When someone plans to add living space to a one-level home, usually the big question is which way to build: up or out. There are advantages to both, of course, and there are numerous factors that can dictate the decision.
Up or out is the big question that Clarendon Hills residents Ellen and Wade Bushman face with a major remodeling job they are contemplating for their 45-year-old, two-bedroom brick ranch home on a picturesque, tree-lined street in the west suburb.
The couple has only lived in the home six months, and Ellen Bushman said they would rather add on than move to a bigger home.
“We like this community, the street, the school, and we particularly like the lot that we’re on,” she said.
The Bushmans had two scenarios in mind: Open up the back of the house and extend their living space into their yard, adding a bedroom and possibly a bathroom, and enlarging an outdated kitchen and a small dining room.
Or they considered adding a second level, hoping to add a large bedroom and a second bathroom, and updating the kitchen in a separate project downstairs.
“We have three girls between the ages of 5 and 1 1/2, all sharing the same small bedroom and sharing the same bathroom with us,” said Ellen. “When the youngest of our daughters outgrows her crib, we will clearly be in need of more space.”
A second story
After studying the Bushman’s home, Chicago architect Dave Seglin recommended that the couple basically build up, which would allow them to literally double the square footage of their home and make better use of the space downstairs.
“Building up can be more affordable and better logistically,” he said. “For example, you can tie into the existing plumbing system by going straight up, which is a lot easier than going out. Also, you wouldn’t have to excavate the property to do foundation work for an addition on the back.”
Building out could also create logistical woes. “What becomes a problem is the functional circulation of the house-the connection from room to room,” Seglin said.
The architect said the only drawback of building up would be to ensure the house’s existing foundation could bear the weight of an addition. “In most cases on these older homes that’s not a problem,” he said.
In an initial walk-through, Seglin proposed adding an entire second floor and placing three bedrooms for the family up there, along with two bathrooms and a small utility room for the family’s washer and dryer.
“Two bathrooms would be wonderful,” said Ellen. “I would really like not to have to share my bathroom with three pre-teenage girls.”
The existing downstairs bedrooms could then be converted into additional space for the small kitchen and dining room, a family room, and a study that could also double as a guest bedroom.
“We could connect the family room to the kitchen,” said Seglin. “That way, the parents could work in the kitchen and keep an eye on the kids in the family room.”
The living room, the largest room in the house, could be turned into a more formal area.
A great room concept could also be created in the downstairs space, Seglin said.
And, the outdated full bath downstairs could be converted into a modern powder room.
Public and private
“Going upstairs would give us lots of additional room to work with down here,” said Seglin. “And by placing the bedrooms and major baths upstairs, you have a nice mix of private space up and public space downstairs. You also keep the bedrooms all on one level, which is ideal for families with young children.”
The upstairs could also be heated and cooled by a zoned forced air system, said Seglin. “That will also help you save on energy costs for the new space,” he said.
Depending on how large the Bushmans would like the bedroom upstairs, the ceiling could also be lifted in the living room to add some dramatic volume space-such as a cathedral ceiling with skylights or a two-story foyer, said Seglin.
A staircase to the second floor would fit perfectly near the front door and could become the focal point of the new formal living room and entryway.
On the exterior, a combination of siding materials and new roof lines would eliminate any new masonry work, said Seglin. “We wouldn’t and couldn’t match the existing face brick,” he said.
Building up would also eliminate the loss of yard space to an addition on the back of the home, said Seglin. “Our kids really play out there,” said Ellen. “We’re willing to give up some lawn, but not much.”
Overall, a second-floor addition on the home, which is roughly 28 feet wide by 25 feet deep would add about 700 square feet, said Seglin.
The pricetag
Depending on the cosmetic touches the Bushmans would like to add-such as marble tile or oak trim-the new space would probably run about $75,000, he added.
“For that price, you could really change the feeling of this house, which is fairly simple now in design,” said Seglin. “The nice thing is the house hasn’t been mucked up by a previous owner, so there’s nothing we have to undo.”
As far as resale value, Seglin felt the Bushmans would see a good return on their remodeling investment.
“This is among the smaller homes in the neighborhood, and it looks like a lot of neighbors have expanded,” said Seglin, who a few years ago designed a $140,000, 1,500-square-foot addition on a two-story frame house around the corner from the Bushmans.
Ellen said the estimate was about the price they expected for that much new square footage.
“Although we could be here for 20 years, the resale value of this house can only be helped by adding on space,” she said. “I don’t believe there would be large market for a house (of the current size) and the values around here are appreciating quite well.”
