Many people are asking about the renovation I posted on Instagram two weeks ago. In case you missed it, we added a bedroom to our home while we were away at Hawaii. We figured we might as well upgrade our home and increase our home value by 15-20% while away. With the second baby due November, our three-bedroom home could use a fourth. Mike works from home and we wanted each of our kids to have their own room while they are young and in different developmental stages. While that may sound frivolous to some, let me share why this is a good financial move for growing families who have the ability to make it happen.
The Previous Layout
When the house was built, the stairs leading to the second floor opened up a a 9 ft x 11 ft loft space. On the right is a hallway leading to three bedrooms. At the end of the hallway is a split. The master bedroom is on the left and two adjunct bedrooms are on the right. The guest bathroom is also to the right, making it easily accessible to both bedrooms.
Remember, this is a new build in Orange County, CA. The rooms are small. The smallest of them measured 10 ft x 10 ft. Despite the tiny space, the builders thought it would be best to include walk-in-closets in each room. Up until this point, we were using one of the bedrooms as Mike’s office since he works-from-home two days a week to be with Casey. It also doubles as a guest room. The other bedroom is Casey’s room. The loft was supposed to be a family room/play room upstairs.
However, as Casey became more mobile and active the loft became less safe. It faced the stairs which Casey always ran to. So we put up a baby gate. But now he can shake the baby gate so hard that it opens or comes off the wall. And nothing stops a kid from getting what they want. So we had to do what I was trying to avoid: build a play pen in our living room downstairs which is much more safe. And when we play upstairs, we keep him in his room, thereby making the loft space empty and unused. So we made it useful.
The New Layout
With the arrival of baby number two in November, we decided a better configuration would be to keep the kids rooms down the hallway away from the stairs. A single small baby gate can guard the hallway, which is more stable than our 72-inch baby gate. By adding a wall to the loft, we have made it into a private office space and guest room. At least this way, the kids won’t be bothering dad down the hallway when he works-from-home. Also, our guests can have some privacy without having to tip-toe around the house after 7 pm since they have their own wing. The last two times we had guests over, Casey woke up crying when they closed their bedroom door.
The Specs of the Project
Putting a wall up is surprisingly easy. It took one guy five days to do. We sent him a picture of what we wanted it to look like, and left the rest up to him. I hired him two weeks before our trip, and managed the project remotely from Hawaii. It was affordable. He charged us $2,200 and I paid him $2,500 for getting the project done in a short time-frame while we were on vacation. (I didn’t want Casey to be around the dust.) And he painted the wall and cleaned up the house afterwards too.
The Financial Benefits of Our House Project
Adding a fourth bedroom to the home increases home value by 15-20%. We purchased our home on September 20, 2023 at $1,075,000. This has the potential to increase our home value by $150,000. The total cost of the project was $2,500 with gratuity. At the same time, this allows our family to grow comfortable without moving. Moving homes can be costly, with a hefty fee going to realtors and taxes. At the current mortgage interest rate, it saved us money to stay at our current place.
Another financial benefit is that it gives Mike the space to work from home, thereby giving us the flexible lifestyle we intended with small children. We made a commitment to always have one parent home with the child at all times. We do this by taking turns being in office throughout the week. It’s a non-negotiable that would otherwise affect our incomes if we didn’t have the extra work-from-home space.
At the end of the day, there are plenty of things one can spend on in a home. Many of them do not add to the home’s value. But this one is a project with many financial benefits for us. I understand the layout was already ideal for a fourth bedroom. And we had the financial means and great timing to take on this project. Not everyone is so lucky. But if you have the option and ability to do so, I highly recommend considering adding a bedroom to your home. My friend is doing it by adding an ADU in their yard. Their parents are moving in to help with their kids, who are due to arrive in December. That’s another great financial investment! They save on childcare and can return to work after their leave.
Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
