The Different Types of Home Additions and Which to Choose

If you're living in your dream home but you need to find more space, it may be better for your budget and your family to make an addition to the home, rather than selling and moving to a new house.

The Right Home Addition for YOU

Only you can decide how you want your home to change to fit your needs, from inviting elderly relatives to live with you, to having a baby, or any stop in-between. The first step is to spell out your goals for an addition to the home, and ranking what is most important. Is it increased storage space? A new bedroom? A second floor added to the property?

It may be useful to think of additions in terms of Major and Minor. Minor additions should be low-cost and low-hassle. You may swap the terms "remodel" or "upgrade" for this kind of change, such as converting a garage, basement, or attic to a living space. Major additions require many of the same considerations as home construction: permitting, excavation, new roofing or siding, and include changes like adding a second floor to the house, adding a new room, or even "bumping out" an existing room. 

Your time, energy, and budget will determine the size of the home addition. Below are some options to consider.

The Types of Home Additions

A New Room: This is the most traditional, and literal, sense of the word "addition" - adding a new room to a house. This addition can take the form of a new bedroom, a new bathroom, or adding a mudroom near an entryway to help keep jackets, shoes, umbrellas and more organized.

A Second Story: You can double the size of your home by adding a second floor, though this is not an option to take lightly. This may be the most demanding addition, as it calls for structural reinforcement, a costly and exacting process. Considerations like roof replacement, or building from scratch versus buying a modular story, must be made.  

Perhaps your family is in love with your neighborhood and determined to stay, but absolutely needs more bedrooms and bathrooms to live comfortably in the home. Adding a second story could be the way to keep your family in your neighborhood while increasing your quality of life. This kind of addition requires a trustworthy contractor with the expertise to complete this project, so contact Marks Building Co. for a quote today.

A Bump Out: This means adding a room onto an already-existing room, or simply expanding a room you have now. Bumping out can look like adding a breakfast nook to a kitchen, expanding a bathroom to make space for a luxury tub, or a bedroom addition to add a walk-in closet. These extra features can change a room or floor enough to make the entire home feel like new.

Convert an Outdoor Porch to an Indoor Sunroom: Enclosing a porch can make for a cozy sunroom, which can be climate controlled and furnished with indoor furniture once it is made part of the house. An addition that turns a porch into a sunroom ensures that your family can enjoy this space year-round and in all types of weather.

Over-Garage Addition: Sometimes called the "in-law suite, this added living space over a garage does not have to be used as a guest room or bedroom. Consider a home gym or hobby room above the garage! Some estimates place the return on investment at 80% for this type of addition, adding to its appeal.

Accessory Dwelling Unit: If you have the space, and your state allows it, an Accessory Dwelling Unit can be an exciting addition. This smaller, secondary structure can be a standalone craft room, a guest house, or a rental property. One can be constructed from scratch, or an old shed can be converted.

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Additions

Q: How much should I budget for a home addition?

A: According to The Spruce, the average home addition costs $50,000, and falls between $22,000-$82,000.

The cost of your addition will be determined by the scale of the project and other factors. According to the Journal of Light Construction, the average cost of a primary bedroom addition in our region is between $327,858-$325,504, adding a resale value of around $70,000, meaning about 22% of the cost is recouped. But this is considered a major addition. When estimating how much your addition will cost and recoup, be sure to compare it to comparable projects in your region.

Q: Do all home additions add value to the property?

A: Not necessarily! 

In fact, some additions can actually decrease a home's value, so be sure to research your project before beginning. Additions (or any renovations) that are too personal to your taste could potentially alienate future buyers or, at least, not add market value. It is important to keep in mind that not all additions are equal; renovations in certain areas tend to garner higher returns on investment, while other rooms don’t hold this promise.

When estimating the market value of your home, you evaluate the lot size, square footage, and other features of your home and look for recent sales of similar homes in your area. If you are considering an addition that changes the square footage or number of rooms to a home, this can certainly increase your home's value. But be sure to do a thorough comparison with similar-sized lots in your zip code, and remember that this is only an estimate.

Also remember: adding value isn't the same thing as breaking even on the expenses incurred to make the addition. It is important to understand return on investment (ROI): the amount of money recouped after investing in a home improvement. Misha Fisher, an economist at Bankrate, explains it this way: "If a $4,000 garage door improvement adds $3,500 to the value of your home, you could say the project has an 88 percent ROI. This means you are able to recoup a large share of the project cost." Be mindful that on this hypothetical project, you have still not made up for the $500 invested in the upgrade. Additions and renovations may not make profit in the short-term, but may still add value to the home over time.

Q: Do I need a permit for my home addition?

A: This is determined by your local building code regulations.

You can start by reading the state of Ohio's building codes, but be sure to find your municipal codes as well.

Q: How do I hire a contractor for my addition?

A: It is essential to work with a trustworthy contractor with a good reputation. Marks Building Co. has been building home additions in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio for 40 years. Contact our team today to get started!