Remember the real estate boom? Who can forget! Home values were high and area homeowners often remodeled with an eye towards the next residents, building additions with features and elements that would appeal to a wide base of potential buyers.
Today, many homeowners are building additions or re-configuring existing space for their needs and the needs of their families; they stay put and create spaces that fulfill their desires for:
- Aging in place
- Supporting adult children who may rejoin the family home (with their families)
- Making room for growing families
- Feeding the need to nest in these times
As their remodel is planned, clients also make specific choices to provide live-in value, including:
- Building extras that add comfort, including radiant heating, skylights, built-in storage and a master suite
- Selecting appealing materials and colors that suit their needs
- Using green remodeling technology and techniques to potentially lower energy costs and support the environment
- Providing ample electronic storage and management for the growing number of devices in the home
Looking at the big picture, families seek to live-in value for the duration and envision themselves using the new spaces in a variety of evolving ways in the years ahead. For example, a family with young children may build an addition to provide more play space and storage for toys. When their children grow, they imagine using the space to host their birthday parties, get togethers and sleepovers. As the children become adults, the family may use the space for gatherings and other events and opt to easily covert the space into an office or other room.
What features or elements will create live-in value in your next addition? What needs and desires are influencing your choices, both large and small?
Best wishes,
Trish Schroeder
Schroeder Design/Build
trish@SchroederDesignBuild.com
703-449-1700
