As I travel around many towns throughout the year, you find several that scream "addition!" By many experts, a good addition is one that's invisible, that looks as if it's always been there. A detectable addition on the other hand, is generally a botched job. It's one of architecture's little ironies that if you design an addition well enough, no one will ever notice.
The reason I am familiar with this is because I was approached by my sister 3 months ago to help her get ideas and possibly some contacts in order to help her with an addition. I also have a background in Landscape Architecture and even designed the top of my dad's gazebo that he and I built many years ago. My sister has a rancher that has 3 bedrooms and two baths. But they also have 4 kids and thought about selling several months ago to upgrade. But the prices in their area has declined. Besides, they love the area and are 2 blocks away from a little man-made beach.
There are many ways to produce an invisible addition and it's actually not that difficult. But it takes planning and some good advice from an architect that understand this, your house, and your neighborhood.
Here are some basic guidelines in making those decisions:
- They say never add to the front of your house. This changes the face of your house and has been quoted many of times that it can end up "turning the Mona Lisa into Mr. Potato Head." This fits perfect with what my sister wants to do because they have a rancher. And you can use the "L" shaped part of the rancher to build within this area.
- Beware of that old myth that says adding a second story is the cheapest and easiest way to add space. From my research, this is not true. Sure, if dealing with constricted sites, this might be your only alternative. But one main reason why second story additions aren't cheap is because they often require reinforcement of the existing foundation. You can also lose some space because you have to deal with the staircase also.
- If adding a second story, you also could lose potenial light from a certain window being covered up. Many architects mention that you don't want to trade away east, west, or south facing windows for north facing ones. The reason being that you won't get the sunlight or comfort level that you once had before. And don't figure on replacing windows with skylights. They don't offer the same quality of light and building codes might not allow for it.
- If you weigh all of these factos and still think a second story addition is what you want, push it back as far as possible. There are several reasons for this. One might be the towering effect that you get from the front sidewalk and another might be that you are blocking the view of your neighbors. Which brings us to making your neighbors happy. Talk to them about your plans. Some towns have codes in regards to heights of additions. But in either case, don't leave your neighbors out of the decision. You want to keep people happy.
Overall, with people in general that get comfortable with their neighbors, the school systems, and for the fact that they won't get the value that their house was once worth 6 to 12 months ago.... many are resorting to adding an addition. And think of it as a very good investment, because as many of us know, the housing market will rebound down the road. The question is, how long after the market corrects itself.
Here is a link that can help you get a better idea of what that addition might look like: Virtual Architect - Custom Home Design for Remodeling, Home ... Custom home design services and custom remodeling services for remodels and home additions.
And here is a post done by Lawrence Yerkes on Active Rain that gives you some more links: Remodeling and Home Improvement Resources
Posted by 
203 K loans are great for additions; with over 200 homes on the market and a market with older homes on smaller lots, the ones with additions are frequently the ones that sell. Happy Holidays Jeff!