It takes a talented skilled experienced designer to keep it from looking like a train wreck. Your picture qualifies as a train wreck

Just to say it but absolutelty - we don't intend to put a single shovel in the ground until we've had a designer, architect, and engineer all work on these plans. The picture I included was strictly just for an idea of something along the lines of what we'd lke. Ideally, the addition would be something more like this: https://www.dezeen.com/2020/01/21/mw-works-dwelling-family-farm-washington/

A large complex project is made up of many small steps. Your beginning steps are to identify all the parts and divide each segment into all the specific materials and labor. You need to get a firm estimate for each. A lot of effort up front. Then you'll get closer to the cost. For example, I doubt you can spend 60k on HVAC unless you're going ground source heat pump. You can spend more than 20k for electrical is you choose solar and lithium batteries.

We did something similar but not as modern on the addition. We added a large kitchen and bathroom (first floor) and a master bedroom (second floor) to a 1700s cottage. We kept the exterior uniform and played with the roof lines and bump outs. By we, I mean the architect. I'll try to post a picture.

@dan1888 thanks so much for the reply! I've created a spreadsheet to try and break down many of these costs as you had suggested, but I'm having difficulty trying to get prices without a set of plans in hand, which is impossible for a house we're only thinking about making an offer on. Essentially what I was hoping for was someone who has priced out or gone through a similar thing giving some ranges for total project cost in terms of price per sqft. I think it can be done for under $500k, but it's one thing if I'm 10% off, and another thing entirely if I'm 150% off.

@pennfire absolutely would appreciate any pictures, and a rough estiamte of cost if you feel comforable sharing.

I have never seen a project like this turn out good. The home owner thinks it looks good, the designer thinks it looks good, but every honest person knows the emperor is naked. The designer gets paid and the home owner has a 'forever home' because he can not sell it for what they put into it. If you want to mix styles, put a 2023 Corvette front end on a 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Coup, it will look just as bad but cost less..

@HU-222785635 I do appreciate that this isn't everyone's cup of tea and will likely be a harder house to resell in the end. That said, we're building this out as a long term residence for us, and we've seen a number of examples of this style of architecture where it worked really well. I agree that it’s going to require a good amount of planning and designing, but we’re willing to spend the money and time on that. That said, I appreciate the critical perspective on this.

If nothing else it will help you make careful design decisions. Good luck with your project (adventure).

Since you can work from home it could be worth thinking about a new build from your own design. It would likely be less work for a higher quality end product. Remote working allows looking in areas where land is less in demand as yet.

Cameron - the project you describe (modern addition to traditional home) is similar to many renovations done by Irish architect Dermot Bannon, some of which are shown on the TV show "Room to Improve". You can watch several seasons on Prime's Brit Box streaming service. Each episode follows a project from pre-design through completion, with everything in between including the challenges encountered along the way. They're very upfront about the budgets and compromises -- much more realistic than any US home improvement show. Given your plans, I highly recommend you watch several episodes. Personally, I think Bannon's designs are fabulous.

As an invenerate UK TV lover, it appears to me that the philosphy in the UK, where older properties are valued and often protected, seems to encourage modern rather than reproduction additions, to clearly deliniate old from new. It might be a good place for you to seek inspiration. Best of luck!

I would worry that the new addtion could not be built for 300k. How big do you expect it to be?

@dan1888 Sadlly we're locked to this area for a few reasons, otherwise we would definitely be looking elsewhere.

@einportlandor Really appreciate the tip! I'll add it to my list to watch.

@scout The addition is going to be 2 story and around 30x15 ft. First floor will be open concept, concrete floors, lots of glass, and primarily finished in wood inside. Second story will have 1-2 small walls to seperate bedroom from bathroom, but otherwise again be open concept. Looking for very simple, just done in a modern style instead of 1800's.

My concern is the budget. For example I think $50K is really low for a kitchen in a house of this sort.

@palimpsest As far as the kitchen goes, we've done a couple of them now, and we're confident we can get it done for $50k, recognizing that a lot of the work would fall on us (hanging boxes, sourcing appliances, etc). The budget is a concern however, as many of the other items are a big unknown for us. I've been sending out emails and calls to get some more accurate pricing but it's still tough to nail down exactly at this stage of the project.

