If You Can’t Build On, Build Up

Many properties in our area don’t leave much room for home additions. Between setbacks and other restrictions, homeowners may feel there’s no room to expand.  But if you can’t build onto the back, front or sides, you may be able to build up.  In fact, a second story home addition may be a perfect solution, giving your house more living space, and more curb appeal, too.  The secret is designing the home addition to give you plenty of extra square footage while staying in character with the neighborhood and with the architecture of your existing home.  Of course, some of our clients say their existing homes have no architecture – and that’s one of the things they want to correct.

No matter what style of home you have, its existing footprint influences the size and shape of your home addition. Contractors often like to stop there and come up with some fairly predictable solutions.  What we’ve found, however, is that with a design-driven approach, it’s possible to come up with innovative solutions that radically change the appearance and livability of the home – but without making the home look jarringly out of place.  For example, if you live on a neighborhood of mid-century ramblers, you don’t necessarily want to turn yours into a two-story Victorian with gingerbread millwork. You could, however, see great results with a second story home addition that adds a Craftsman feel.

Remember, too, that a good home addition contractor can give you a lot of usable living space out of even small home additions. Popping up just a portion of the roof, for example, can create enough room to tuck in a spacious master suite or family room.   If you’re looking for ideas or inspiration photos of home additions, let us know and we’ll send them along!

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