Benefits of a Garage Addition

Could you, or your family, benefit from extra space? A garage addition is a great way to add more storage space, a play room, a work room, and more. There are many benefits to building a garage addition, which include:

Benefits of a Garage Addition

Storage

The most obvious benefit of a garage addition is the extra storage. After all, when you own a home it is easy to accumulate many items. While a garage addition is an obvious place to store cars, it is a also a great location for mowers, tools, holiday decor, and recreational items such as bikes and sporting equipment. There are many storage solutions to choose from for your garage, including built-in cabinets, shelves, and the like. Be sure to ask your garage builder about storage solutions.

Protect Your Vehicles

One major benefit of a garage addition is that it protects your car from the elements. With the consistently-inconsistent temperatures in Virginia, having a garage is a great way to keep your car in the best condition possible. In addition to better maintenance, you no longer have to deal with an uncomfortably hot or cold car in the summer and winter months. This includes scraping off ice or snow while waiting for your car to warm up in the winter, and cranking the AC to have your car cool down in the summer.

Increase Home Value

While it is true that nearly any project that adds space onto a home will increase its property value, a garage addition is a great investment. After all, many potential buyers expect homes to already have garages. Thus, your home will be that much attractive when it comes time to sell.

A Workshop Space

A garage addition is a great space for any hobbies, including woodworking, gardening, crafts, and more. If needed, you can even temporarily move the car outside of the garage if you are working on a project that requires a bit more open space.

Garage Addition Specifications

Now that you know the benefits of a garage addition, it is important to start answering a few questions about what you want from your garage.

Attached vs. Detached

First, do you plan on having an attached or detached garage? Each has its own benefits. Detached garages allow more flexibility in size and location. Additionally, a detached garage keeps out dust, fumes, and dirt away from the main house. This is especially nice if you do work or hobbies that produce dust. On the other hand, attached garages don't have as much flexibility in size and location since it has to be sized to the existing home. However, an attached garage is especially convenient for those rainy, cold days when you don't want to go out into the bad weather in order to enter the house.

Air Conditioning

Another factor to consider for your garage addition is if you want it to be air conditioned. If you plan on spending a lot of time in your garage, it will make sense to install air conditioning. After all, air conditioning will make a huge difference in making the space comfortable spend time in. One suggestion would be to install a mini-split system. We covered mini-split systems in a previous blog here and we highly recommend them.

Size and Style

The overall size of your garage addition will be completely dependent upon what you plan to use the space for. If you are using the garage as a workshop space exclusively, you could probably get away with a smaller size. However, if you want to use the garage to store cars, we suggest considering the size of your car, as well as whether you want to have any additional space, to help determine the best size. As a general rule, we suggest that the garage addition match the style of your existing home-whether it be a detached or an attached garage. That way, the garage will blend seamlessly with the rest of the home.

Overall, a garage addition can provide many advantages to you and your family. If your family could benefit from a safe place to store cars, or other belongings, then consider Balducci Additions and Remodeling for your garage addition project.

Types of Home Additions

When a home no longer fits your needs, it may be time to consider a home addition. A Home addition is a great way to add some additional living space, customize your home, and keep neighborhood ties. There are several types of home additions to choose from. Here are some ideas:

Bump-Out Addition

Bump-out additions are the perfect option for those who would benefit from slightly more square footage space. With the high costs associated with most full-sized additions, bump-out additions are a great option for those yearning for a little more space. As opposed to full additions, bump-out additions can only extend up to 3 feet away from the home and add 10 to 12 feet in width. These types of additions are best for those who want to add a little space to a particular room without reconfiguring the adjacent rooms in the home.

First Floor Addition

First floor additions are popular for homeowners who wish to have more entertainment space. This can include an extension of the kitchen, living room, or dining areas. Other options would be to build on a sunroom or formal sitting area to provide a more "private" entertainment area. More recently, there has been a spike in popularity in first floor master suites. This may be due to the desire to age in place; as well as the increasing popularity in multi-generational living situations. One thing to keep in mind about first floor additions is that they will take up some yard space, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences.

Dormer Addition

A dormer addition allows for a little extra living space on the top floor of a home with a steep roof line. Many homeowners choose to build a dormer when they are in need of more space in their home, specifically an extra bedroom, guest room, or bathroom. For example, many homeowners may buy a home that fits their needs initially; however, their needs can change as the years pass. Dormer additions can be built in several styles. Some types of dormers to consider include: gable, shed roof, and hip roof. Additionally, dormer additions can be a great way to enhance the curb appeal of your home since they add an interesting architectural element.

Photo: Pinterest

Second Story (or Third Story) Addition

A second story, or third story, addition is a great way to take advantage of any views and to maximize yard space. Building a second story addition can allow you to locate all bedrooms to the same floor. Our rule of thumb is to add 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms to the second floor; however, every home is different and has different requirements. We recommend researching the average number of bedrooms and bathrooms in your neighborhood prior to coming up with the final numbers. By locating the bedrooms on the second or third floor, this will most likely provide more space for the kitchen, dining, and living areas on the main floor. Hello, open concept living!

Garage Addition

Garage additions are perfect for storing your cars, tools, and other miscellaneous items. It can serve as the perfect place for a workspace. The size of a garage addition can differ greatly due to the variety of car sizes available on the market today. Garages can be built to be either attached or detached, with advantages and disadvantages for both options. Attached garages are more convenient, since they allow for easy access to the main house. On the other hand, detached garages offer more flexibility in size and location.

While the type of home addition that you built can differ greatly, so will the costs. The cost of building an addition will depend on the type of addition, size, quality of materials, the age of your home, and other factors. Overall, building an addition that you and your family will enjoy is well worth the cost.