| Connect to the yard. The most common addition has to be the one that attaches onto the back of the house. Usually, especially in older houses, these are kitchen and / or family room additions. A great advantage to an addition like this is the ability to strengthen the house's connection to its yard. Here, new doors lead to a new outdoor room complete with furniture. Private Comment
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| Mind the scale. A big addition can easily overwhelm an existing structure. So rather than create one large block, break it into pieces that relate to and don't overwhelm the existing structure (see next photo). Private Comment
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| Rather than having one large gable roof that would have peaked above the existing, the addition roof is broken down into smaller and lower pieces. Private Comment
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| Make a (big) statement. Sometimes you'll want to really express yourself and let the whole world know. No backyard addition will do. Something clearly visible from the street announcing that this is your house lived in by 21st-century folks. Private Comment
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| Create a pavilion. If the site is large enough you can extend the addition out and away from the existing house. Doing this really does give you a chance to create an almost stand alone pavilion that can be quite different from yet complement the original. Private Comment
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| Raise the roof. Look at a second floor addition in a more urban area with little opportunity to expand horizontally. This is an especially effective strategy on a small lot and the addition is quite large. Private Comment
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| Ranch up. Rather than using up precious ground area and building a foundation, adding a second floor addition to a ranch house is a great and cost effective way to get that extra space. Because this type of an addition requires a new stair be located in the house, it's a great way to fix some of the underlying deficiencies of ranches (such as the dreaded going through a room to get to a room syndrome). Private Comment
Are you adding on? Tell us about your project below! More: Garage Conversions Converting Attics and Basements Micro-Additions: When You Just Want a Little More Room Staying Put: Improving the Home You Have |
