 | Dee Hodges is the owner of D & D Garages. He was born and raised in Wichita. During high school, he owned a lawn maintenance service, but general contracting was always his first love. At the age of 18, after a hail storm hit Wichita and damaged virtually every roof in town, Dee saw an opportunity to start his own business and did so, being one of the youngest business owners in Wichita. Today that business is thriving and consists mostly of garage construction, concrete work and roofing. You can reach Dee Hodges @ 687-3900. |
Home Improvement
2006-07-01 09:38:00
Is it better to build a garage with loft or add a room addition for space?
Question: I have limited lot space and want to know if it would be better to build a garage with a loft space/bonus room or to build a room addition onto my home?
ANSWER: When deciding on a room addition, the homeowner’s needs should be closely considered. Building a room addition, such as a family room addition, bedroom addition or bathroom can add wonderful new living space to your home, although it may not necessarily add as much to the resale value of your home. On the flip side, the decision to add a garage, detached or attached, with a loft space or bonus room, to a home is one of the best home improvements a homeowner can make. A garage addition provides great utility and can significantly increase the value of a home, and at the very least, you should be able to recoup your investment. The bonus room has become incredibly popular, working well with many two-story plans, as well as with single level homes. It is so very versatile in that it can be used as a play room for small children, a family room, movie room, study or library, hobby room, workshop or just whatever you want to use it for. These rooms can be anywhere from a single room up to a small apartment, which could either be rented (to recoup some of the investment) or be used as guest accommodations. Since these bonus rooms are typically built over garage space with raised trusses, natural light may be limited. To accommodate this, you may consider a couple of windows or dormers to bring in additional light.No matter what your decision is and prior to beginning any addition, a plan needs to be compiled. In many instances, the homeowner can draw up a simple and basic ‘blueprint’, including layout and the exterior shape and size of the addition. This blueprint will then be a starting point for the homeowner to discuss his or her specifications with a general contractor. When building a garage or garage addition, the plans may need to include a scaled drawing with dimensions. However, if the homeowner’s ideas regarding an addition become too complicated or complex, then it may be wise to have the general contractor work in conjunction with an architect to ensure that the completed addition blends into the existing home. This is a major factor for resale value. If a room addition or a garage appear as an afterthought to the home, they will be viewed as an afterthought and be unappealing to the neighborhood and to potential homebuyers in the future.
