Remodeling and adding square footage onto a property increases its value, so just for that reason, homeowners should remodel and add square footage onto their homes whenever possible.
Most people decide to remodel their homes because they need more room or just to make their houses more enjoyable but later on realize the increased resale value. Unfortunately, I have seen houses which were added onto but the addition, instead of increasing the value of the property, really hurt the property. Ex: I once saw a beautiful home in Poway in which the only way to go from the so called “Master Suite” into the yard was through the shower. I never understood what happened there but home design mistakes like that are common and in my opinion, unacceptable.
There are additions that look so different from the original house, whatever style it is, that they make the aesthetics go out the window. Take a look at this photo:
Believe it or not, this charming little bungalow is ATTACHED to the amorphous building next to it. The original house was added onto but the addition has nothing to do with the shape, size or style of the original house. That decreases the value of a property. The Craftsman Style is such an elegant and formal style. The addition built next to this bungalow is something with no style and really no taste whatsoever. This should never happen. Continue reading
Last year, while I was looking for properties to buy and repair (the so called “fixer uppers”), I visited a house in the College area in San Diego with a very strange configuration. The home had 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms which mathematically makes no sense to me. The original structure was built in the forties but it was obvious that the home had undergone a big remodel/addition obviously without a home design layout that worked. One of the bathrooms was located inside the biggest bedroom which made that room the master bedroom and the other bathroom was shared by the rest of the bedrooms, 4 bedrooms total. That 4/1 ratio makes no sense and here is why: If we were to have one person per bedroom in that house, four people would have to take turns to use the only bathroom in that house because the one inside the master bedroom is obviously private.