Remodel or Add On? 8 Reasons to Remodel

The Problem
The home you bought seemed perfect for your situation a few years ago.  Or, it was bigger than you honestly needed so you just moved in and quickly went on with life.

Then things changed, ever so slightly over time or in some bigger ways.  Maybe you're home more now, or working remotely from home.  Or you found yourself offering space to your adult daughter who is going back to school, and you never planned on that but here it is.  And it's just not working anymore.

What to Do?
Clearly, you have do something!  And I get that the most logical next step might seem obvious:  you need more space!!  It's too cramped.  It's creating stress and chaos.  You can't find things.  You don't have enough private space.  

So, you make the decision to add on 500 square feet to create an office and another bedroom.

But I've got a reality check for you...  there's a lot more to solving this challenge than just adding more space.

This post makes the case for remodeling.

It doesn't tell you how to decide - how to work out what your space is actually failing at, which is almost never square footage.

I wrote that piece recently: the four questions I use with clients, in order, plus what happened when I finally used them on my own house.

👉 Read it here: 67 Square Feet
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Remodel or Add-On? How to Decide

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Reality Check
It's most often NOT about the size or square footage of your home, but about how the space you have works.  Or doesn't.

And most of the time, it doesn't work - at least not for you, now.

Most homes, whether new or old, have virtually no thoughtful design or planning on the front-end with respect to efficient and meaningful use of the space.
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Either way, addition or remodel, you'll be "living-in" a bit of a construction zone for a while, so what's the better choice?
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​Remodel or Renovate Instead
​If you're current space hasn't been thoughtfully put together, especially with you and your needs in mind, then you should always pursue remodeling before you jump into adding square footage.

And, I've got 8 solid reasons for why I say this.
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​#1  New Square footage costs big-time

It's crazy expensive to add square footage.  ​Roofs, foundations, new framing, insulation, windows, extending HVAC etc are extremely expensive no matter how big or small the addition.
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#2  new square footage is a forever expense

​More square footage adds more cost than just the building.  You've got to budget and plan for the long-term too, not just getting the space built.  Maintaining, heating, cleaning, and furnishing more square footage is a forever commitment.  And a family that grows always ends up shrinking again as kiddos fly the coup, or situations change.
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#3  planning departments are no fun

Let's be really honest.  Planning Departments are no fun to deal with.  Getting plans and permits approved for additions is much more difficult and time consuming.  You'll have to deal with zoning, setbacks, height restrictions, and on and on.  It's slow, frustrating, and... slow.
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#4  less site disruption

Unless you live on a massive property, with easy access, it's almost always a hassle to provide adequate access for contractors to build an addition.  Landscaping and site disruption is never ever as minimal as you were promised.  And the neighbors often have very strong feelings about changes like this​ since it affects their views, or light, or access, or even just the massive noise of new construction.  
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#5  more layers

Generally speaking, additions (even small ones) typically will require architecture, structural engineering and more layers.  All of that can be expensive, complicated, and slow.  These layers are not always required for remodels.  Plus, you might be able to avoid hiring a general contractor for a remodel - big savings and one less layer.
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#6  Property value

​A thoughtful remodel will almost always increase the value and quality of your existing square footage without necessarily affecting your property taxes (which are based on SF).  If you haven't maximized that value of what you already have, adding more space is frequently not going to get it done.

#7  bigger not equal to happier

American's generally assume that more space will just make them happier, make life work better. 

​Think again.  Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote a a while back:

The average American home is now 2,700 square feet, which is a 50% increase over the still large 1,500 square foot average in 1973.  The overall trend is a forever increasing one.  Yet at the same time, the average size of a family has been decreasing.  So if the American dream includes living in the largest home you possibly can, does that mean that Americans are happier now?

According to a recent article in The Atlantic, this means that the average home provides each resident in an average American family almost 1,000 square feet of their own.  Each person!  Seriously?  By my math, I figure that your average, slightly overweight American can only occupy somewhere between 4 to 9 square feet at any given moment. 

And, not surprisingly, that study indicates that these people aren't any happier with their residential situation than they used to be.  Here's why - because bigger and better are always going to be relative terms.  If it all comes down to comparing how much home you have to the newest, biggest McMansion in the neighborhood, then you will always be disappointed.  

#8  missed opportunities

Again - even new homes often don't work for the way you live, unless of course you had it built specifically for your needs. 

There are countless opportunities to improve your existing SF before adding any space is necessary. 

​Here's just a few examples:

• If you don't use every room in your house every single day, that space can probably be reallocated to more important and meaningful uses.
• Vertical space is almost always under-utilized.
• Flow of rooms and spaces must be natural, logical, efficient, and pleasant.  For example, kitchen access and storage near parking, the location of doors/windows, hallways should be functional, multi-purpose spaces and not just passages, and natural light brings warmth and energy.
• Storage is so much more than just a generic closet -  built-ins that are customized to your stuff, and sometimes editing your stuff, can create masses of space and functionality.
• Size of rooms are often far bigger than needed - open empty floor space is not useful unless you host dance parties, and massive furniture may not be scaled properly to your space.
• I could go on and on.

A truly customized space means designing every single square foot to work for YOU the way YOU live and makes it a joy rather than a struggle to spend time in that space.
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you can do this

Now I'm not suggesting that you should NEVER add square footage to your home.  There are certain circumstances that make it worthwhile in both the short and long-term.  

It's just that if you haven't maximized what you've already got, I truly believe you are missing a huge opportunity to live your best life in a wonderful home that you will enhance your life.  

Sometimes it's harder to figure out how to make that remodel or renovation truly work.  Where to start, how to tie it all together, what is worthwhile in the big picture.

But you don't have to tackle this on your own. 

​The Whiskey Porch excels in the fine art of architecturally re-designing your space in a truly custom and entirely thoughtful manner.  We specialize in small-not-tiny spaces, and you would be truly amazed at how big a small space can feel when it's well designed.

We can help you with a quick or extended consultation.  Or we can do an entire design plan for you.

This is my passion and I'm really good at it! 

​You can learn more about our services here.

Give me a call or send me a note - I'd love to chat with you.

Design Services

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Thanks so much for following along.  I hope you found this a worthwhile read.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!  

​Peace & contentment,
~Miriam

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You might also be interested in our Cottage & Bungalow Resources Page... check it out.
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Cottage & Bungalow Resources