Increasing square footage in your home is a puzzle. Do you rearrange furniture and the layout of existing rooms or move walls around inside your home to increase your square footage? Moving furniture likely won’t result in a massive living space improvement, and moving walls around runs the risk of interfering with local building codes.
Luckily, a home addition project could provide the perfect solution. In this article, we’ll explore how a home addition can increase your square footage and your property value, three common home additions, and how to pay for home addition projects.
If you think that a home addition project is out of reach for you—because you think you can’t afford it, if you’re not construction- or design-savvy, or you don’t think you have the property space—you’re probably mistaken. Anyone can turn their dream for more square footage into a reality with a home addition!
What is a Home Addition?
Adding an addition to a house can seem like a complicated proposition. But it’s a lot less complicated than it sounds! A home addition simply involves tacking on more space to your home, whether you choose to finish an unfinished space (like a basement, garage, or carport), expand on a single room, or build a detached space like a garage or a mother-in-law suite.
A home addition can increase your property value if it’s well-designed, well-priced, and well-built. Before considering a home addition, evaluate the current costs of building materials in your area. In late 2020 and early 2021, for instance, lumber prices were through the roof, rendering framing costs astronomical.
Evaluate whether or not the cost of materials and contractor services are a wise investment at the time of building. Consider waiting for materials and labor prices to drop, and consult with a contractor to help you determine the best time to tackle a home addition project. Working with a contractor will also ensure that your project follows all applicable building codes.
What are Some Home Addition Ideas for Increasing Square Footage
While the options aren’t endless for home addition projects, there are certainly numerous choices to consider when planning to add square footage to your home. Some common additions include
- Detached garages
- Bump out additions
- Enclosing garages or carports
- Finishing basements
- Adding a story to your home
While this article will only discuss the first three, you can find more information about home additions throughout our blog.
Detached Garage
A detached garage is an excellent option to increase the square footage on your property. If you have ample (or simply extra) backyard space on your lot, consider building a detached garage if you don’t already have one.
A detached garage can provide storage space for your vehicles, tools, lawn maintenance equipment, seasonal clothes, and more. If you have an athletic family and you’re sick of baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, and cleats cluttering your mudroom, a detached garage will be a lifesaver!
Keep in mind that any detached outbuilding on your property will require a permit from your local jurisdiction, and an inspector will come to your property throughout construction to ensure that the outbuilding meets all applicable building codes. Inspectors are there to help you: You don’t want your garage falling in or blowing away, after all!
Bump Out Addition
A bump out addition is simply an addition to one room in your home. If you have a room with an exterior wall and some space between the wall and any of your property’s utility easements, you can add a bump out addition to create more square footage in that room.
The square footage benefit of a bump out addition depends on the size of the room you’re expanding. If you choose to add a bump out addition to a small bedroom, for instance, you likely won’t be able to add much additional space.
On the other hand, if you add a bump out addition to a large living space like a great room, den, or kitchen, you could significantly increase the size of your home.
Enclosed Garage or Carport
Enclosing a garage or carport is always a great idea for a home addition. A garage or carport likely already shares a wall or walkway with your home, reducing the number of new walls you’ll need to build.
Plus, a garage or carport won’t require additional site planning on your lot since these spaces are already accounted for in your building’s footprint.
Let Homeowner Funding Help You with Your Home Improvement
Nervous that you won’t be able to afford a home addition project? Let Homeowner Funding help you! With our wealth of resources and skilled professionals, we can help you plan, execute, and pay for a successful home addition project.
Looking to add square footage to your home? Contact us to begin the process today!
