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Framingham, MA

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Home Improvements

Thinking of a Home Addition in Framingham, MA? 3 Things You Should Know

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Framingham MA has many beautiful homes. A lot of these beautiful homes are on the small side. This region has definitely been shaped by our Colonial past, where home design trends resulted in narrow homes with small rooms. That was fine back in the day, but modern families need more space. If you’re thinking of a home addition in Framingham, MA, here are three things you should know:

1) Kitchen additions – boost your home’s value & increase family happiness

Kitchen remodels and renovations are among the most popular home improvement projects in our region. Kitchen additions are the solution to undersized kitchens that just don’t have enough space for a busy family. Many Framingham homeowners are very enthusiastic about the idea of a designated pantry, with room for food storage as well as a location to keep all of the cooking gear you need to have but don’t use all of the time.

2) Master bedroom additions – stay in your home longer

If you’re an older homeowner, every now and then you have to think about where you’d like to live during your senior years. If you want to do that at home, you need to make sure you can live safely and independently in your home. That can be tricky if your bedroom is on the second or third floor – those jokes about falling and breaking a hip aren’t nearly so funny when you’re old enough to know a fall can put you out of commission for six months to a year. Adding a master bedroom addition on the first floor means you can live life all on one level – ideal for aging in place.

3) For the entrepreneur – home additions for business, fitness, storage & more

Many people in the Framingham area run their own businesses, either as or in addition to their full time job. Successful businesses need space to operate. You can’t run a company from your kitchen table if your kitchen table is also being used by your family to eat breakfast! Give your entrepreneurial dreams a fighting chance to succeed by having an addition built to house your business. Other reasons people choose a home addition: the home gym for fitness buffs, the private library for the scholar, and storage for those with too much stuff – in other words, everyone!

Can You Convert a Screen Porch to a Sunroom? Yes. Should You? Absolutely!

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“We’ve had the screen porch for a few years now, and I do have to say we enjoy it,” Samantha said. “But I’m beginning to think we’d enjoy it more if we could use it year round. And the fact that our youngest has pretty severe allergies is a factor too – this year, we wound up staying indoors when the pollen was really bad. In a sun room, we wouldn’t have to do that.”

Converting a screen porch to a sun room is a smart idea for many families. This is especially true if you have a small home and need to make full use of your available space. “With four of us in this place, sometimes we do wind up practically sitting on each other,” Samantha laughed. “And that isn’t always a good thing. Having a sun room would provide a place for whoever needs a little alone time, whether they want to go play on their phone or read a book or just be by themselves for a while – they can have some solitude, but I know they’re still safe at home.”

Sunrooms are also a great feature for pets. “Our dog Bounder is a good boy, but you have to watch him every single minute,” Samantha explained. “His name fits him. If you don’t pay attention constantly, he’s bounding out of the yard! But he loves to see everything that’s going on outside. The screen porch was okay, but I was always worried he would get wound up by a passing squirrel and take off after it. In the sun room, he’s got a great view but he’s also contained.”

Sunrooms are durable and long-lasting. Investing in a sunroom now will pay off for years to come, as your family has additional space to enjoy all year round. “Sunrooms are really pretty,” Samantha said. “They add character and curb appeal to the home. That’s why they are so popular.”

The Top 3 Reasons to Remodel Your Master Bedroom

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Kitchen remodels are extremely popular in Western Massachusetts, as are bathroom upgrades. But what surprises many area homeowners is the fact that more and more couples are choosing to upgrade their sleeping quarters by having a master bedroom addition built. Here are the top three reasons why people remodel their master bedroom:

It’s Time for More Space: When you’re home shopping, the size of a master bedroom doesn’t always make it onto the priority list. Especially for families with young children, master bedroom size can be sacrificed to be in the right school district or because the back yard is perfect. However, after a few years of trying to get by with an undersized master bedroom, having a master bedroom addition built in Framingham, MA can provide some much needed extra room.

Mobility Issues: If you’ve been sleeping in a room on the second or third floor, and then develop lower back pain, hip pain, knee pain, or other mobility issues that make climbing the stairs painful, having a master bedroom addition built on the first floor makes going to bed at night pleasant again. If you’re planning on having your current home be where you live out your golden years, paying attention to accessibility makes sense. You’re going to sleep every night!

Because Work Doesn’t Belong in the Bedroom: Lots of people in the Framingham, MA area work a lot. When you bring work home with you, you have to do it somewhere – and more often than not, that means in a room that the kids and pets can’t get to. Making your bedroom do double-duty as a home office might make sense logistically, but it’s hardly restful! Sleep experts recommend keeping all stressful things out of the bedroom, and even the best home office has some element of stress built in. Having a master bedroom addition built means you can use your old bedroom as a home office and keep your new bedroom for more enjoyable activities.

