Room Addition Ideas

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Once you have decided that you are going to build an addition on to your home, the next step is figuring out what type of addition you want. There are a wide variety of room addition ideas to choose from, some are practical, some are more casual, some allow you to enjoy the outdoors from the inside, all add value to the home.

That versatility in the choice of room addition is one of the reasons home additions have increased in popularity over the years; another is that they are a way to increase the square footage of the house and avoid having to go through the cost and stress of buying, and moving into, a new home. Contact Pacific Green Homes to get all the possible room addition ideas for your home, and to bring those ideas to fruition.

Building Out or Building Up

Before deciding on a room addition idea, you need to decide whether you are going to build out, or to build up. Building out means adding a room to the first floor of the home, while building up means a second story room is added to the home. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are as follows:

Building Out Pros:

  • Room addition variety – there are a wide variety of room types to choose from
  • Minimally disruptive – you can live in the house while construction takes place

Building Out Cons:

  • Reduced yard space
  • New foundation needs to be poured

Building Up Pros:

  • Increase the size of the house without reducing the size of the yard
  • No property setback restrictions

Building Up Cons:

  • Very disruptive – residents will have to move out during construction phase
  • Limited room types – second story rooms are mainly limited to bathrooms, bedrooms, and closets

Different Types of Room Additions

Bump Out

A bump out is more of an extension of a room than a completely new room. It is a way to expand the size of the home without spending a lot of money, they extend from the house and can be as short as two feet or as long as ten to fifteen feet, which is far smaller than a full room addition. The reduced size of the bump out means the cost of adding utilities like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC is also reduced, or in some cases, nonexistent.

A Green Room Addition

Regardless of the type of room being added, using green, environmentally friendly, energy efficient materials like the following:

  • Solar panels can save electricity and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the home.
  • The right paint choice can help to reflect heat and reduce the cooling costs of the home.
  • The use of engineered lumber on any wooden parts of the room addition reduces the carbon footprint because engineered lumber is sourced from trees that grow back quickly.

Additions With Unusual Shapes

Hexagonal, or even octagonal, shaped living room additions are becoming more popular because they give people inside the room a panoramic view of the outside. These types of rooms are popular with people who want to admire—or show off—their garden or lawn.

A Fireplace Friendly Addition

If the home does not already have a fireplace, then a new living room addition is a good choice to add one to the home. A fireplace adds a warm, cozy feel to the home and is a great gathering place for friends and family. The addition of a fireplace is not too expensive, though of course, a chimney will have to be built.

Sunroom or Conservatory

These type of room addition are very similar to each other, a sunroom has glass panes on all sides that allow residents to enjoy the sun’s warmth while they get a good look at their garden. A sunroom provides a lot of visual appeal and is perfect for warmer environments like Los Angeles. Another appealing aspect of a sunroom is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to more elaborate room additions.

A conservatory is very similar to a sunroom, the main difference is that it usually has a glass roof in addition to glass walls, and has more upscale amenities. All of this means that a conservatory is typically more expensive than a sunroom.

Pacific Green Homes Brings Your Room Addition Ideas to Life

There are many different room additions to choose from and choosing the right one can be a complex process. Some factors to think about before deciding on the room addition include the resale value the addition provides to the home, how long you plan to live in the location, and the overall cost of the project. Once you have decided on the type of room addition you want, contact Pacific Green Homes and we will bring it to life for you.

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