Adding Space

Spreading out is a human tendency. Room to Grow Room to live. Adding space is a substantial investment. This is one time that, if you are thinking about resale, you should be fairly confident of your return. Here are some guidelines: The Ten Year Rule Will you stay or will you go? If you are planning on staying in the home more than ten years-go for it. Build your home to meet your needs. As long as you are building within the local building codes...there is no problem. You will enjoy the benefits of your remodeling project for such a long time that the return on your investment is superceded by the comfort the extra space will bring.

• If You Plan to Go
  
  Be more cautious if you aren't staying long term.
  
  If you are planning on moving before ten years-be sure to pull comps for your neighborhood and poll your neighbors to make sure you are not overbuilding for the neighborhood. The worst thing you can do when resale is on your mind, is to be the most expensive house on the block.
  
  A prospective buyer will pull the comps for your neighborhood and expect to pay a similar price. Buyers don't always notice that some homes aren't like the others and rarely offer to pay a top price for something they can't readily see as a major difference.
  
  Of course, if you have another floor in your home that others don't it won't go unnoticed...but you still won't get as much of a return as you would if you were remodeling to catch up to your neighbors.
  
  
• Addition Rules
  
  Looks count.
  
  When you are talking about adding space, you better keep an eye not only on the return, but on the look-both inside and out. Your addition should be aesthetically pleasing and functional.
  
  And remember to keep an eye on how the addition looks and feels from the inside in terms of traffic flow and feel, and the outside in terms of blending in. You don't want your addition to stick out.

A Popular Addition...

The Master Suite.

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