Addition, ADU or Conversion: Choosing the Right Way to Add Space

Best when the space should feel part of the main home and the existing structure and lot can absorb it. Additions tie into existing framing, rooflines and finishes, so matching the original house well is part of the work.

Best when independence matters — a separate entrance, kitchen, bath and living space. Detached units need yard area, setbacks and utility routing; attached units can be more efficient where the site is tight.

Garage, basement and interior conversions use space that already exists. They can be the most efficient option when the structure, ceiling heights, egress and utilities cooperate — and impractical when they do not, which feasibility determines early.

Start with how the space needs to function day to day, then test it against the property. That sequence — need first, property second, drawings third — avoids the most expensive kind of rework.