Downsizing and Enhancing our New Home with Smart Additions and Renovations

🏘️ Moving into a new home is always an exciting chapter, and we’re thrilled to be downsizing again—trading our two-story Colonial in Durham, NC, for a charming 1.5-story Cape Cod-style house that I lovingly call the Gable House, also in Durham.

Our current home is a 2600+ sq ft house that we purchased as empty-nestors. Over the years we we’ve lovingly renovated it—from redesigning the kitchen and updating the bathrooms to creating two home offices and two primary suites. We removed a dumpster full of wallpaper and carpet, added storage, and replaced windows, pouring our hearts into creating our dream home. Now, as our lifestyle evolves, so has our needs. We want to live smaller and more intentionally. We want a home that requires less maintenance and is a haven for our grandchildren and dogs. They’re going to LOVE the huge fenced-in backyard at the Gable House!

The Gable House is not just any house. It’s special. It was my Mom’s house before she passed away. She loved her house and planted the tree in the front yard and had a beautifully landscaped yard. The house is sooooooo charming with lots of potential. We did a small upgrade a few years ago to make the house tenant-ready, but in its current state, the Gable House doesn’t fully support our lifestyle—we both work from home and have three active dogs and grandchildren. We’ll need more than just aesthetic improvements to make the Gable House a dream home; we’ll need impactful changes that cater to our current lifestyle and needs. Here’s what we’re considering:

❓𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫: Extending the existing back dormer along the entire length of the back of the home to turn the unusable spaces under the gabled roof into fully functional areas.

❓𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬: Adding traditional high and narrow Cape Cod dormer windows to the front of the house would make the second-floor bedrooms brighter and more inviting.

❓𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦/𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞: A sunroom addition that doubles as an office and opens onto a screened-in deck could be the perfect spot for working from home or simply relaxing.

❓𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫: Rethinking the first-floor layout to make the house more functional and enjoyable for us.

Of course, I want to do it all the things, but just like with other remodeling projects to previous homes, we’ll need to determine what realistically makes sense. Here’s what we’ll be considering.

💰 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭: Understanding the total costs involved and comparing them with our budget.

📈 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐑𝐎𝐈): Evaluating how each addition or remodel might increase the home's value and potential resale price.

🏡 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Assessing how much each addition will improve daily living and functionality.

⏰ 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠: Considering the time required for each renovation and how it fits with our moving timeline.

📐𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Checking zoning laws or local building codes that might impact the remodel.

Over the next several months, we’ll be figuring out some things and meeting with contractors to get quotes and bids. As we begin this downsizing and remodeling process, we look forward to sharing our progress and the challenges we face along the way. Stay tuned for updates, tips, and insights into how we’re transforming the Gable House into our perfect modern and comfortable home!

Let us know in the comments what projects would you consider if you were in our shoes?