Build, Buy, or Beautify?

June 4, 2024 Kara Hill

When it comes to updating your home, we understand it can feel exciting AND overwhelming – there’s a lot to consider! Many initial questions center around: “Do I build, buy, or beautify?” We’re here to help! We asked local experts to share their perspectives to some typical questions homeowners ask, and to weigh in on when to plan for a significant addition, when to look for a new home, and when to consider a major home renovation project.

Have more questions? You can always reach out to these businesses directly to discuss your own home journey!

Meet the Local Experts

Laura Campbell is co-owner and principal architect of Convene Architecture, a residential architecture firm based in Old Town Alexandria.
Greg Marks is co-owner of Marks-Woods Construction Services, a full service general contractor and design-build firm that has been renovating Alexandria and the surrounding areas for over twenty years.
Britt Patterson serves as senior vice president at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty and senior vice president of The Patterson Group. With over 30 years of experience serving the Northern Virginia communities, The Patterson Group has been ranked among the top 1.5% of Realtors nationwide.

QUESTION: We are trying to maximize the space of our existing home, but due to zoning we can’t add more space in terms of square footage. Are there creative solutions to accomplish this? Or is it not worth it?

Laura Campbell: You’d be amazed at how removing interior walls, reconfiguring and rethinking spaces, and adding built-ins can transform your home. These enhancements can make it feel larger and flow better, provide expansive views to the outdoors, and create additional storage, all without adding square footage.

Greg Marks: Absolutely! Unless you built your home or have done previous renovations, there’s a good chance your home is not optimized for how you and your family use it. Of course, the extent of how much you can change will depend on things like budget, load bearing walls, staircase locations, etc. but finding creative solutions inside your existing walls is not only possible, but a fantastic way to ensure every inch of your home fits your specific needs.

Britt Patterson: My first question would be: what is your basement ceiling height, and can you dig out a bigger or better basement for storage, a bedroom, bathroom, and/or a family room? We see a lot of small, dark, and low-ceiling cellar basements in Alexandria. If space is your issue, this is the first place I would go to grab space. If your basement is already maximized, I would consider elevating your home through design and storage solutions.

One of my favorite storage solutions is built-in storage under the stairs. I also disdain pedestal sinks in any bathroom, as they allow for zero storage. Hiring professionals to build out closets and garage/shed storage systems are great investments! Get your items off the floor. A well-built and well-designed shed also goes a long way and conveys with the sale of the home, which buyers love! Elevating the home is always worth the investment. If you’ve maximized your basement, your closets, and your storage solutions, built a shed, and you still can’t make it work, then it may be time to look for a new home.

QUESTION: Our house has a small kitchen that is not connected to other spaces on the first floor. It has three bedrooms on the second floor, and they all share one bathroom. Is it possible to create a bigger kitchen that connects to the other first-floor rooms, as well as enlarge the second floor? We want our house to blend in with the neighborhood, so we don’t want an addition that is excessively large or boxy.

Laura Campbell: You can make your house more livable by building a two-story addition with a kitchen and family room on the first floor and a primary bedroom and bathroom suite above. The trick is to design an addition that gives you all the additional space you need but doesn’t overwhelm your existing house. Instead of simply tacking a two-story box on the back of your house, we’d suggest an addition that includes both one and two-story forms, with exterior details that tie it to your existing house and neighborhood.
Below is an example of adding a two-story addition that includes a kitchen, dining, and family room on the first floor, and a primary bedroom and bathroom suite above.

Greg Marks: This is a scenario where working with a general contractor who has strong partnerships with great architects like Laura and Ruben from Convene is ideal. Working together, our design teams ensure the exterior aesthetic is cohesive with the existing house while the interior finishes and footprint reflect your style and household needs. While adding square footage is dependent on your FAR (floor area ratio) and property line setbacks, as long as there’s room to do so, we can absolutely design and build a two-story addition with the ideal first and second floor layouts.

Britt Patterson: We recently had a client reach out to us with a similar question, and together we were able to review the architectural drawings and discuss the cost of the renovations. We reviewed what the client paid for the home, what they were going to spend to make these improvements, and what the home would be worth once the renovations were complete. These clients bought in 2018, so they have a lot of equity in their home. For them, creating an open-concept kitchen and family room is key to staying in their current home. We weighed these costs against the cost of a new home at today’s interest rates, and they decided to move forward with the renovations. Creating an open-concept kitchen/family room is almost always worth the investment—it's the highest ROI in your home. If you're concerned about overspending, contact us, we’d love to tour your existing home and review your plans.