For an existing home, the totality of its living space does not have to be finite. A property can be expanded with a home addition. These additions often carry a specific purpose for the square footage they contribute.
Many homeowners who want a bigger home or want to do something that does not quite fit in with what they have in their existing layout turn to home additions. These can range from low-cost attics to more full-size additions.
Here are the different types of home additions a homeowner may turn to.
Type #1: General Additions
A conventional home addition is a simple expansion of a property’s square footage, typically upholding the architectural detail and style of the current home. This sort of traditional home addition usually involves creating something like a dining room, an additional guest bedroom, a family room, or a bathroom.
In short, you’re adding a room. This is a practical approach to a home addition and offers a high return on value. Consult with a home addition contractor to discuss your plans.
Type #2: Second Story Additions
An extensive and expensive type of home addition is adding a second story to a ground structure. Despite the upfront cost, this addition can nearly double your home’s resale value and adds considerable square footage.
It can be hard to coordinate a second-story addition as it requires significant building time, potentially disrupting your day-to-day living. You must coordinate schedules with your builder and connect with an architect to draw up plans.
Type #3: Bump-Out Additions
A bump-out is another very popular type of home addition. A bump-out is a scaled-down version of a full-scale addition and is something along the lines of adding space to an existing kitchen to fit a dining table or adding some extra square footage to create a larger bedroom.
Essentially, you’re making an existing room larger or adding complementary square footage. This requires a new roofline and cladding material; however, it is cheaper than a general addition.
Type #4: Attic Additions
Creating an attic is an overlooked home addition idea. However, this may be something to consider. It requires work on the ceiling and necessitates a stairway to access the attic.
An attic addition adds a unique room on top of your existing home that you can use for purposes like a private bedroom, an artistic or hobby space, or to convert into storage space as so many do. Attics also add tremendous value to your home when it comes time to sell and see a financial return on your investment.
Type #5: Sunroom Additions
A sunroom is an addition to the side of a home that is typically a supplemental room, often closed off from the main part of the house. Sunrooms may have their vibe, often resembling a temporary structure predominantly made from materials like aluminum and glass.
They aren’t a bedroom, kitchen, or bathroom; they are commonly used for recreation, sitting, gardening, or as a greenhouse. They are a very affordable home addition to make.
Type #6: Garage Additions
A garage addition can mean anything from expanding the square footage of an existing garage to adding a covered garage or creating a living space in your garage for a guest room. This can be helpful if you expect guests on the regular and want to provide them with a separate space away from the house.
Many garages can accommodate bedrooms and be converted into a bedroom. In the process, you may even add a second floor or a space above where your garage presently sits.
Type #7: Modular Home Additions
A pre-fabricated room may be your best answer to how to set up a home addition in the least amount of time and with minimal disruption. Modular home additions can cost 20-30% less than a traditional home addition and limit the amount of construction that needs to be performed on-site.
A builder takes care of the development off-site and then transports it to your property, ready to be added and to put the finishing touches on it.
Type #8: Kitchen or Bathroom Additions
Small kitchens can be tough to look at for someone who genuinely enjoys cooking and spending time with recipes. Extending a kitchen is a simple bump-out addition but adds significant value to your home.
Consider how you can add space to your kitchen by expanding its square footage. The same can be done with a bathroom, such as creating or expanding the master or second bathroom. A proper remodel of the kitchen and bathroom, combined with an addition, adds a ton of resale value.
Type #9: Patio Additions
If you have a deck or patio, an inexpensive home addition may be to envelop it with proper walls and a roof. You can create a cozy room by doing this and wholly enclose what you had to add, such as square footage.
In creating this type of addition, you may want to redo your flooring or make layout changes to what you have for a deck or patio. An existing structure like this can be developed in the front yard or backyard.
