Home expansion contractor shows Top 10 Best Bonus Room Over Garage ideas for adding more rooms with room addition Poway contractor service.
Building a bonus room over garage is very popular with homeowners looking to expand their home in a cost effective way.
When you have a bonus room over garage there are many ways you can use it. That’s entirely up to you. However, in order to properly add official square footage to your home a room must have a designated purpose and design to CA pass building codes. So that’s where we come in!
The reason why we’ve made this Top 10 list of bonus room over garage ideas is for your information. Obviously you can load anything you want into your new empty room. But you probably want your new room up to code AND properly listed as having an extra bedroom, or ADU, or game room, etc. By so doing, your home’s value will increase by virtue of proper titling and listing.
Also, when you know exactly what your room will be used for then we can build it with those special needs as part of the design.
Top 10 Bonus Room Over Garage Ideas and Uses
1) Bonus Flex Room
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
A bonus flex room is a multi-use flexible space extra room for multiple possible uses. For example, codes will typically require that a bedroom have a window and a closet whereas a bonus room may have different requirements depending on its intended use. Although you can certainly use your bonus room as a bedroom, it might not meet the legal listing for a bedroom. That is, unless it is your intended use and we built it as such. So basically, a bonus flex room can be anything you want it to be.
2) Bedroom
Bedroom example, photo courtesy iStock
Here again, for the county to consider a new room addition a “bedroom” it must have at least one window and one closet. Also, a bedroom addition must have a set number of electrical outlets, usually one per wall, but not always.
3) Home Office
Home office Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
Many room addition clients want their home office to begin the code process as a bedroom. And we agree that is a smart way to go. Having a closet, and a window are great in a home office! In this example, you may want to consider having a few more electrical outlets installed for your convenience. Hardwired Ethernet cables and connection boxes are handy too.
4) Kids Playroom
Let’s think safety! Since we’re talking about a bonus room over garage there will be steps leading to the second story. So we need to keep the little tykes safe! Here’s some ideas:
Soft steps (as in carpet and padding, hand rails, and multiple landings (instead of a long straight flight). This way, in the unfortunate event someone fall down the stairs then it’s only 4-5 steps to a landing, not 12-13 steps all the way to the bottom.
A kid’s playroom will also benefit from extra storage. Storage space such as extra closets and built in cabinets are nice.
5) Exercise Room
When exercising climate control for your comfort is super important! We can tie into your existing heater and AC and enhance them for the increase in load as necessary. Or we can add these items for you if they aren’t already there. Ceiling fans and ventilation are also very important as well. You may want more windows than a regular bedroom. Or perhaps less if you are very private. Let us know what you want and we’ll make it happen for you.
6) Guest Room or Airbnb
A guest room addition is best starting out as a bedroom addition, at least as far as the paperwork goes. Depending on whom your guest(s) will be they may want some extra amenities over what a regular bedroom has to offer. Some things that come to mind are, for example, a separate entry, separate climate control, and running water. So a sink or maybe even a bathroom would be a great addition here.
7) Attached ADU
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone single-family home. An ADU can be attached to your home (such as a bonus room over garage) or a free standing unit on your property. ADUs go by many different names throughout the U.S., including accessory apartments, secondary suites, and granny flats. So therefore, an ADU might be one room or multiple rooms depending on the size of the garage you are building over.
ADUs have specific laws and codes and zoning to follow that go beyond a bedroom addition or a simple bonus room over garage. But don’t worry, we’ll figure all that out for you and make this as easy as possible for you.
8) Studio Apartment
A studio apartment can have many functions. Such as a guest room, temp rental like an Airbnb, or a permanent on-going rental unit for tenants. Generally a studio apartment is 2 rooms; a big combo bedroom/kitchen/living space, and a single full or ¾ bathroom. This too has its own zoning and code requirements.
9) Game Room
A game room addition sounds like fun, right? Think of all the possibilities! Also think about expanding into whatever new game interests you might have in the future. Probably best to start the paperwork as a bedroom. Then build in necessary gaming items. You’ll want to have plenty of clean power and abundant outlets if you’re into computer gaming or watching sports on a big screen TV.
What about a bar? Liven up the festivities with a wet bar and cooler. Make room for a pool table too! Or any other gaming tables you may want to play on.
10) Storage Room
This one is absolutely the easiest to do. Storage can be a no frills big empty space. Or it can be more complex with closets, cabinets, and other custom storage space as needed. You dream it, we build it!
House Addition / Expansion Pros & Cons
House expansion, also known as home expansion, home additions, and room addition home remodeling, is a popular topic in San Diego CA. That’s because people who live in San Diego tend to have a great sense of classic values in home ownership.
