Adding onto your home can be expensive, but it’s one of the best ways to increase the property value of your home if you live in the Washington, D.C. area or anywhere else in the U.S. Potential homebuyers love homes that maximize square footage and adding more square footage to your home makes it more desirable. Here’s a look at five of the best types of home additions to consider for your house.
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#1: Bathrooms

After the kitchen, bathrooms are the most important rooms in a home when it comes to real estate. This means that potential homebuyers look forward to looking at the kitchen of a home, as well as the bathrooms— and more bathrooms are one good sign for homebuyers. If your home only has one bathroom, then you should definitely look into adding on a second bathroom, or at the very least, a half bath (sink and toilet only).
At the same time, you don’t want to overdo it and add on too many bathrooms. The standard ratio is two full bathrooms per three rooms, or even one less bathroom than the total number of rooms. Also, adding a bathroom can be tricky, so it’s best to contact a professional contractor.
#2: Bedrooms

Next to bathrooms, bedrooms are the most common room additions, as they can be considered the third most important room in a home. You can’t go wrong with adding another bedroom to your home because bedrooms can be utilized as different spaces, such as a home office or library. Requirements for bedrooms vary across the U.S., but in the D.C. area (including Virginia and Mayland), bedrooms must have at least one door (as an exit) and at least one window.
Finishing a basement is one of the easiest ways to add a bedroom to your home. Fortunately, many basements in the D.C. area are English basements, meaning that they have a window and are almost completely finished, compared to traditional basements.
#3: Closets and Pantries

If more space for storage is all you need at the moment, then consider adding a closet or two in your home. Not every home has a basement or an attic for storage, so extra closets can be helpful. The same is also true about pantries: not every kitchen design includes a pantry, and these are essentially closets for dry food. Again, a professional contractor should be contacted to determine the best way to add a closet or pantry to your home.
#4: Decks/Patios/Porches

Not all home additions have to be interior rooms; adding extra seating areas to the outside of your home can also be beneficial. Not only will they increase property value (because it extends your kitchen to the outdoors), but they will also be a nice luxury for you to enjoy while you’re living in your home. Patio and deck builders in Virginia and Maryland can help you determine which will be the best fit for your home and your desires. This will depend on how much space you have around your home, what your homeowners’ association allows, and if you want any other amenities, such as an outdoor kitchen or a swimming pool.
#5: Sunrooms

One final home addition that you may not have considered is a sunroom, which is a room that is mostly made up of windows on all but one side. Sunrooms are great if you want to try indoor gardening, but they also provide many other benefits, such as:
- Increased property value
- Extra space for hobbies
- A lower electric bill
Keep in mind that there may be some downsides to sunrooms, such as becoming too hot during the summer since these rooms aren’t usually insulated the same way the rest of the house is. On the other hand, sunrooms can be an at-home remedy for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is a seasonal type of depression that occurs in the winter. These rooms let in optimal sunlight and can help with the disorder.
Again, adding more space to your home makes it more desirable— whether you’re trying to sell or not. The majority of homeowners in the D.C. area (and all over the U.S.) wouldn’t mind having more space, so consider one or more of these upgrades even if you aren’t planning to sell your home anytime soon. If you ever do decide to sell your home in the future, you’ll already have increased your property value with a home addition.