Henry Rifle Forums

I’m getting an estimate next week on adding a few rooms to the house. I currently have 1,850 sf and it’s way too small. My plans (if I can afford it) is to add 1,000 sf to the main floor and another 1,000 to the second story. That would give me 3,850 sf total. It would also have a new connected garage. I could live with that.

I live on property with a million dollar view and live in a very modest house.

Looking forward to the project everything you have added to the property has been excellent. The attached garage will be a great addition with your winters.

RetiredSeabee wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 04, 2026 4:58 am

Looking forward to the project everything you have added to the property has been excellent. The attached garage will be a great addition with your winters.

Yes and it will have a 10x10 foot door so I can put my van inside. I drew some plans for the architect and scaled it back for a 3,200-3,400 square foot total. Making it bigger would require moving the septic system.

Wonderful project idea. Cool that you drew the plans yourself. Looking forward to watching the project should you go forward with it.

Hatchdog wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 04, 2026 10:50 am

Wonderful project idea. Cool that you drew the plans yourself. Looking forward to watching the project should you go forward with it.

I just drew rough sketches. An architect will still need to draw blueprints.

Gene, I hope the money works out for the project.

Your money, and I can understand wanting the garage, but the extra heated space I can't quite wrap my head around that? You live alone...seems like just a lot more to keep clean and maintain.
The wife and I live in a nearly 1700 sq. ft. house and for the most part don't use two of the bedrooms now. Except when the daughter and family visit in the summer.

Good luck with the project.

Sir Henry wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 05, 2026 7:34 am

Hatchdog wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 04, 2026 10:50 am

Wonderful project idea. Cool that you drew the plans yourself. Looking forward to watching the project should you go forward with it.

I just drew rough sketches. An architect will still need to draw blueprints.
IMG_6444.jpeg

That’s what I figured but your “sketches” done with the aid of a computer are pretty impressive. When my wife and I first started taking our rv up to the property we spent a lot of time enjoying sketching different floor plans for the cabin we have never built. Regardless it was fun doing the sketches and stretching our imaginations.

Exciting!

Vaquero wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 05, 2026 8:40 am

Your money, and I can understand wanting the garage, but the extra heated space I can't quite wrap my head around that? You live alone...seems like just a lot more to keep clean and maintain.
The wife and I live in a nearly 1700 sq. ft. house and for the most part don't use two of the bedrooms now. Except when the daughter and family visit in the summer.

Good luck with the project.

I feel cramped in the 1850 sf I have now. Having the money in the bank doesn’t do me any good and I would rather spend it on something that will retain its value. The additional cost of cleaning it will make my housecleaning bill go from $60 to $100 every two weeks. Heating might double from $60 a month to $120 averaged for a full year. The big cost is building it. Oh and taxes. However in one more year I will not pay property taxes in Wisconsin as a Disabled Veteran.

I spent 18% of what I sold my home for in Seattle and have put another 10% into it. I suspect the remodel will cost me another 20%. So I’ll still only half of my Seattle money into it. And all I have to do is suffer through -33F winters.

I spoke with an architect/draftsman and he will be drawing a blueprint. We talked about permits and codes and I found out Price County says I only have to meet state requirements. The township only requires a permit with no inspections.

I’m looking at a mid-fall start date with some tear down of the existing garage in late summer. The plan is to have the outside completed by the time winter comes. The inside can be completed in the winter months. I think I’ll be my own General Contractor.

I’m hoping to complete this 1,600 square foot project at $155 a square foot which will include a 720 square foot garage not counted in the 1,600. Breaking it down I figured $50 a square foot for the garage, $125 for the main addition and $300 for the bathroom.

Seems like a plan! We only live here once. Might as well make the most of it.

GFK wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 19, 2026 10:31 am

Seems like a plan! We only live here once. Might as well make the most of it.

I worked hard all my life to be able to retire comfortably. I’m not sure if I’m lucky, smart or blessed. Since I didn’t win it in the lottery I’m not lucky nor am I all that educated. So I must be blessed.

Amen!

Congratulations. I'm sure you will enjoy the extra space and make good use of it.

Bring us along if you move forward with the project. Like the bathroom remodels happening now from a couple of guys it’s entertaining and educating to follow along.

Hatchdog wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 20, 2026 9:53 am

Bring us along if you move forward with the project. Like the bathroom remodels happening now from a couple of guys it’s entertaining and educating to follow along.

I’ve also been following those threads. One of them actually spurred me to progress to the point of doing it.

I keep tweaking the plans. The downstairs closet which can also be a small bedroom is now a moderate sized bedroom with its own closet. This reduced the new living room’s size but is still 16x20.

The upstairs master bedroom and en suite bathroom will be a huge 24x36 minus the stair cutout of 8x12.

I changed the stairs to make a bigger living room and bedroom. The stair well will be the same square feet but now in a straight line without a landing. Plus I pushed the wall out another four feet making the garage four feet narrower. It’s now a one car garage. Well two would fit but the doors would hit each other. Still the garage is 22x24 and the living room is 24x24 with a 4x16 stair cutout. And the master bedroom, bath and closet will be 38x24 minus the staircase and entry platform of about 8x12 and 4x8.

The new sizes will more than double the square feet to around 3,725 and will make the house a five bedroom three bath. Or three bedroom with an office and a hobby room.

I may need to sell another kidney to afford it.