As people stayed home last year due to the pandemic, families found themselves using their outdoor areas more than ever. During the warm months families were cooking out and dining outdoors, upgrading a patio space into an outdoor kitchen with all the conveniences, or just adding some extra outdoor furniture for social distancing and sharing drinks with friends and family.
But over the winter, you may have started thinking about adding extra buildings on your property. Maybe it's gotten a little too crowded in the house with so many people home and one or more of you feel the need for a little place a bit removed from the main house. Or, you're thinking about a space you could use during the colder months.
Before you decide on an outbuilding, think about when you want to list your house among Ridgewood homes for sale. Which outbuilding will help sell your home? Let's consider whether the structures described below will enhance your property's value.
Which Type of Outbuilding Is for You?
Many types of outbuildings are available these days. You may hire a contractor to help you design and build a more elaborate structure, complete with bathroom and other plumbing, foundation, and all the earmarks of a livable structure. Or, you may opt for a kit, which might be impermanent and moveable. Then, there's a wide range of possibilities in between.
1. A Greenhouse for Puttering and Plants.
A greenhouse may be simple or complex. It could be an inexpensive kit with a heater where you can protect your plants through the winter. It can also be a cozy hangout when you want a touch of green and some botanical scents to get you through our long winters. The less permanent-type kits won't really enhance your property's value. However, erecting a permanent structure, complete with a potting area, a half-bath, and a cozy get-away room where the gardener can relax and plan for next spring's flowers and vegetables, can be a selling point.
2. A Shabby Chic Shed.
Decorate it however you want as you join homeowners who are discovering the versatility of those little prefab sheds that are popping up everywhere. You can insulate them; put in a real floor; heat and cool with a ductless mini-split; let your imagination guide you. Perhaps your glorified shed will be an extension to the deck so the family or friends (they'll be back someday!) can retreat from the rain. Or, you can get away from the kids for a bit, closing the door and collapsing on the daybed for a nap. If you already have an old shed in your yard, fabulous. It can be refurbished for a new purpose.
3. Outdoors Comes Inside With a Conservatory.
A conservatory is attached to the house. It's usually a kind of indoor garden room, with lots of plants, comfortable furniture, and sunny windows. A conservatory shouldn't be constructed of cheap materials; it should be carefully planned and designed to fit the style of the rest of the home so that it's an enhancement rather than just a tacky add-on. Conservatories are known to be major selling points with buyers.
4. Old Garage, New Purpose.
Those old garages are often not big enough for today's cars but can be repurposed as exercise rooms, meditation spaces, or a place for an office away from the indoor frenzy.
Our agents will remind you that the more permanent you make your outbuilding, the more it will enhance the value of your home. Contact us today for more tips.
