Additions can solve many living space challenges in your home. Popular room additions are new master bedroom suites, additional bedrooms, and additional bathrooms, expanding kitchens, family rooms, entertainment rooms and family spaces and private spaces for aging parents.

What Addition Makes Sense For You?

Some questions to think about in determining your needs:

Do you need additional bedrooms?

Do you need more family space for meals and gatherings?

Would you and your spouse prefer to have a master suite?

Would parents/children use a private entrance?

Do your children need their own bathroom(s)?

Could you use more closets? Maybe a walk-in closet?

Would you like to spend more time outside, either on a front or back porch?

Would you prefer a 3-season room to get a feel of the outdoors?

 How To Get Started

The process of adding on to your home can be overwhelming at the start. Begin to think about the following first steps:

• Determine your property lines
• Think of design ideas that complement your current floor plan. This is a great time to fix a part of the house that doesn’t flow well or gets over-crowded.
• Would you rather have the addition look like it was always part of the house, or does your artistic sense tell you to take a contrasting approach and have something designed that is completely different?

Six Basic Design Options for Additions

1. Exterior structure additions, like porches and sunrooms connect your home to the outdoors and provide extra living space and are great places for both relaxing and entertaining.
2. Bump-outs are small-scale additions created by extending a wall a few feet. A bump-out can open up a tight room or add to the aesthetics of your home overall.
3. Single-room additions add one standard-sized room to your home, often for more family space. It can be a bedroom, family room, mudroom, master suite, etc.
4. A wing addition will expand your home horizontally and may make sense if you need more than a single room. This is only an option if your lot can handle it.
5. A second-story addition is a way to expand vertically, for those with smaller lots. This can increase the value, functionality, and comfort of your home, without robbing you of lawn or garden footage.
6. Two-story additions can solve many space issues. They can be attached to your home or stand-alone with passageways to connect on each level.