7 Essential Benefits of Home Additions

What's even better than the house you're living in right now?

Answer: a bigger house.

It's true, bigger isn't always better. But home additions aren't just to impress the neighbors and your friends with your home's size. There are many practical reasons to get an addition too.

Let's build on 7 benefits of adding on to houses...

1. Specialized Space

Perhaps you want a room just for your music equipment, or a home office that just doesn't work anywhere else. Instead of giving up a bedroom or living space, you can consider room additions that serve a dedicated purpose.

In the example of a music room, you can also opt for extra insulation and soundproofing that might not be as practical in another room with another use.

You can also add a home office to shorten your commute if you're using another location to work independently. Or perhaps you can convince your boss to let you take your desk job home!

Another popular addition is a sunroom, which as the name suggests typically has large windows for basking in the sunlight. These are great rooms for reading in thanks to natural light. They also make suitable playrooms for kids.

Perhaps you have a very small front foyer, and there's always a traffic jam when multiple people arrive at once. Adding a front or back addition can give guests and family a place to put their shoes and coats comfortably before coming into the main space.

2. Increased Storage

Do you have a ton of stuff that you actually use, but doesn't seem to have a permanent home in your existing space? This could be sports equipment, musical equipment, clothing, boots, children's toys... the list goes on.

By building an addition, you now have a place to put all of these items in one place without it cluttering up other spaces that you're trying to enjoy. Not only will you know where to find this stuff more easily, but having a less cluttered home has even been tied to better mental health.

Consider shelving or custom cabinetry in your new addition to make organizing even easier.

3. Accommodating Family

Perhaps you have two younger children that have now grown up a bit and want their separate bedrooms. You can listen to them bicker into the night while you're trying to get some sleep, or you can do something about it.

An addition can be a great way to create a new bedroom for existing or growing family. You can also consider house additions if you have inlaws or elderly parents coming to stay with you for extended periods of time (unless you don't mind sleeping on your couch.)

And who knows, a child who moved away a long time ago might want to come back and take their old room (it happens more these days than you might think.) But you've already made it into your crafts area, so...

4. Extra Income

Always wanted to be a landlord, but just don't have enough of a down payment to buy an income property? No problem. By adding on an extra room and maybe even a kitchenette and bathroom (or opting to share that space), you can turn your family home into a money maker.

You can also provide a separate entrance for your tenant so they're not coming in the front door. There are many people out there looking for one-room rentals, so you shouldn't have much trouble finding one. Just make sure you do your homework when crafting a lease.

5. Moving Alternative

So you've decided you've outgrown your current home and want to put it on the market. But there are many costs associated with listing your home such as minor repairs, staging, real estate agent commission, lawyer fees, and so on.

And then there is the hassle and expense (think moving companies) of finding a new home and community to settle into. You may feel homesick soon after moving into a new house.

Perhaps you love the home and the area it's in, but haven't yet considered just adding on to it. It might not just be the space you're worried about – perhaps you want a dream kitchen. Instead of finding another home that has one already, you can bump out your existing one a few feet or remodel it entirely.

6. Added Value

Bigger is sometimes better if you decide to sell your home down the road. But that depends on what the addition is for. If it's not a space that most families would use, it may not be a selling point.

However, there's another advantage to upping the value of your home, and it's not just tied to selling. It can boost your home equity if you want to take out a loan or line of credit for a dream vacation or something else you've been wanting (like a bathroom renovation.) Home equity is the assessed value of your property minus what you owe on the mortgage.

7. Modify Spaces

Home additions don't necessarily always mean you're building onto the house. For example, if you have an open front porch or back patio but want a bit more privacy, you can choose to close it in with screening or windows to create a new room.

Perhaps you have a basement that isn't being used to its full potential, or an attic that could be modified to become another bedroom. With the right contractor, you could convert places in your home that you assumed was unusable into your favorite new sitting spots.

Home Additions Make Sense

Before you give up and decide to put your house on the market, you should have a conversation with a qualified contractor about the benefits of home additions. They can be a cost-effective alternative that lets your family stay in the same place (if that's your goal.)

Additions can solve your living space or storage problems, and they can also increase the value of your property (not to mention your happiness.)