appearance
• architectural design and plans
• budget
• financing plans
• neighborhood market and resale values
• personal disruption during construction
• level of do-it-yourself expertise or availability of professional contractors
• timetable for project

• Additional bathroom: Additional bathrooms add everyday convenience and financial value to your home. Most houses can accommodate a half bathroom in a basement, laundry room or large closet. Or you can add a full-size bathroom as part of a master bedroom or expanded family area.
• Remodeled kitchen: New kitchens are excellent choices for home additions. They can provide much needed storage space, more efficient work space for the cooks in the house and make a roomier centralized gathering spot for family and friends. Often times a kitchen can be expanded by blowing out the exterior wall and adding square footage to the room by expanding into the back yard. A popular trend in kitchen remodeling is to create a combined kitchen/living area.
• Bonus room: The space above a garage is often referred to as the bonus room. The bonus room can be used as a play room, home theatre or workout space. It is usually fairly easy to blend the exterior look and feel of the bonus room with the rest of the house. This makes the addition look less like an afterthought and more like a part of the original home.
• Detached garage: If you don't have a garage, then adding one can be convenient. Construction on a garage will not disrupt day-to-day living the way a kitchen remodel will. It will however, add much needed storage space to a home.
• Barns and sheds: Barns and sheds won't disrupt day-to-day life while they are being built. However they can add storage or an in-law apartment, or a quiet studio, office or game room to a home.
• Master bedroom suites: If your home doesn't have a master bedroom, consider adding one above a garage. Or, if you are expanding your kitchen, you can add the master bedroom above it on the second story. Master bedroom suites offer private space for adults, additional bathrooms and expanded closets.

No matter what your home addition ideas are, make sure you balance your day-to-day living requirements with your future resale plans when adding to your home.

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