If you know you want or need a home addition because of a change in work location or family, chances are good that you’re also going to need at least a partial home remodel. In the simplest of terms, this is because, depending where your addition goes, you may need access to it or your current space may not make sense in its current configuration. It’s not often as easy as adding a room off of your house. This could mean a higher budget than you may have originally planned.
Let’s look at a few common types of home additions and how they can impact the current space.
Building Up
Whether you’re planning on raising the walls over a garage or in the attic or adding an entire second floor, you need a way to get there. Sometimes even finishing the attic leads to a home remodel. Stairs can’t go just anywhere. They need a certain amount of space because the building code requires a certain rise (the height of the step) and run (depth of the stairs). Although the stairs can be a straight run or have turns, they have to go somewhere. That often leads to reconfiguring a room, hallway or more.
Turning a Patio or Porch Into Living Space
Although this may seem simple (and in some cases, it is), there can be many complications. For example, if you currently have a small door leading out to the patio, you will need to enlarge the opening if you want the space to feel as though its part of the home. That may mean adding structural support and changing the layout or lighting of the existing space to which it adjoins. There could be electrical, ductwork or water in the wall which needs relocation. When the goal is a larger kitchen, you will have to include a kitchen remodel as part of your home addition.
First-Floor Master Suite
As the multigenerational family trend continues, many families add a first-floor master suite for their parents. Although you may think you just need a place to put a door, it’s not quite that simple. Adding a door to the side of the home often interrupts a kitchen, eating area or even a living room. When you add this door, you may have to reconfigure other parts of your home to work for the whole family, including the new members.
Converting a Garage Into a Room
One of the most common home additions is to convert a garage into a living space. Although this doesn’t require stairs, it may require connecting to the home if the garage isn’t currently part of the home. If it is, your home reconfiguration will be minimal. However, depending on what you want to use the room for, you may need a bathroom, exterior entry door or a new place for your washer and dryer.
Let’s Plan Your Addition Together
G.M. Roth Design Remodeling can help you understand the options you have for a home addition and how extensive a home remodel it will entail. Our initial consultations are always free and we serve southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts from our Nashua, NH, office. Call us today at 603-421-6631 or fill out our contact form for your no-obligation appointment in your home, our office or via video.
