Over time, families evolve. Children are born, aging parents move in, new habits are adopted, and lifestyles change.
As these life events unfold, you may find your home in Corvallis no longer suits you as well as it once did. However, rather than moving and saying goodbye to the beloved house where you have laid down roots and made memories, consider building an addition to provide your family with the space you require to enhance your quality of life and serve your needs in the coming years.
How to Add on Your Corvallis Home
If your home is too small or certain spaces lacking adequate square footage, the function and livability of the property can become severely undermined. You have a couple of options for adding onto your home in Corvallis. You can expand a specific area, like the kitchen or your master suite; build an additional story; or bump-out horizontally with a new room addition. Sometimes the solution is to take a currently unused room, like an attic or basement, and convert it into a new bedroom, home office, or playroom.
Here are several home improvement ideas—both large and small—that can help you gain the livable space you need at your Corvallis home:
1. Build a Room Addition
One of the most straightforward home additions is to simply build an extra room that is attached to the side of the structure. This allows you to physically add square footage to your house. One of the most common requests we get at Corvallis Custom Kitchens & Baths is adding an en suite bathroom and walk-in closet to the primary bedroom.
2. Convert Your Patio into a Sunroom
Another idea for a home addition is to enclose a front porch or back patio and turn it into a sunroom. For a sunroom to be counted as “livable space” in terms of your home’s overall square footage, it needs to be serviced by your heating and cooling system, have a finished floor, and be accessible from the house. However, if you don’t plan on someone sleeping there long-term, you can turn the space into a three-season sunroom that is used for relaxing, dining, and entertaining guests. An enclosed porch also makes for an ideal mudroom, where family members can remove shoes and wash their hands before entering the house and you can store outdoor equipment.
3. Create Outdoor Living Spaces
If your family enjoys spending time outdoors, you may be better suited by adding exterior living space to your property. The best part is that an outdoor living space can be completely customized to fit your budget, the size and topography of your property, and your lifestyle needs. You can add a simple patio covered by a pergola or create an elaborate deck with seating and even high-end amenities, like an outdoor kitchen or hot tub. Exterior renovations and additions tend to see a high return on investment (ROI) as families continue to seek a harmonious balance between indoor and outdoor living.
4. Expand Your Kitchen or Bathroom
Kitchens and bathrooms are often considered prime real estate. These spaces are used daily for a variety of activities, so they must be functional, comfortable, and inviting. When your bathroom or kitchen is too small and cramped, it decreases the usability of the space itself and undermines the value of your home. One solution is a micro-addition, or a bump-out, which typically adds 6 to 10 square feet to a bathroom and about 100 square feet to a kitchen. While that may seem like a small amount, it has a tremendous impact on how the room looks, feels, and functions.
5. Build a Second Story
For a significant addition of square footage, you may need to undergo a major project, like building a second story onto your home. It requires careful planning with a design-build team to ensure you are following local building codes and ordinances. However, this project allows you to reinvent your home in Corvallis. You can dedicate the upstairs to a large master suite, a couple of bedrooms, a home office, a media room, or whatever else your family is currently lacking.
6. Transform Underutilized Space
Another common solution to a lack of livable space is to look for areas in your home that are currently not being used to their full potential. Also, a poor layout can lead to wasted space. A few projects to consider that each have a significant ROI include finishing your basement, attic, or garage. Whatever space you target for your project, make sure to include emergency exits, proper ventilation, and good lighting. From there, the scope of your remodeling project depends on how you plan to use the space in the future. Gutting certain portions of your house and redesigning them with a new layout can also help solve space issues. While you are not adding square footage to your home’s footprint, a well-thought-out reconfiguration enables you to maximize the potential and make the most of what you have available.
Expanding Your Corvallis Home
Adding onto your house in Corvallis has several perks. Often, a home addition increases the tangible value of your property. More importantly, the extra square footage can significantly improve your comfort and quality of life. However, home additions can be complex projects as you want to preserve the structural integrity of your house while expanding the size. If you have outgrown your home, our team at Corvallis Custom Kitchens and Baths can help you solve the problem and add on the perfect type of space to fit your family’s unique needs and future goals.