It seems I’m an outlier, but I actually prefer additions that are clearly additions and have seen the historic-modern combo done well. I do agree it’s a high difficulty trick to pull off though. I would focus on finding an architect that sees the same vision. Then together you can get a clearer sense of the possibilities and costs. Hopefully the old part of the house truly doesn’t need much. Old house surprises will derail a budget fast!

Usually these glass boxes are full of "expensive tricks", if you watch the shows where this sort of renovation is done regularly (usually UK). While these builds don't always have huge budgets, things like steel and concrete structure and large direct set windows seem to be much more accessible in the residential market than they do here.

If you were doing a glass box by itself I think you could kind of set the bar for "finish" at a certain height and then be consistent througout the build.

But I think the proposal of taking a 200 year old timber frame and renovating that, and then connecting it to a glass box requires a lot of finesse to be successful. I think the high contrast raises the bar as to what each structure is, character wise on the interior. Ideally there would be a certain amount of preservation on the interior of the 1800 structure for contrast to the modern structure. And that alone could take most of the $300K.

If the budget just turns the 1800 house to a generic drywall box that could be any new suburban transitional house on the interior, I am not certain I see the point of starting out with the 1800 structure to begin with.

I live in an area with a lot of pre Victorian and early Victorian structures (Georgian/Federal/Greek Revival/Classical) and a lot of them still get renovated by gutting the interior and turning it into something that looks brand new and generic. It's done here because people want the location, mostly and it's much cheaper to just go generic with the interior. But then it's no longer an old house as far as I am concerned. I am assuming that your concept is really about the contrast between old and new, and I like that. But if it's only on the exterior I am not sure I see the point. Glass box contrasted with an 1800 interior is one thing, Glass box contrasted with c. 2000 suburban is another. I still don't think your budget is large enough to execute what I think you want.

Construction costs are tremendous now. I’m outside of Boston, too. Friends are trying to renovate and are finding costs to be double from just a few years ago. Bathrooms can be $40-60k. Kitchens easily $75-100k. A 300sf addition is small, still requires a foundation.

See what other homes in that town sell for. My town (within 95) has crappy homes about 1500sf-2000sf needing full gut renovation costing $1-1.5M. Then the renovation will cost an additional $500-800k (assuming plumbing, electrical, plaster work, insulation, windows, roof, kitchen and a bathroom. Probably structural work needed too).

I’m at the point where I don’t do the work myself anymore but have friends that do. They are having a terrible time getting materials. My friend did my basement this winter and wood prices were super high and hard to find.

All that said- it’s also exciting to have a possible project like this! A modern addition to an antique home is gorgeous! Not for everyone but I love it and the examples you showed. The details are key. Hope your architect knows what they are doing!

I agree with Palimpsest and Sarah. I think the budget is too tight. But what you could do, especially since you are so handy, is buy the home and renovate it to move into. Meanwhile start getting bids and working with an architect to come up with a plan. If you are not looking at constructing the addition quickly, and it doesnt sound like you are, then perhaps your budget will grow over time so that you can complete the addition. One thing I didnt see in your budge is architect fees.

So much better than "gutting"--what a perfect description!--then blandifying and "modernizing".

Adam Kniff Architects, UK

Paul Bernier Architecte, P.Q.

Costs are local. For more accurate estimates, consult your architect if they have experience also building. Pricing a current project as a formerly licensed builder, my architect referred me to an engineer who charged a fraction of my regular one.

I have a ca. 1840 house that had not one stick of original fabric: no doors, trim, windows. Walls had been moved around and it was all gypsum board or beaver board. It gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted with it, and with an addition. Most comments are good, but I know there are traditionalists that hate it. So be it. I did expose timber framing, and have removed later flooring to expose wide pine, so take advantage of some of those possibilities. 

I encourage you to look at putting the kitchen in the addition, if possible, as doing kitchen renovations in old houses is time-consuming: unlevel floors, weird framing, etc. Good luck!

If your addition uses a lot of fixed glass, you'll be thinking about R Value. This insulated glass product under development may be interesting. Fixed pane windows are very simple. A lot of money can be saved. https://www.vitroglazings.com/products/special-applications/vacumax-vacuum-insulating-glass/

He also consults.