Bedroom Additions on a Budget: How to Make It Happen in Framingham, MA

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Sometimes, families grow faster than budgets do. If you need more space, but you also have to keep costs under control, you’ll appreciate these tips for saving money on your bedroom addition in Framingham, MA:

Know Your Limitations

Before you even begin planning, make sure you know how your home is situated on your lot, and how close you are to your property lines. There are rules and regulations governing how close your home can come to the property line, and if you violate those rules, any structure that’s been built may have to be torn down. That’s extremely expensive and frustrating – but it’s also entirely avoidable.

Be Open to Going Up

If your home is too close to property lines, a first floor addition may not be for you. Don’t despair! Second and even third story additions are great ways to add more bedrooms to your home. In some instances, it may be possible to put an addition over a garage as well – great if you need space for your adult children.

Know What You Need & What You Want

We all have the ideal bedroom in our mind – which can be filled with high end features like a fireplace, huge bathroom and walk in closets, a hot tub, a built in wine refrigerator…you get the idea. Make a plan detailing what you absolutely need to have in order to be happy with your bedroom addition – that will be the most budget friendly option. As for the nicer features? Talk to your Framingham building contractor about them. Some things may be more affordable than you might imagine.

Work with a Design/Build Contractor

You can have an architect draw up the plans for your bedroom addition and then find a contractor to build them, or you can work with a design/build contractor who does everything for you. Obviously, the latter option is more affordable and efficient – great if you’re short on money and time.

5 Reasons to Build a Sunroom

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There are few home improvement projects that make homeowners as happy as a sunroom. As creative deck designers and Framingham building contractors, we work on a lot of local projects and get to see the impact our work has on family life. Here’s what we’ve learned about the five reasons to build a sunroom:

1) Kids love sunrooms. When it’s too cold to play outside, the sunroom has great natural light and a cool outdoor feel that’s great for hanging out, playing games, doing artwork and having fun.

2) Pets love sunrooms. If you have cats, you already know how much they enjoy having a comfortable, sunny spot to snooze. And being able to watch birds, squirrels and other local wildlife from a safe location is pretty neat. Dogs love sunrooms too, especially if they get to hang out with their favorite people.

3) Plants love sunrooms. Whether you want to go for the classic English conservatory look and fill your sunroom with gorgeous orchids and other tropical plants, or you just want some space to start a few tomato plants for the patio, a sunroom is a great spot to do it. Having living green plants in the home lowers stress, boosts creativity, and can contribute to positive indoor air quality.

4) Sunrooms are great for rest & relaxation. Do you need a break from always being on the go? The sunroom can be your quiet retreat. Curl up in a comfy chair and lose yourself in a great book, or simply watch what’s going on outdoors. If you’re a birdwatcher, nature lover, or enjoy having a great view of the weather as it happens, you’ll love your sunroom.

5) Sunrooms add to the beauty and curb appeal of your home. Conventional wisdom says it’s kitchens that sell homes, but in our experience, having a great sunroom has certainly persuaded at least a few buyers to make an offer on the home of their dreams. Sunrooms look great inside and out, and are the perfect addition to any Framingham home.

Top Bedroom Addition Trends in Metrowest MA

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While there are home design trends that are popular everywhere, the Metrowest MA region has its own approach to home design. Families are large here, while many older homes are not. Bedroom additions are one of the best ways to ensure everyone has the space and privacy they need. It’s important to understand that there’s been a real change in the way families live together now: adult children are staying in the home longer than previous generations did, and increasingly, seniors are opting to live with their adult children. This all impacts the list of top bedroom addition trends in Metrowest MA:

The Suite-Style Bedroom Addition: Ideal for adult children or anyone else who needs an enhanced level of privacy, some bedroom additions feature far more than sleeping quarters. Suite-style bedroom additions can include a bathroom, sitting area, cooking and dining spaces, and even a separate entrance.

The Growing Family Bedroom Addition: Kids grow up fast. Savvy Metrowest homeowners who are keeping one eye on the future are designing bedroom additions that can serve as sleeping quarters for the kids now and as home studios, offices, or even storage in the years to come.

The Independent Living Bedroom Addition: Did you know that more than 90% of seniors prefer to live in their own homes as long as possible? To make that happen, they need to be able to get in and out of their bedrooms easily and have a bathroom that’s easy to use independently. Strategically built first floor bedroom additions can provide everything required while enhancing the look and value of the home.

The Peaceful Retreat Bedroom Addition: The Metrowest area is full of people who work really hard, all of the time. It’s not uncommon to hear of bedrooms that serve double duty as home offices. But it’s important for the body and mind to take a break. That’s why spa-like master bedroom additions are a very popular choice!