Often things happen over time, so we don’t notice that a big change has occurred right under our noses.
Take your home. It has served you well for many years, contains precious family memories, and been the scene of some the most important moments of your life. You love your neighbourhood and your neighbours are now friends.
However, the home you love doesn’t seem to be keeping up with the demands of your family. You aren’t exactly sure why. And if you do know, you might not be certain about the best path forward to get things back on track.
In our experience, there are usually some key warning signs that you might be seeing. And as a ‘design and build’ company specialising in extensions, additions and renovations, we’ve supplied the solution to literally thousands of families. We’re in a good position to advise you on the best way forward.
Let’s start with those potential signs you might want to take notice of. There are often some common causes – expanding families, children becoming teenagers, parents more likely to be working from home, older relatives moving in – that explain all of these symptoms:
1. You Can’t Hear Yourself Think
Too many devices in the same room at once? And we’re not just talking about everyone’s mobile phones!
That ‘study nook’ or open-plan home office seemed like a good idea when you first created it. However, having the computer in the same room as other devices – be that a radio for the cook in the kitchen, or the TV and games console in the living room – is no longer working for you.
Having a home office in a separate room leads to greater productivity and concentration, and for someone working from home, fewer distractions during the day.
Putting on that load of washing or making an early start on dinner are less likely to happen if you are working in an area shut away from the rest of your house.
2. Family Fights over the TV Remote.
This is especially noticeable as children grow older and start to demand their independence.
An ‘obvious’ solution might seem to be adding TVs to bedrooms, but research has shown a TV in a child’s bedroom is linked to lower grades in school and higher likelihood of sleep issues. TVs in the parent’s bedroom can also affect a good night’s sleep.
Having a games room or home theatre room is a smart solution, especially as your children get older and start having friends over more often which leads to our third sign:
3. Living Room is ‘Standing Room’ Only
Your living room comfortably sits your family, but as kids become teenagers and they have multiples of friends round to visit at the same time, soon even pulling in the dining room chairs isn’t cutting it.
A second ‘living’ room is more and more common as families grow, stay together longer than before, and sometimes start looking after elderly parents.
4. Bathroom is Too Popular.
There was a time when your kids were allergic to water. Spending time in the bathroom wasn’t a priority for them and it was nigh on impossible to get them to clean their teeth or take a bath.
Suddenly, they seem to take a keener interest in their appearance! Your access to the bathroom is severely limited. You’re late to work more often than you’d like, later to bed and tired as a result.
That ensuite or second bathroom you always dreamt of is now not just a “would be nice to have”, it’s a matter of survival!
5. Natives are Getting Restless
Sibling rivalry is one thing, but when kids are getting older, demanding their independence and in need of privacy, if they are still sharing a room, you probably are hearing more arguments than you care to witness.
And it’s not just tweens turning into teens. With children more likely to stay home into their twenties, as teens become young adults, they want not just their own room, but a degree of separation from the family, even as far as a separate entrance.
6. You Need to Rise Above the Hubbub
There’s a reason why real estate agents emphasise views – as human beings we like to be able to look at nature or an inspiring view, whether that’s the trees in a nearby park, the water of our harbour, or even a city skyline.
There are several advantages of going ‘up’ versus going ‘out’, and if the five previous signs are telling you that it’s time to expand, it’s worth considering creating a top level ‘parent’s retreat’.
The master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, ensuite bathroom and calming view will not only give you some peace as your family gets older and louder, it will add resale value to your home, and likely to be a good investment.
So a first floor (second storey) addition might be a great solution, but there may be reasons why extending your home is the better option, or remodelling your existing footprint the only thing possible.
Addbuild has over 40 years of experience working with homeowners to get the best possible solution for their situation, maximising the effectiveness of their expenditure.
If the above signs strike a chord with you and you’d like to research expanding your home further, we’d recommend our ‘Consumer Guide to Home Improvement‘ as a great starting point.
From there your can ‘graduate’ to our ‘Home Alterations Masterclass‘.
If you are further along the path, already have sketches or finished plans and are looking for someone to turn them into building plans, or build from finished plans, we hope you’d consider these ‘10 Reasons to Choose Addbuild‘ and get in touch.
We’d love to be one of the builders you consider and hope we’re the one you select for your project. Call (02) 9158 0824 or contact us via our online form.
