Your Best Home Remodeling Options To Gain More Living Space

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Home Remodeling Options To Add Usable Space

No matter how big your home, most of us value and desire more suitable space in our homes, like a dedicated home gym, office, or family gathering space like a home theatre. Only after you have spent time living in a home can you understand its shortcomings. And the opportunities your home can hold!

Maybe it's the unfinished walkup attic, the three-car garage that holds your two family cars, or your unfinished basement. You can gain usable space by taking down a wall or reconfiguring your home's floorplan. If you have the budget, you can even consider adding an addition or alternate dwelling space to your home.

Before you begin any home remodeling project, whether planning an addition or finishing your basement, you'll need to comply with your local building codes. You'll also need to consider other the character of your neighborhood, how long you're planning to stay in your home, and your budget. 

In this post, we will look at options for adding usable space. Whether you work from home, your family is growing, or you're priced out of the market for a larger home, there is an affordable option for adding space. 

Start Your Home Remodeling Project By Defining Your Needs 

The pandemic changed the way we work, interact and communicate. When the Covid-19 lockdowns first happened, we were suddenly sent home to live, work, study, and play in isolation. For many homeowners and families, the shortcomings of their space became quickly apparent!

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Privacy and functionality became valued as we were all forced to make adjustments to live in lockdown. For many homeowners, it became necessary to create dedicated spaces within the home to improve functionality. 

If you consider a home remodeling project to add usable space, start by defining your needs. Do you need additional living space, like an apartment for older parents or dedicated office space with a separate entrance?

Understanding your needs can help direct you to a remodeling solution within your home or can direct you towards considering an addition or separate structure.

Once you've defined your needs, consider your options and your budget. The bottom line is that you can add comfort and functionality. Home remodeling is a great way to future-proof your home or make it more comfortable to meet your current needs.

Home Remodeling Project Ideas

Once you've defined your needs for your space and set a budget, it's time to consider your options. Here are some home remodeling ideas that can add usable square footage to your home. 

Main Floor Expansion

The most common type of room addition is one that enlarges the ground floor of your home. This option requires you to expand your home's existing footprint. This option requires careful planning. First, you need to make sure that you can legally add to your home. Check with your local building department. 

Next, you'll want to design an addition that fits seamlessly with your home's floorplan and matches your home's exterior. A first-floor expansion is a great way to enlarge a bedroom, create a master suite, or add floor space for general use. 

A main floor addition can be small - a single room - or it can be expansive - a transformation of the entire home, like the project pictured here.

Adding A Second Floor

If you need a lot of new space, expanding your home upwards might be a great solution. You can nearly double the usable interior space by building up and adding a second floor. A second floor is a perfect option if you live in a ranch-style one-story home. 

With an upward expansion, you have lots of options to consider. You can add a second story to a specific area of your home. Expand your existing living room space with a double-height ceiling while adding a new bedroom, bathroom, theatre room, or library. 

Or you may consider adding a roof deck or space over the garage or a covered patio. You're only limited by your imagination and depend on your functional needs, zoning restrictions, and budget. One of the most efficient ways to add additional living space is to build a second story addition over the garage, or over the family room that is behind the garage. That’s what we did in the project featured here.

Upgrading Your Back Patio or Porch

The trend toward indoor/outdoor living space makes enclosing your existing patio or converting a three-season porch for year-round use. It's a great way to gain year-round living space, but it's also a great way to add a comfortable indoor/outdoor space to your home. A four-season porch is an excellent solution if your porch opens to a beautifully landscaped yard or a pool area, 

Patio enclosures are not only a cost-effective option but can also be completed with a minimum of disruption to you and your family's daily life. In the project featured here, the porch was converted to a 3-season room, while adding a new patio and hot tub area.

Finishing Your Attic

An attic space can be a great way to add living space. Because you are working within your home's existing footprint, an attic project is one of the most cost-effective home remodeling options. 

Whether you want to convert the space into a bedroom suite, or a private office, with an attic space, you'll need to consider some potential obstacles. These can include compliance with safety codes, access issues, hiding exposed infrastructure like HVAC systems, adding dormers or gables, etc.

A design-build firm can help you create a plan that meets your functional and aesthetic needs. Plus, they will ensure your new space complies with all building codes. With planning, your finished attic can be a welcome addition of livable, usable space in your home. Plus, you'll add value to your home's resale value! The project shown in the photo is a traditional 4-square farmhouse, which with careful planning, was able to gain a 3rd floor finished attic space!

Building Above Your Detached Garage, Pool House, or Outbuilding

If you have an existing structure on your property like a detached garage or pool house, adding livable space above it might be a great home remodeling option. The roof of a detached garage can be used as a deck or patio, or you can add a second bedroom, guest suite, home office, or man cave!

Another benefit of adding to your attached garage design is the increased curb appeal it can add. Adding to an existing detached structure can also offer more window views and landscaping space.

Add Living Space in the Basement

Finishing your basement can increase your home's usable space. Since it is within your home's footprint and offers easy access to plumbing and electricity, finishing your basement can be a cost-effective home remodeling project. 

Your home's lower level can function in many different ways. You can create a home theatre, add bedrooms for your teenagers, or turn the basement into an in-law apartment with a separate entrance. 

Appraisers and realtors don't include an unfinished basement when calculating the square footage of your home. A finished basement is one addition that can add significant resale value, should you ever decide to sell. In the finished basement project shown here, we added a 4th bedroom, 3rd bathroom, bar and large family room to the home - at a fraction of the price of doing just a bedroom addition alone!

Home Remodeling Offers You Options!

For many of us, the past couple of years has given us a new focus on what's truly important in life, including home and family. If you want to add comfort, usability, and square footage to your home, you have many options.

Start a relationship with a professional design-build firm. They can help you understand all of your home remodeling options.

If you live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area and are considering a home remodeling project, give the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call. We can help you, whether it's adding a home addition, refinishing your attic, or converting a three-season porch for year-round use.

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This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 9/28/2022.