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Downsizing and Enhancing our New Home with Smart Additions and Renovations

Jul 18

3 min read

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๐Ÿ˜๏ธ Moving into a new home is always an exciting chapter, and weโ€™re thrilled to be downsizing againโ€”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 weโ€™ve lovingly renovated itโ€”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. Theyโ€™re going to LOVE the huge fenced-in backyard at the Gable House!


The Gable House is not just any house. Itโ€™s special. It was my Momโ€™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 doesnโ€™t fully support our lifestyleโ€”we both work from home and have three active dogs and grandchildren. Weโ€™ll need more than just aesthetic improvements to make the Gable House a dream home; weโ€™ll need impactful changes that cater to our current lifestyle and needs. Hereโ€™s what weโ€™re considering:


โ“๐„๐ฑ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐„๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ƒ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ž๐ซ: 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.


โ“๐€๐๐๐ข๐ง๐  ๐‚๐š๐ฉ๐ž ๐‚๐จ๐ ๐ƒ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ž๐ซ ๐–๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ: 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.


โ“๐‚๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š ๐…๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐…๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ซ ๐’๐ฎ๐ง๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ/๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ž: 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.


โ“๐‘๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ง๐Ÿ๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐…๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐…๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ซ: 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, weโ€™ll need to determine what realistically makes sense. Hereโ€™s what weโ€™ll be considering.


๐Ÿ’ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ž๐ญ: Understanding the total costs involved and comparing them with our budget.


๐Ÿ“ˆ ๐‘๐ž๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ˆ๐ง๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ (๐‘๐Ž๐ˆ): Evaluating how each addition or remodel might increase the home's value and potential resale price.


๐Ÿก ๐”๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: Assessing how much each addition will improve daily living and functionality.


โฐ ๐“๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ : Considering the time required for each renovation and how it fits with our moving timeline.


๐Ÿ“๐‹๐จ๐œ๐š๐ฅ ๐‘๐ž๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ: Checking zoning laws or local building codes that might impact the remodel.


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Over the next several months, weโ€™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 weโ€™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?