Monday, June 3, 2013

Before & After - The Exterior

With the frenzy of getting the house on the market, I didn't have a chance to share any real 'before & after' photos.  So now that I can catch my breath, I thought it was time to share.

This was the most ambitious project we've ever under taken.  We started with what was essentially a one bedroom ranch (unless you were very petite, then you could call the 2nd floor a bedroom - but for most of us, there was no way to stand upright!) and expanded it to a 4 bedroom colonial.

That big of a change, required a whole new joist & truss system.  But that system provided an excellent opportunity at the same time.  It allowed us to:
  -  remove walls on the first floor, creating an open floor plan
  -  create 3 brand new bedrooms and 2 baths in the new construction on the 2nd floor
  -  re-roof the whole house, to ensure a cohesive look for the house.
There were also some big hurdles to overcome - you'll notice the central furnace chimney in the middle of the house.  That had to be rerouted while the work was being done.  We also needed to meet all new building codes, since the scope of work was so extensive.  That drove additional costs.  And last, but not least, since it was January when we started, we had lots of fun working around Mother Nature (and a record breaking blizzard!).

Our biggest goal - make sure it didn't look like a clunky add on.  We wanted it to look like it had always been there.  And we had sub goals, which included adding a front porch to give protection from inclement weather and creating some architectural interest to give it Colonial character.

So....here's the result!  What do you think?  We absolutely love this house!







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4 comments:

  1. You guys did a great job! Looks like it was always a 2 story home. We're starting an addition to our house as we speak and we're also planning on it looking like it's always been here...I hope we're as successful as you :)

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  2. I love it, I would have liked a porch on the back a little bigger, for a patio or something. I know more $$. Nice job on it all. How did your open house go. Wish I lived closer. Mary in NY

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  3. Great job. I'd never look at that and think it was anything other than original construction. I'd even say that it looks more natural in its finished state than it did originally. Very impressive. Water damage Logansport IN

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