Is this garage addition aesthetically consistent with the house?
We are working on a big renovation project. We have a back entry garage which comes from the right side which takes away our backyard as we have a pie shaped lot and has a lot of asphalt. We plan to remove this and want to get a backyard and more greenery.
We were originally going to do a side entrance on the left but it creates a lot of driveway and limits the yard.
We want to move the driveway and due to structural reasons, the front is best location. We are turning a front porch into a room and so will be working in that area anyway, digging. So my arch has drawn a garage addition on left with a covered terrace - our house is from 1912 and we want to have some consistency. So I've included a color 3D of the house (from when we thought we would go deep into left side garage entry in current basement and new terrace, in case you look at aerial view). Now we would start the garage according to the attached site plan instead. Do you think the visual of the house from front with left front garage (in pencil sketch) is visually consistent, addition too big? What might you do to change it? Would you prefer an open terrace?
I've included - concept sketch for new garage addition from front view, the aerial view of plan we are not likely to do bc there is so much going towards back, and also site plan to match the concept sketch.
What would you change or does this look aesthetically consistent, appropriate?
Comments (6)
The Design Doula
3 years ago
Hi, first to be clear,I am just a regular person with zero architectural knowledge but I live in Los Angeles area and we gave to be thoughtful about how we use land. I would square off that new office and move the garage forward and to the edge of the property, with a small driveway, and connect it through covered walkway/patio. You could landscape around that new driveway to disguise it and prob make the garage much bigger (3 car plus storage?). Not sure if the "covered deck w garage space is new or not but it could be removed (?) thereby opening up the yard significantly. If you cannot remove the "covered deck/garage" area, I'd convert that garage into a room for the house. If you live in a cold place I'm guessing you'd hate the idea of having a "walk" to the garage, but you'd also have a very small driveway to shovel. :) I'd put a basketball hoop in that concrete space in front of the garage I propose--kids would love it. Detached garages will look "period consistent". Lovely property!
bonnaccra thanked The Design DoulaRelated Discussions
Selling my house: go neutral or stay consistent?
Comments (22)amysrq, before you make any choices on your decorating, I'd like to suggest you take a look at some of the threads on the Buying and Selling Homes forum. Not only those on decorating but also on the status of the current housing market. Also you can post your home as it stands now on that forum and get some excellent advice from the folks on that forum on what changes could be made to your home to make it more saleable. I have no idea where you live or what your housing market is, but many markets are facing very very slow sales and very stiff competition. If you want to sell your home then you want to appeal to the greatest percentage of buyers which increases your odds of selling your home for the highest price possible in the shortest length of time. What someone likes to see in decorating and what they will buy may be two different things. Generally real estate agents say if the decorating is too bold the buyers look at the decorating and not at the home - you want the buyers to focus on the home not the beautiful decorating. Wallpaper is generally considered a turnoff to about 90% of buyers. There are ways to decorate homes with neutral backgrounds and accessorize with color that can satisfy your need to make your home beautiful but still accomplish your goal of selling the home. Remember, if you have decided to sell your home, then you are decorating for the buyers. The fact that you are packing is a good first step because that is one thing mentioned by real estate agents, decluttering your home and reducing those personal objects in your home so buyers can "picture" themselves living in your home. I know moving can be very stressful (been through that many times myself) but since you will be moving closer to family that should help. johnmarie has given some excellent advice above. Making your home appeal to as many buyers as possible is foremost, as you don't want your home to languish on the market which can create even more stress. Good luck to you. Here is a link that might be useful: Buying and Selling Homes Forum...See MoreHelp with home addition
Comments (32)Looks good. I would "marry" the 2 sides of the house by adding shutters to the new windows. Consider adding the ivy to the right side, or removing it from the original house. (to my eye it would look better without) As others said before, the house proportions would be more attractive if the dormers were painted to blend in to the roof rather than stand out....See MoreNeed home addition idea for master bedroom, ensuite and laundry room
Comments (19)@sanmav68 : Thanks for info. What I meant was that the number of squares on the graph paper doesn't match your written measurements in those rooms, assuming you are using one square per foot. Installing a new HVAC system can be worth the money for comfort and even temperature control around the house. A lot depends on how much insulation the old house has. Get two or three quotes, prices can vary a lot depending on how and where they want to install the equipment in an older house that doesn't have it now. If the inherited house hasn't been maintained consistently, your $20K could easily go toward new appliances, electrical upgrades, new windows, furnace tune-up, gutter cleaning, termite treatment, and new flooring. You may want to pay for a professional inspection just as if you were buying the house so you'll be able to anticipate repair and replacement costs. There are also checklists online if you want to do a runthrough on your own. Some real estate agents offer a list of service people on their websites....See Moreaddition next to garage
Comments (5)That would be strange, to add a side entry to that configuration of front entry. Impervious surface limitations? Even stranger to put a false overhead door on the front facade. Note an 18' deep (out-to-out) garage is pretty useless. Better to add a single tandem stall right next to the garage and utilize the existing driveway....See More
bonnaccra
3 years ago
bonnaccraOriginal Author