Did you know that 148.5 million home improvement projects took place in the U.S. in 2021 alone? Homeowners spent a staggering $376.9 billion to complete them.
That trend will likely continue throughout 2022, considering the skyrocketing home prices. Experts even forecast larger home remodeling projects this year.
Home additions are among the best remodeling projects since they increase living spaces. With these, you can improve your existing abode instead of having to move to a new, much larger house.
To that end, we created this guide on the most common types of home additions. So keep reading, as what you learn here can help you choose the most suitable ones for your home.
Kitchen Bump-Outs
A bump-out, also called a room addition, is the addition of a single room built onto the side of a house. It often adds about 100 square feet or less to an existing home, which is why it also goes by the name “micro-addition.”
The kitchen is among the most common home areas that can benefit from a bump-out. By expanding your kitchen, you can install a kitchen island, a bar, or more countertops. That gives you more space to welcome and socialize with family, friends, and guests.
Because bump-outs are low-scale home addition ideas, they cost less than conventional additions. The typical range is between $4,000 and $30,000; the roomier it is, the more expensive it can get.
Roof Micro-Additions
A roof bump-out may be an excellent choice if you have a flat roof and want to increase your living space. You can transform half of the area into an extra room and use the other to create a rooftop garden. That design gives you a functional indoor space and an outdoor area for some nature time.
Sunrooms
The folks at Milan Design + Build say that a home remodel can polish a house and boost its property value. If executed right, it can even improve energy efficiency.
A sunroom addition is an example of a remodeling project that can deliver all three benefits. First, it’s aesthetically pleasing, with its inviting greenhouse ambiance featuring massive windows. That, plus the fact that it creates more living space, is how it can boost property value.
A sunroom can help make your home more energy efficient by providing natural heat when the sun’s out. That makes it an ideal, relaxing spot on sunny fall or winter days, and you don’t even have to jack up your thermostat. It also helps you save money on lighting costs since sunlight enters its giant windows.
Mudrooms
A mudroom is what it sounds like: a room designed to contain muddy boots (and dripping coats or umbrellas). Think of it as the middle ground between the outdoors and your carpets or hardwood floors.
If you don’t have a mudroom, you’d have to take your muddy shoes off before your enter your home. Otherwise, you’d soil your pristine, expensive floors.
However, a mudroom addition can be more than just a transition space; it can also double up as a laundry room. You can add a few cabinets for storing indoor slippers and clean clothes. That way, you can get out of your dirty clothes, change, and avoid dirtying up your living room.
Enclosed Decks or Porches
While mudrooms are must-haves for homes in regions with wet and muddy climates, they can be costly. Their addition requires a new roof section, foundation, floors, and walls.
If you’re on a budget, you can instead have your existing deck, patio, or porch enclosed.
Enclosure systems can consist of screens, glass panels, or a combination. If you choose the combination system, you can turn your deck, patio, or porch into a mudroom/sunroom area.
Garage Additions or Conversions
Garages have always been so popular that, each year, over 60% of newly built U.S. homes feature two-car garages. By contrast, less than 20% of new houses had no garages.
If your home doesn’t have a garage, consider adding one, even if you don’t have a car. One reason is that you can use one side of it as a mudroom and the other as a home office or a craft area. You can also use it as a storage room for bikes, skateboards, boats, and anything else you want to keep.
Then, if you decide to buy a car, you can already use your garage for its original purpose. Alternatively, you can convert it into a living space or an entertainment room.
Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs)
DADUs are pretty much like tiny home additions to the primary house. However, they do not physically attach to the main home.
DADUs have many nicknames, including detached guesthouses, granny flats, and backyard cottages. Regardless of what you call it, DADUs are fantastic ways to increase your living space. You can have elderly loved ones live here, use them for guests staying the night, or rent them out.
Because they’re essentially tiny houses, DADUs have separate kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms. They must also have separate HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. All that makes them some of the most expensive home additions.
Conventional Home Additions
Conventional home additions are multi-room structures built onto a side of a house. Because they join the main house and are open to it, they require knocking down existing walls.
A conventional addition often has different rooms: a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room. It can also feature a mudroom/sunroom, a home office area, and an enclosed deck, patio, or porch.
Because they’re almost like a new house, conventional home additions cost the most. That’s also why they require similar permits and must comply with the same building codes.
Consider Investing in These Home Additions
With the average U.S. home selling for over $500,000 this 2022, buying a new house has become even more expensive. So, why not invest in home additions instead of shelling out that kind of money? They’ll still cost you money, but they won’t be as hard on your finances as a new house would.
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