Throughout life, what you need out of your home changes as you and your family grow. The problem is that your home doesn't change with you — at least not on its own. Only you, as the homeowner, have the power to update your home to fit your current and future needs. A remodel might do the job, but often reconfiguring your current space simply isn't enough; to achieve a home that truly meets your needs, you require more space.

Feeling crowded in your small home? Dying to do something with that unfinished portion of your basement? The extra space and function offered by building an addition to your home might be the solution to your problem. Chances are, you’re already considering one. 

When you’re planning an addition to your Portland, Oregon, home, it’s best to take a team approach to a job that has so many facets. Your team will include players such as your own family, financial professionals, city officials, architects, engineers, designers, builders, subcontractors, and more. Let’s consider where you should start.

Maybe your family is outgrowing your home and you don’t want to move, or you bought a small house that you’d always planned to expand. Whatever the reason, tackling your Portland, Oregon home addition can be serious work. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. We pride ourselves on giving our customers the best experience possible; that means giving them — and you — the information you need to plan ahead. So, if you’re wondering how to add an addition to your home in the suburban Portland, Oregon area, start by answering these questions!

The process of customizing your home usually starts with dreams about your ideal house. Along the way, you will make decisions about what features are most important and what you can afford in the end. Of course, in many cases, you may want to build an addition. Additions give you more space to spread out, to conveniently house guests or family members, or to support a home business. Although accessory dwelling units are all the rage at the moment, you may benefit from any home addition that fits your needs. Here are a few things you should know about these types of home additions.

At COOPER Design Build, we have made many Portland homeowners happy with whole-house remodels that include adding a second story. But before you decide on such a major project, you should think long and hard about all the issues involved, because building a second story isn’t always the best option.

In certain areas of the house, who doesn’t want more storage? The kitchen is a major gathering point in the homes, so you may need a lot of variety in storage options here. As you get ready to remodel your kitchen, plan to maximize every inch, limited only by your budget and your square footage. Take a look at these options.

The international recognition of Oregon as the producer of world-class wines over the past four decades has confirmed what Oregonians already knew: that the 725-plus winemakers in their state bottle some really great wines. If you’re one of those aficionados of Oregon wine who has moved beyond buying a couple of bottles for the weekend into serious collecting, you might be considering having a custom wine cellar built as part of your planned home remodel.

COOPER Design Builders took advantage of an acre of level, undeveloped land behind this home in the green Portland suburb of Lake Oswego to create an outdoor playground for all ages last year. Now the family is ready for a summer outdoors.

The process of remodeling a home in the Portland area encompasses so many factors and involves so many steps that we’ve put together a basic guide with links to articles on each topic: planning ahead, finances, finding a builder, bids, contracts, and surviving the process.