Purchasing a property is an exciting time and imagining the possibilities of life in that new home can get your heart pounding and your mind racing. In New England, where suitable land is not readily available, many homeowners look to find an existing home that can be renovated to create the home of their dreams. But even for a seasoned homeowner, it is essential to understand how to properly evaluate a home’s potential and the effort required to make it a reality.
One of the first things to consider is whether the house has the existing space to accommodate your needs. If not, is an expansion possible? By doing research on zoning regulations and analyzing existing conditions of the property, we help clients identify the constraints and possibilities. For one client, such an analysis meant having to move a historic house to allow for the expansion. For another, we determined it was possible to expand not only by building outward, but by building upward. This allowed additional usable area for the existing floor levels and created a bonus space retreat with views of the coast.
Many of the beautiful historic homes found along New England’s Seacoast have ample square footage, but lack the functionality and amenities desired for a modern lifestyle. For homes of this nature, we look for opportunities to reorganize the interior layout by creating a more open floor plan and reworking spaces to create better flow and added features, such as built-ins, large glass walls, floor to ceiling fireplaces and outdoor kitchens. To help homeowners visualize the possibilities of the home, we often create realistic drawings and video walkthroughs of the re-imagined space.
Working with the right team is essential to any successful home renovation. For 30 years, our team has been helping clients transform houses into distinct custom homes. Over that time, we have built a dependable team of quality artisans that include surveyors, land-use attorneys, civil and structural engineers, landscape architects and general contractors—all working in concert to ensure the homeowner’s expectations are surpassed and the vision of their new home is realized.
This article originally appeared in the 2023 issue of Seacoast Living magazine, a publication of Tate & Foss | Sotheby's in Rye, NH
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