This Old House PBS
The rise of home expansions
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012
BY DONNA ROLANDO
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS
THE RECORD
It cannot be said that Rich and Bernadette Galli of Washington Township rushed into anything. Even after realizing they needed a house that could grow as their children grew – and a home office with solitude – the Gallis spent roughly two years combing the real-estate market before deciding to stay put.
The architect William J. Martin, above, in new storage space created from his plan for the Gallis, who enjoy the veranda of their recently expanded home in Washington Township.
They chose the same address – on Robinwood Road — but not the status quo, joining a rising number of homeowners who have decided to expand or renovate.
“Last fall we saw things turning around,” said their architect, William J. Martin of Westwood.
Because economies of scale — making bigger projects more cost-effective — it’s common today for renovation work to mean expansion, Martin said.
“I’ve been busier than I’ve ever been,” said one Mahwah builder, Ed McCauley, and it’s renovations – not new construction – that are filling his calendar with work, partly a product of the real estate slump.
“I don’t think people were so quick to take losses [in equity],” he said. “It motivates them to stay put.”
A poll by the American Institute of Architects reflects a nationwide reversal in the six-year trend toward smaller home sizes. While the change is evident in custom and luxury homes, the AIA expects that “the strongest sector will continue to be improvements to existing homes.”
Stephen Melman, director of economic services for the National Association of Builders, said homeowners are starting to go beyond recession-based maintenance and repair, “back to the way things used to be” for renovations.
https://www.northjersey.com/realestate/169074436_The_rise_of_home_expansions.html