A Home Addition for a Growing Family

The incentive to renovate comes in many forms-lifestyle changes, the need for different or larger rooms, updating necessities, decorating ideas. Sometimes you know you are going to renovate even before purchasing a home; you can see the possibilities of a property and the asking price is right.

Such was the case for the Westons when they moved into a fairly cozy farm-style Victorian with one small child and another on the way. They chose the house for the family-oriented neighborhood and their proximity to an elementary school at the end of the block. Though the house was situated on a busy street, the corner lot provided a quieter focus towards the sides and backyard.

The 1890's home had seen its share of renovation over the years, with the most recent in the -70s. By 2004, when the Westons started their project, these updates were looking and feeling dated, and many had been uninspired attempts at altering the Victorian frame. Sliding glass doors that no longer worked looked flimsy and vacant. A long plate-glass window in the kitchen had lost its seal and was fogged over, frustrating attempts at seeing the yard. Most of the other windows were leaking cold air in the winter, and the two wood burning stoves had become more trouble than they were worth. Finally, the kitchen was outmoded and cramped, leaving little room for entertaining or the growing children.

The Westons engaged a local architect, Richard Puffer of Lincoln, MA, known for his seamless additions that looked as if they had always been a part of the home. He created a fluid extension of their cramped home while keeping the architectural design in sync with the rest of the neighborhood.

Though they had not anticipated renovating more than just the main level, when the Westons saw the initial design, they weren't thrilled with the steep slope of the rear roofline, which plunged down from the third story. So Richard flattened it out a bit and showed them a new design, which included an expansion of the second floor as well. If they wanted seamless design, they would have to adjust their plans. The new design was so appealing that they decided to go ahead with the two-story addition since it would provide room for a master bedroom suite-something that might interest future owners and make the house more desirable.

Whether your incentive to expand is in reaction to size constraints, outdated appliances or other motivations, when considering renovation plans it's important to examine the value of your home in relation to the neighborhood to determine whether the property can support the intended improvements. You should also consider how long you intend to remain in the home and the value you will directly derive from the enhancements. The Westons knew they would be staying put for quite some time, since they loved the neighborhood and schools, but thinking ahead about a future sale also aided their decision-making process.

A 30-page document was provided by Richard detailing every nut, bolt and beam that would go into the renovation. This made the bidding process easy for Joe Veritas of Littleton, MA, their contractor, who in the end stuck to his price, making adjustments as needed along the way; reducing where costs could be saved, but having an allowance for overruns as a result.

Though they started work on the new foundation in April, it wasn't until the summer that construction really got underway. Kay Weston was pleased with the project schedule. "Doing the kitchen renovation in the summer helped tremendously. Since we are out of town more, or could just pick up a pizza and head to the pond for swimming and a picnic supper, the project really didn't interfere with our lives." Not everyone can say that, and most don't, but Kay's advice is well-taken. Scheduling the major work for warmer months helps out the homeowner as well as the contractor. By thinking and planning ahead, you can be certain to get the best possible schedule for your family needs.

With the foundation in place, the framing out of the new family room, mudroom and master suite was a straightforward process. Joe worked as a one-man team most of the time, but brought in extra hands when needed and to speed up certain phases. Kay also worked with a kitchen designer to lay out, build and install the custom kitchen cabinetry, and this was a separate budget, though Joe framed out the new spaces and refinished the floors as well.

To accommodate the mudroom closet, a large bump-out was created in the family area. This ledge is soon to become a custom entertainment area that Kay's uncle has promised to build. The new family room is spacious and light with large windows letting in sun from three exposures. The sliding-glass doors are history and have been replaced with elegant French doors that are more in keeping with the original architectural design.

Once underway, the Westons realized that all the windows in the house would need replacement. They were all fairly leaky, and since the new ones were well-insulated, the benefit from the new ones would be mitigated if the others weren't improved. Though this added about 10% to the overall project cost, the long-term savings in heat will be of substantial advantage. Similarly, they replaced their two wood-burning stoves with one gas-fired fireplace. It goes on with the press of a remote control, and though the cost of using the fireplace runs between $300 and $400 a year, this is not more than the cost of the wood they used to purchase. The gas is also more energy efficient than wood since a blower shoots the hot air out into the room, whereas much of a wood fire can often be lost up the chimney.

Though the renovation is not an extravagant one, each of the choices made have provided benefits to the family. The new family room has become a child's haven and is especially useful when visiting families come over-the adults can cluster in the kitchen next door while the children play nearby, but not underfoot. The family has gained an informal dining area for evening suppers, while maintaining the formal dining room for larger gatherings. The adjacent sitting area provides a quiet spot for newspaper reading or phone calls when supper is cooking and overlooks the family room so the children are not out of sight.

Upstairs the master suite is still under way, though it has been finished to the wall boards according to the contract they created with Joe. Mark Weston has many construction skills himself and will be completing the project on nights and weekends. Kay is still debating on carpet or wood flooring and would like to reconfigure the new bathroom framing to include a Japanese soaking tub, so it's good thing that Mark is so handy. When the room is finally completed, Kay says the wait will be worth it and she's looking forward to having a spacious and sparsely furnished bedroom with bureaus next door in the large dressing area.

All told the Westons expanded their home by about 1,000 square feet, opened up the cramped spaces and improved the flow from room to room. The new amenities such as new kitchen appliances, a renovated guest bath and the new master bedroom and bath will help the home keep pace with the growing family, providing years of comfort that has fulfilled the Westons original concept and exceeded their expectations.