Has anyone added an addition to a split level home?

prncess21 · February 2011

If so, would you mind sharing what you did? Or even if you just did renovations? Thanks!

JAM2000 · February 2011

we haven't done it yet, but we have plans drawn up. We have plans for a bigger family room out the back downstairs off the existing family room. We have a porch down there that is falling apart and I'd like to take that down and put a family room back there. When we do that we'll turn the existing 1/2 bath into a full bath with a stall shower and I supposed the existing family room will become an office.

We had to put everything on hold for a while for a number of reasons, etc. But I'm debating just eating the cost of those plans and re-think the whole thing and just blow our kitchen into the dining room and doing a family room off of that, like so many others have done. But then on the other hand I do like our plans because all the family room space is downstairs.

I'm still so torn

prncess21 · February 2011

Thanks! We're considering something similar but we keep going back and forth on what we'd want done. Would you mind sharing how much it was to have plans drawn up? Did the architect have suggestions for you or just draw them up based on what you said you wanted?

JAM2000 · February 2011

we spent about $2500 on the plans (I think). The architect said he'd draw up plans for wherever we wanted and that he'd done additions on many splits and done them many different ways.

I know people don't always love splits but I do, and I think there are a lot of things you can do. Check out what your neighbors have done and pick their brain about what they like and don't like etc.

GL!

prncess21 · February 2011

TY! We're pretty torn. RIght now we kind of hate the layout since the downstairs family room is so small, but I think if that were bigger it would solve a lot of the issues we have with the house. We also want to add a deck to the upper level with doors leading out so we have access to the backyard from upstairs as well. The idea of moving again makes me want to rip my hair out, so I'm pretty sure we'd rather stay here and do the work to make it the way we want!

JAM2000 · February 2011

ah, gotcha. I know exactly what you are talking about. The previous owners moved the laundry down the basement, so right now we have a nice sized family room and a TINY 1/2 bath down there. So the room feels big- for now. But that's my husband's biggest concern about putting a whole other family room off the back down there. Basically we'd be making the existing family room smaller (and possibly turning it into an office) creating a hallway next to a full bath to get to the new room (does that make sense?)

He say's the family room is far away from the rest of the house then. But I kinda like all the family room/ playroom stuff is down there away from the rest of the house and there will be a bathroom right there and we can just go right out to the backyard down there- and not trek through the kitchen, etc.

joeyzlovieg · February 2011

prncess21:
TY! We're pretty torn. RIght now we kind of hate the layout since the downstairs family room is so small, but I think if that were bigger it would solve a lot of the issues we have with the house. We also want to add a deck to the upper level with doors leading out so we have access to the backyard from upstairs as well. The idea of moving again makes me want to rip my hair out, so I'm pretty sure we'd rather stay here and do the work to make it the way we want!

We have a bi-level and did/are currently doing work now... When I was pg with Henry, Joe knocked down the wall/window in our dining room (upstairs) and put in a slider - then he built a deck out... This way we could have a way to access the yard from upstairs... I also wanted an easy way to let the dogs out, without having to go downstairs - leaving the kids upstairs by themselves...

Joe is also currently doing an addition on our house... when we got pg with the twins, we decided to move our master bedroom downstairs to where the current family room is. The twins will share what used to be our master bedroom. We are making the current garage the new family room (with a half bath and closet - also with a door to the back yard)... then we added a new 2 car garage, with an extra storage room in the back... You can also access the back yard from the garage...

We've talked about adding extra rooms... I think Joe said we couldn't go up (forget the reason)... that's why we did what we did... If we ever have the money, and it's within code at the township, I'd like to extend the kitchen back some... not sure how that would work...

Good luck!

jzc0106 · February 2011

hi, we have a split. we did not do the work, but the previous owners doubled the family room and bumped out the kitchen and dining room. so our family room is twice the size of a normal split. its awesome. they also added a laundry room/mud off the family room that we can enter from outside. we have the kind of split where you come in on the main floor (same level as family room, kitchen and dining room) only the living room is raised, if that helps. we love our split. good luck!

wedding905 · February 2011

We have a split and the previos owners bumped out the kitchen. We plan to make the walk up attic onto a master suite since our bedroom is so small. Our neighbor who has the.same house bumped put the entire back and its awesome. Youvcome in on the bottom level which is the family room and on tje second level is the living room, dining room and kitchen. So they bumped out the dining room and made an office off of it, bumped.the kitchen and made steps down into the bumped out family room.

smallbutfeisty · February 2011

My ILs added a tv room onto the back. They added the room off the back of the kitchen/dining room, then a little porch off that.

My girlfriend added onto their master bedroom, making it a master suite. I don't know if they changed the bedroom itself, but they added a walk in closet and a very larger bathroom onto the room.

Has anyone added an addition to a split level home?

Re: Has anyone added an addition to a split level home?

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