Bump Out
One of the things we’ve been talking about for a while now is what to do about the second floor “bump out”. Despite our initial impressions, a survey of the attic shows this to be part of the original structure. Despite this, my inclination is to lop it off. Over the years it’s developed leaks and sags, and sealing it properly seems like a challenge. In addition, it goes right to the property line on the south side of the house, which will prove a challenge for getting zoning and permit approval to keep it. Its proximity to the neighbors house resulted in a broken window last summer during a hail storm because it ricocheted off the nearby pitched roof. While it brings in a lot of light in its current form, the floor plans for the second floor I’ve come up with put the bedrooms at the front, making it somewhat unnecessary. It adds a whopping 27 square feet of space, so it’s not exactly a big contributor to the size of the house.
However, my recent change of heart on double walls has raised the question of the importance of square footage. We’re eventually adding a finished attic, so we’re definitely not suffering for want of space, but keeping it with a bit of rearranging of room layout would increase bedroom sizes noticeably, and in the current plan they aren’t exactly generous. One of the architects noted that if we remove it, the city would never let us put it back, something that doesn’t really sell it for me, but it’s worth contemplating that reducing the size of the house in any dimension isn’t necessarily a smart move. Like so many other decisions, it isn’t an easy one.
March 9, 2012 at 12:11 pm
I think it makes more sense to remove it and 27 square feet isn’t that much of a loss. Plus it looks out of place.
March 9, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Well actually… when calculating the minimum value per square foot based on neighborhood sales… we lose at least 3k, if not more, in home value. So, it’s not the easiest decision to make.
March 9, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Wow really? Shows what I know 🙂
March 9, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Matt did the homework thankfully, and we found it as surprising as you did.