Whether your clients are expanding their family, working from home or just craving some extra space, adding square footage to their home can be a smart investment. But with so many options available, it can be tough to decide what type of home addition is right them.
In this 5-minute read, we’ll explore various types of home additions and give you some creative ideas to add square footage to a home. We’ll also show you an easy way to calculate the cost of a home addition project.
Let’s start with some basic types of home additions.
Types of Home Additions
Before deciding which type of home addition is best for your clients, it’s important to understand the options available. In this section, we’ll see four basic types of home additions — conventional home additions, bump outs, sunrooms and garage additions.
Conventional Home Addition
A conventional home addition is a popular choice for homeowners who want to add significant square footage to their homes. This type of addition typically involves adding a new room or rooms onto the existing structure of the home.
Conventional home additions can be either single-story or multi-story and can include a wide range of features, such as additional bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms or home offices. One of the benefits of a conventional home addition is that it can add substantial value to your home if done correctly, making it a wise investment.
Bump Out or Room Addition
A bump-out or room addition is a type of home addition that extends the existing structure of the home outward. This type of addition is a great option for homeowners who want to add just a little more space to critical areas of their homes like a kitchen or bathroom.
One of the benefits of a bump-out or room addition is that it can be a more cost-effective option than a conventional home addition, as it requires less construction and typically involves fewer structural changes.
Sunroom Addition
A sunroom addition allows homeowners to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while staying protected from the elements. Sunrooms are typically built with large windows or glass walls, providing natural light and a feeling of openness.
They’re great for a variety of purposes, from a relaxation space to an entertainment area. Sunroom additions are a great option for homeowners who want to add square footage to their homes without sacrificing the benefits of being outdoors.
Garage Addition
A garage addition can serve multiple purposes, from providing additional storage space to creating a workshop or home gym. Adding a garage to your home can be a smart investment, as it can increase the overall value of your property.
Garages can be attached or detached from the main structure of the home and can be customized to fit your client’s specific needs. One of the benefits of a garage addition is that it can be a relatively easy and cost-effective way to add square footage to your home while also improving its functionality.
Those are some basic types of home additions. Keep going to get some more specific ideas for adding space to a home.
Ideas to Add Square Footage to A Home
In this section, we’ll explore eight creative ideas to add square footage to a home.
Build a second story
If you have a single-story home on a small lot, building a second story can be an excellent way to add square footage to your home. Adding a second story can give you additional living space, bedrooms, or even a home office.
IMPORTANT! – When considering a second story, it’s important to work with an experienced contractor who can evaluate your home’s structure to ensure that it can support the additional weight.
Add a room on top of the garage
If you have a garage that’s not being used to its full potential, consider adding a room on top of it. This type of addition can be a cost-effective way to add square footage to your home, and it’s often easier to get permits for than a full addition. You can easily turn the extra space into a guest bedroom, a home office, or even a rental unit.
Consider a modular addition
A modular addition is a pre-built room or structure that can be added to your home. Modular additions can be a great option for homeowners who want to add square footage to their homes quickly and efficiently. They’re often less expensive than traditional additions and they can be customized to fit your specific needs.
Incorporate a dormer
A dormer is a small extension added to the roof of your home. Dormers provide additional usable space for bedrooms, bathrooms, or storage. With their windows, they also let in a lot of natural light to brighten up dark attic rooms.
*Want an easy way to test ideas for adding square footage to your home? Use Cedreo home design software to add dormers, additions, enclosed porches and more to your home designs.
Finish the basement
Finishing your basement is an excellent way to add square footage to your home. You can easily turn a finished basement into a recreation room, home theater, or even a rental unit. And fortunately, finishing a basement can be less expensive than adding an addition, as it’s already part of your home’s structure.
Enclose the front or back porch
If you have a front or back porch that’s not being used to its full potential, consider enclosing it to create additional living space. A simple porch enclosure gives you usable space for three seasons out of the year. A more permanent enclosure with included heating and air conditioning gives you extra square footage that’s usable year-round.
Take advantage of attic space
If you have an attic you’ve already got that space in your home. Why not convert it into a more usable space? It’s a nice option for turning the space into a bedroom, home office, or even a playroom.
Convert an attached garage into an interior room
We already mentioned converting the space above your garage, but what about the garage itself? If it’s an attached garage, it’s even easier to convert it into an interior room that becomes a unique space that’s separate from the rest of your home. It’s easy to turn the space into a home gym, a playroom, or even a rental unit.
How to Calculate the Cost of a Home Addition
So you’re planning a home addition project for yourself or a client? Sure you can sit down with a pen, paper and calculator but this outdated method is tedious and often inaccurate.
More and more housing pros are turning to the Cedreo + CostCertified design and cost estimating combo.
Here’s how it works to save you loads of time and hassle:
- Create your home addition design in Cedreo. It’s easy with Cedreo’s intelligent drawing tools. Most users can create an entire set of 2D and 3D home plans in as little as two hours.
- Launch the CostCertified integration. Cedreo automatically transfers your design info into the CostCertified estimating program.
- Verify the key details.
- View your estimate.
- If you or your client make changes, the quote automatically gets updated in real-time — no need to recalculate.
Plus, there are tons of tools for contractors that help streamline your business while maximizing profits.
- Time-saving project templates
- Automated change orders
- Easily adjustable profit margins
- Vendor and subcontractor management
Give Cedreo and CostCertified a try today to see how this winning combination can save you loads of time and help you close more deals.
Conclusion
Whichever home addition ideas work for you and your clients, Cedreo and CostCertified can help you make them a reality. With their easy-to-use tools and powerful cloud computing, no other combination of home design and estimating software lets you do so much so fast.
