Older houses can be a mixed bag – some historic properties are sizeable estate homes with plenty of space and an ample number of rooms. Other properties can be rather compact, especially the beautiful row homes that are commonplace in densely packed urban areas, and these houses boast plenty of charm but tend to feel a little tighter.

So your home is on the smaller end of the historic home spectrum (whatever small means to you). If you decide that you don’t want to sacrifice the quaint personality of your historic home, how are you supposed to give yourself (and your family) room to grow? In today’s blog, we’re highlighting a few possible ways that you can add on to your existing property, expanding your space without giving up the home you love.

The Standard Addition

Standard home additions aren’t cheap and require a fair amount of space, but they can be a wonderful way to expand your existing home on the property you already own. This type of growth usually includes the space to accommodate at least one additional room – whether it’s a bedroom, dining room, great room, or otherwise. So what’s the catch? Well, there are a few limiting factors when it comes to adding on to your existing house.

If your home is protected by a regulated historic district (or is on the National Register of Historic Places), there may be some hoops to jump through in order to get the work done. The same goes for municipal/county planning and zoning boards – making sure you get proper permits for any major construction project is critical in the event that you one day choose to sell the home.

Also, home additions aren’t exactly cheap. Depending on the cost of materials and construction in your area, adding a single room to your home can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But before you dodge the sticker shock, it’s important to know that home additions often return some of the best value of any home improvement project when it comes time to sell.

The Sunroom

Does your historic home have a deck that is seldom used or could be repurposed into a better space? Consider enclosing it and creating a beautiful sunroom where you and your family can relax. Whether you choose a true sunroom with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, or a modified sunroom with large windows installed in framed-out walls, your options are near limitless to build the sunny oasis you crave using the space you already have.

The Bumpout

Bumpouts are very similar to a standard addition, except significantly scaled down. A normal bumpout typically just expands an existing room – so it might tack another 50 square feet onto your kitchen, so you can have a little more room to work – after all, historic kitchens can be tight, so a little more counter space and standing area wouldn’t be amiss. Or it might allow you to turn a half bath into a full, adding a shower or tub and some extra space. A bumpout may be a good option if you have the space, but not the funds for a full-scale addition.