Are you running out of room in the small house that you’re currently living in? Or do you just simply want to add additional rooms to expand your square footage? We’re thinking of fun rooms, extra storage, and some necessities that homes don’t initially have. You know, square footage expansions or remodels to add home value to your living space for when it comes time to put it on the market. 

We’re not thinking of the basics, though. The aimed focus is outside of the general box, disregarding kitchen and bathroom expansions that warrant additional home value. Some uncommon home addition ideas that come to our minds are second floors, in-law apartments, finished basements, mudrooms, and sunrooms - and we’re going to briefly talk about each below!

Before we get started listing off some fantastic addition ideas, we want everyone to be aware of a few things before planning anything. You have to make sure you do your research before getting invested in any renovation. Meaning, builders might want to eye the project before it begins, zoning ordinances and building codes should always be studied, and the county assessor should know about all of the expansion plans and aftermath of the situation. 

Alright! Are you looking for some home improvement ideas? Let’s get started.

How about a second floor?

Adding an entire floor above your first floor may be a bit pricey (coming in at around $90k to $200k), but it does add the most space and the best resale value to your home.

Be sure to check if the structure and foundation can withstand the pressure and weight of the addition before you move forward with plans. The last thing you’ll want to do is get halfway done with the project before realizing you can’t complete it.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with what you put up there if you can build a second floor! A second living room, some additional bedrooms, and a half bath would be the perfect start to your addition.

How about an in-law apartment over the garage?

It doesn’t technically have to be for the in-laws, but an in-law apartment over the garage is a great addition that doesn’t necessarily mess up your daily routine when under construction. Plus, it helps that garage foundations can support some extra weight, unlike that of a second floor. Most of the time, you won’t even have to check if the pressure and weight are good for the apartment above the garage. All you’ll really need to focus on is getting those walls and roof up and running.

After it’s done, you can use it as a guest apartment for when you have visitors, or you can rent it to a tenant to increase your home revenue.

How about a redone basement?

A redone basement can really be anything you want it to be - and livable! You can build another living room, dining room, bedroom, and bathroom down there. Or, you can go as far as making the space a man cave, rentable apartment, entertainment area with proper av receivers, or home theater.

Typically, an addition such as this can start around $6k and go up to approximately $20k depending on the details you incorporate.

Mudrooms are just better renditions of simple entryways. The additional space allotted in a mudroom allows homeowners the ability to keep all of their “go out the door” accessories organized, like shoes, coats, purses, and backpacks. Just install some storage like cabinets and cubbies to keep everything tied together neatly.

How about a sunroom?

Do you have a big enough front porch at your place? If you do, you can turn it into a sunroom. That way, it will count as additional square footage for your home resale value when it comes time to put the house on the market. Just make sure that the sunroom is accessible through the house for it to count as viable square footage.

The best part about having a sunroom is that you can make it super livable with comfy furniture, ample lighting, and proper dining or side tables.