The architecture of some old homes are strong and aesthetically pleasing but it doesn’t always meet a modern homeowner’s lifestyle. Some are not properly oriented, has badly positioned windows, has “box” rooms, and no open-plan layouts. There’s a need to renovate old homes like this, especially when you bought or inherited the structure.

Home designs evolved over time. The future’s home is leaning towards a relaxed, casual, and sustainable living. You can bring this spirit in your old home without demolishing the original structure. Here’s how:

Consider an open-plan addition

Open-plan layouts support the 21st-century lifestyle. People love outdoor living connections as well as the free-flowing interiors. So, instead of knocking interior walls down, why not build an open-plan addition? Build a modern structure that complements the existing structure. Harness the view and natural elements when designing an indoor-outdoor space. Then, rethink the purpose of the rooms in the original house.

Work with the existing structure

You’re not starting from scratch. You have an existing structure and your goal is to improve it through addition and a little alteration.

It’s wise to locate your living room in the new structure. You will spend most of your time here, therefore you need to make it comfortable. Embrace passive-solar design principles so you can enjoy the summer breeze and the winter sun in this area. Provide a seamless connection to your outdoor living spaces as well.

With a modern structure underway, you can assign a new bedroom, home office, mini theatre, playroom, or an ensuite to the existing rooms in the house. Fix its flaws: upgrade windows, insulation, ventilation, interior and exterior design.

To make this happen (the right way), we encourage you to engage an architect or a building designer. They are the design professionals you need to make your renovation successful.

This is a practical solution compared to reworking on the original layout. Demolishing walls to create a new layout seems like an easy way to go, but this can be really expensive. Not to mention, you are wasting the strong walls of a house that stood strong for a long period of time.

Build the home addition using sustainable construction materials

There are stronger, lighter, and eco-friendly construction materials that you can use to build the home addition. This means that you can enjoy walls, floors and ceilings with better thermal mass and insulation. You can also install glazed windows to prevent unwanted temperature gain and loss. All of these sustainable efforts result in a more comfortable living space.

Renovate old homes in the most cost-efficient way

Knocking down the house and starting from scratch is not always the best option.

We hope this blog convinced you that building and fully-customising a home addition to fit an existing structure is the most cost-efficient way to renovate. This construction restores an old home back to its full potential and produces fewer waste materials.

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