Planning Home Additions

Make a Wish List

Although the early stages of a remodeling project often include ideas sketched on a napkin, the best starting point for house additions is a wish list—a compilation of elements that will shape or influence the design. Making a list helps you prioritize, helps you edit your wants and needs, and helps you communicate with prospective designers or contractors.

Identify key objectives
Start your list by asking yourself what you want the project to achieve or what problems you want it to solve. If you're planning an addition, you obviously need more living space. Maybe you also need to improve your home's traffic-flow pattern or boost storage capacity. Or do you need more convenient indoor-outdoor access or more entertaining space?

Get inspired
To bring your wants and needs into clearer focus, allow yourself plenty of "dream time." Fill a scrapbook with photos and plans clipped from your favorite home-design magazines. Check the buying guide sections for information on products and materials. Pick up books or watch TV shows that feature remodeling or redecorating projects. Glean ideas and inspiration by touring new and remodeled homes in your town.

Choose some savvy splurges
Decide which special features—fireplaces, a kitchen island, or an elaborately outfitted media wall—are most important to you. Even if a feature seems costly, don't rule it out right away. You may be able to splurge on a couple of items and economize elsewhere.

Not all must-have items are costly
Laundry chutes, for example, are relatively cheap to build but require careful planning at an early stage. Getaway spaces—cozy nooks and crannies that offer spots to curl up and savor quiet moments—often make use of otherwise unused space, such as landings, dormers, and jogs in hallways.