Unlike smaller projects such as paint or landscaping, a house expansion project is a larger permanent change to the home. Therefore it’s important to carefully consider the pros vs. cons of this process, from all angles, before hiring your San Diego home additions contractor.
PRO: You Get What You Want
Unlike buying an old home and remodeling with paint and fixtures, a house expansion is more encompassing. You, along with your house expansion contractor, are starting from scratch. That way you get what you want right from the beginning.
For example, you might have an older house that was built one way then changed over the years by other homeowners. So this way you get what you are willing to accept.
But in contrast, a home expansion gives you space that you can claim as your own unique creation. Expanding your home is like designing a whole new house without the problems, time, and expense of building a whole new house.
PRO: Cheaper than Buying New Home
Assuming you have a decent cost basis, home addition by expansion may be cheaper overall than buying a new home. Especially when you figure in moving costs, home expansion makes good sense.
Additionally, if you still love your current home but just need more space, then home addition is the way to go. Imagine leaving your lovely comfy home and moving to a new cold sterile house. Wouldn’t you rather “stay home” than move your home? For many people the emotional impact of moving outweighs the cost and process of expanding a home.
PRO: Easier than Moving
During a house expansion project expect some displacement of available space. It’s only a short term minor inconvenience of less space and some work crews doing their thing. This for most people is so much easier than the moving process; which includes but is not limited to the following:
- Holding yard sales and parting with belongings
- Sorting, boxing, and packing
- Not knowing where your items are when you need them
- Driving, flying, moving to new home
- Remodel new home to suit taste and/or function
- Unpacking, setting up entertainment center, beds, furniture, etc.
- Opening new utilities accounts, meeting techs to set up or install of services
- Making new friends with neighbors
- Kids starting in new schools
- Starting new jobs, meeting new people
As you can see, sometime moving is a hassle that upsets the lifestyles and long term friendships of everyone in the household. So therefore staying put and remodeling your existing home is by far an easier choice.
PRO: Great High Cost-Value Ratio
House expansion usually pays for itself in the long run. Since adding more floor space (square footage) increases your home’s market value, then given enough time for real estate prices to rise then selling at a market peak, you could reclaim all your money and maybe even make a tidy profit as well.
CON: No Guarantee of Higher Resale Price
While some home expansion projects will increase your home’s value, others may not do quite as well on your local market. For example, a home theater room, or a swimming pool, or a massive workshop might be great for you, but not so great for other random home buyers. So definitely get what you want and enjoy it; just be aware that perhaps not everyone will want the same thing too.
You should always consult with your leading San Diego home addition contractors HK Construction prior to starting big projects to make sure if they’ll add monetary value. Call for details and then book a free in person home addition consultation.
CON: House Expansion Uses Property Space
Unless you are adding a second story, you will lose yard space by expanding your home. So if you have young children or pets that play outside, then they’ll have less space to enjoy outdoors. However, by making the yard smaller, you might recover time and resources due to maintaining less landscaping.
CON: Cost of Funding
Unless you can refinance your home, or have cash ready, then interest on a home expansion loan will probably cost more than a mortgage loan. What that overall cost is depends on your interest rate, time, and amount of loan. Do the math and see if the cost pans out for you. If you want a home addition for enhancing your family’s enjoyment of your current home, then this is a good fit for you.
Since the cost of financing a San Diego home addition expansion via home loans is very affordable with current interest rates as low as they are (at time of writing). Basically, you can focus on what would please your family the most. However keep in mind that when you eventually sell that home, certain expansions and improvement can either increase or detract from a future resale.
Expert Home Expansion Contractors in Poway
HK Construction is a Home Expansion Contractor based in Poway, CA., serving all San Diego County. We can build you a bonus room over garage that satisfies your needs and also all relevant building codes. During your free in home consultation we can help guide you through the confusing myriad of choices and legalities making your home expansion project easy for you.
Permits, Codes, and Regulations
We handle all the government paperwork and obtaining building permits for you when building a bonus room over garage second story room addition. We ensure that your project complies with all relevant building regulations, codes and permits such as ventilation, structural performance, electrical and fire safety.
Free Quote
Call us today for a free on site quote. If you have any questions then we have your answers! HK Construction is always happy to answer any questions you have. Because our desire is for you to find the best Poway home additions contractor for your needs.
Contact
Marc Gieselmann, Owner
Phone: 858-748-6580
Email: info@hkremodel.com
Serving Poway CA and all San Diego County
About Us
We are specialists in house expansion construction which includes bonus room over garage home remodeling. We deliver outstanding quality in design and workmanship. Many customer reviews and testimonials available public online, and even more available by private request.