7 Good Ideas for Home Additions

If you use an extra room or two in your home, you can easily solve this problem by contacting a home addition contractor. Yes, it’s perfectly possible to add square footage to your house without having to move or spend a fortune.

These seven good ideas for home additions will help you envision how to enjoy more space in your house.

Convert a porch into a new room

Do you have a porch that you don’t use much? If so, you could convert it into an extra room.

Your enclosed porch could feature a door and large windows, brightening your home. Be sure to insulate its new walls properly so you can use them year-round. You could turn your porch into a mudroom, a guest bedroom, a new living room, a home office, or any room you want.

One of the main benefits of converting a porch into a room is that you don’t need to change your house’s original footprint.

Get a sunroom you can enjoy all year long

Instead of enclosing an existing porch, you could ask your home addition contractor to build a sunroom.

This project will increase the square footage of your home by increasing its footprint. It will also provide you and your family with an attractive living space you can use all year.

Your sunroom will encourage you to spend more time in the sun while enjoying your backyard. Decorate it to make it as stylish and comfortable as you want and make the most of your new home addition.

Add a bedroom and a bathroom above your garage

Another way to expand your home without building an additional foundation is to add one or more rooms above your garage.

For example, if your family is about to grow or you have been dreaming of welcoming your guests in their suite, you could build a bedroom and bathroom above your garage.

Alternatively, if you have a garage you don’t use, you could transform it into a guest suite, a large home office, a living room, or simply a convenient storage room.

Double your square footage with a second-story

If a significant renovation project doesn’t scare you, you could double your square footage by adding a second story to your home. This would be the same as building a new house on top of the existing one.

You can decide how many rooms you want on your second story. Your contractor will also install plumbing and electrical wiring, so your home addition is fully functional.

Of course, before you add a second story to your house, you must check whether its structure can support the extra weight.

Upgrade your kitchen with a bump-out

A bump-out, a micro-addition, can be suitable for a small but significant kitchen upgrade. Whether you want a cozy breakfast nook, a larger countertop, or more space to move around your kitchen, a bump-out is great.

Most bump-out additions don’t require an additional foundation since they are cantilevered. A bump-out is an easy way to add just a few feet of extra space to your home, and it’s more affordable than adding a second story.

Add a large pantry to your kitchen

Adding a pantry to your kitchen can also be accomplished with a bump-out. But if you want a large pantry, you should find a different way.

Ask your contractor if they could transform a closet into your dream pantry, where you could organize all your spices and ingredients. Or perhaps they can carve out space for it so you can fully use your home’s current square footage.

Get an outdoor kitchen to spend more time outside

The last of our helpful ideas for home additions concerns your outdoor living space. Instead of adding square footage to your kitchen, you could get a functional outdoor kitchen equipped with a countertop, a grill, and all the necessary appliances.

Living in a cold climate, you can still enjoy your outdoor kitchen during the cold season. However, it must be built to shelter your appliances from the elements. This will allow you to stay warm and comfortable while you cook and eat meals with your family. Of course, your outdoor kitchen will need a roof or a gazebo to protect it from winds, rain, and snow.