4 Home Additions for Those Who Like to Entertain

If you love having guests over for fun times or special occasions, but your home is a little small for entertaining, you may want to consider adding on to your house to make leisure time and entertainment easier and more comfortable. There are several home additions you can consider to enlarge your home or optimize available space.

Kitchen and Dining Room

Depending on your home’s layout, you could decide to combine your kitchen and dining room in an open concept design. This will connect the two areas and provide room for a larger table or more seating for family celebrations and guests. This also allows you to interact with your guests if you’re finishing up the meal when they arrive.

Some modern homes don’t have a dining room at all. If this applies to your home, another option is to enlarge your kitchen or designate part of a sizable kitchen as the dining room. Because entertaining often centers on food, expanding these areas is a good way to bring friends and family together.

Family Room

Another home addition to consider is to add a new family room or extend an existing one. While this can sometimes be done on the main floor of a home, putting the family room adjacent to the living room or dining area, you could also put your family room in a different part of the house. A section of the basement that is finished or could be easily finished offers a comfortable option for parties and celebrations of all kinds.

The basement’s refinishing is probably the most expensive step and may involve adding a half-bath and cosmetic painting, floors, lighting, and HVAC connections. When you’re making these kinds of updates to your home, make sure you have the proper permits in order.

All-Season Room

An existing sunroom or a newly-built add-on room can serve as an all-season or two-season area for many types of gatherings. It’s a great, quite place to have visits with old friends, and it can also provide a beautiful setting for sit-down dinners. This add-on construction might require new or expanded HVAC facilities but is compatible with many types of dwellings.

Many of these additions have large windows that offer attractive views of the lawn or surrounding environment. If you follow this trend, window treatments may be helpful to adjusting sunlight to the purpose of the room to prevent overheating or glare.

Patio

For outdoor entertaining in good weather, a patio or porch is convenient. If you currently have a patio, it can be extended or enhanced to accommodate a number of people. Many people also like setting up an outdoor kitchen on the patio so that they can visit with their guests while finishing food preparations.

Heat and harsh sunshine can be a challenge in the warmer months, but there are some adjustments you can make to your patio to overcome them. Setting up shade is important. One of the most common and effective ways to do this is to put an awning over the patio. Awnings are convenient for year-round entertaining because they can often be folded or retracted. When you need shade, you’ll have it and when you want to enjoy the sunshine, you can.

There are many ways to increase your home’s capacity for entertainment. Plan your upcoming needs and construction budget to see what will work best for your property.