You’ve scored a home in your dream location. You love your neighborhood and enjoy a community of lifelong friends. Maybe you picked your current home based on the school district, or it’s proximity to walkable shopping and dining.

The only thing missing? Space. Whether it’s a larger kitchen, room for a growing family, or just space to enjoy a hobby, sometimes the only thing keeping your current home from becoming your forever home is the current square footage.

And with rising housing costs and sky-high interest rates, buying an entirely new home might not be feasible, especially when a well-planned addition or renovation could give you the home of your dreams (or at least something very close.) 

But not all additions are worth the cost of renovations. In order for an addition to be worth the cost, you’ll want to ensure that your new space adds both function and potential resale value to your home. Here’s three options for adding both space, and peace of mind, to your existing home. 

      1. “Bump Out” 

This type of addition adds additional space to an existing room within your home, or adds a single room to the existing footprint. This type of project is ideal for homeowners who just need a little more space to make their home fully functional—think adding a dining area to a cramped kitchen, or a guest bedroom off the back of the house for visiting friends and family. A bump-out is also typically one of the more affordable options for increasing the size of your home.

      2.Single-Space Conversion

While this type of project technically does not add more square footage to your home, transforming an under-utilized space to something more functional is a great way to improve your space. Think a little-used garage, back patio, or unused bedroom as perfect candidates for this type of renovation. A tiny bedroom can become a guest bathroom, (which could also improve the resale value of your home in the future) a garage can be converted into a multigenerational living space, and a back patio can become the perfect work-from-home office. 

     3. Build Out—or Up!

Perhaps the most complex home addition project, a build-out addition often offers the most additional square footage to your existing space. This involves adding multiple living spaces to your existing home, and possibly reconfiguring the floorplan of your home to better accommodate the proposed additions. It’s not uncommon for architects or contractors to suggest removing and rebuilding walls, relocating plumbing, or switching room designations altogether. 

Depending on the scope of the project, it might be helpful to think of this type of project as something similar to building a small home. The cost might not be as high as building an entirely new home, but it will almost certainly cost more than a simple bump-out addition.

Lastly, if your lot space is limited, it might be worth it to build both out and up, which would add a second story to at least part of your home. Not every home is structurally equipped to handle this type of addition, which is why experienced contractors and architects are a must.

Get Started with Home Planning Hawaii 

Regardless of the type of home addition, you will need to apply for and get approval for a variety of building permits, and need the assistance of a qualified contractor, designer, or architect. Fortunately, Home Planning Hawaii specializes in matching homeowners with the right professionals for their project. Contact us today for help getting started on building the right team for your dream home. 

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