Home Renovation Services

If you want to update your living space, you have a variety of options, including renovation, building upward or expanding outward. At Valley Home Builders, we can discuss the different ways you can remodel your South Bay area home and offer advice on which option may be best for your needs and budget.

Major Home Renovations and Whole-Home Renovations

One of the services we offer is turning existing homes into beautiful new ones with home remodels. Whether you want a completely updated floor plan, eco-friendly systems, an open-concept living space or an update to your exterior that boosts curb appeal, we do it all. A whole-home renovation can dramatically improve the look of your interior. It also has the ability to transform your outdoor space with additions like patios, decks, outdoor kitchens and pergolas.

If you are unsatisfied with your current living space, the first solution that may come to your mind is selling your home and buying a new one. However, renovating your home is an alternative solution that often makes more sense. If you love the neighborhood, schools, stores, restaurants and other amenities in your area, renovating your home means you can continue to enjoy them all.

Other advantages of renovating your home with Valley Home Builders instead of moving include:

1. Planning Your Future

If you are anticipating any major life changes in the near future — such as having kids — you can remodel your home with these changes in mind. This can allow you to stay in your home longer than you may have otherwise. If you are planning to stay in your house for the rest of your life or house aging relatives at some point, you can make your kitchen, bathrooms and entryways more accessible.

2. Saving Money

Another good reason to renovate is that it usually costs less than buying a new home. Even with a large-scale renovation, you will usually end up spending less while enjoying an end result that is tailored to you. You can even break your renovation into chunks and pay for it one piece at a time to make it more financially feasible.

3. Avoiding Possible Mortgage Penalties

Selling your home can be especially expensive if it means having to break your mortgage contract. If your mortgage is closed and fixed-rate, paying it off early can cost you tens of thousands in penalties. Then you have to consider the extra costs that come with purchasing a new home, including legal fees and estate agent commissions.

By remaining in the home you have, you can use these funds to turn the space into the house of your dreams.

Second-Story Additions

If you want to build a home addition, it often makes more sense to build up, particularly if you are building more bedrooms. Our experienced team of structural engineers, designers, framers and our foundation crew will make sure your second-floor addition is sturdy and integrated beautifully into your home’s design.

While tearing your roof off and putting an addition on top of it may sound like an extreme way to gain space, there are various instances where it makes the most sense. For example, you may want to stay in your neighborhood, but your lot is too small to expand your house outward. Other reasons to opt for a second-floor addition include:

• Preserving yard space: Even if you have enough space to expand your house outward, you may want to continue using your outdoor space for activities like gardening, or you may like having that extra space between you and your neighbors. Your yard may also have landscape features, like an impressive pergola or a big tree, that you would prefer not to give up.
• Increasing the first-floor ceiling height: Since second-story additions involve removing the roof, you can take this opportunity to increase the ceiling height of your first floor before adding a second floor on top. Also, if you are planning to add bedrooms on the second floor, you can merge smaller rooms downstairs that will no longer be used for sleeping once the second floor is finished.

Room Additions

Adding new rooms to your home can increase your investment value and your available living space. Whether it is a family room, master bedroom or garage, our team can design and construct new rooms that you will enjoy for many years. There are several different types of room additions:

1. Room Additions and Bump Outs

A room addition refers to a single-room structure that is built onto the side of your house. An added room is typically meant for one function. A bump out is an addition that increases the size of an existing room in the home. For example, a bump out could add 60 square feet to your kitchen area so you can fit in an island. Both room additions and bump outs will often lay down new rooflines, which is usually a flat or shed-style roof.

2. Sunrooms

Sunrooms are additions to homes that tend to serve as supplemental living spaces. There are usually doors you can use to close them off from the rest of the home.

Sunrooms are not alternatives to conventional additions. They are usually made with pre-fabricated materials like thermal-resistant glass and aluminum. Sometimes sunrooms are stick-built using concrete, lumber and various other materials, resulting in a solid structure that matches the rest of your home.

A sunroom is not, by code, built to serve as a permanent living structure, so you cannot install bedrooms, bathrooms or kitchens in them. However, there are items you can add to sunrooms, like oversized glass, that are not possible to use with conventional additions. 

3. Exterior Space Remodels

Though outdoor spaces may not be considered “rooms,” you can still expand and remodel them to better serve your lifestyle and needs. Perhaps your deck or patio could benefit from extra space to accommodate gatherings. Or maybe you would love an outdoor fireplace or kitchen to enjoy more time in the fresh air with loved ones. You could even add accordion doors to a room to transform the space into an outdoor and indoor combination area.

With Valley Home Builders, you have incredible options to give exterior spaces the facelift and functionality they need.

Home Expansions

Valley Home Builders also offers home expansion services, which refers to the addition of multiple rooms to your home. This can include a family room, dining room, great room, master bedroom, guest bedroom and bathroom. Kitchens are not part of home expansions as often unless the expansion is meant to be an apartment.

Full-size home expansions tend to return very high value in relation to their building cost. You may be debating between an expansion and a home renovation. To decide which is best for you, you will want to ask yourself whether you need more space or dislike aspects of your current layout.

If you are satisfied with your square footage but feel that several rooms are too small, you do not necessarily have to expand your home. You might consider other solutions, like knocking down walls to combine the small rooms with other underutilized spaces like an attic or garage. If you could benefit from increased square footage, a home expansion could give you the space you desire. At Valley Home Builders, our design experts can help you determine how to fine-tune the space in your South Bay home.

ADUs

As part of our home renovation services, we also design and build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These spaces serve as a secondary living space adjacent to your primary residence. Along with serving as a residence for aging parents, ADUs can provide additional guest space, be used as a workout room or home office, or offer a living area for adult children before they officially move out.

Depending on your needs, there are several different types of ADUs to choose from:

• Attached: Built attached to your existing home, using the walls that are adjoining.
• Conversion: Converts a specific area of your home, like the garage, into a new unit.
• Detached: Built separate from your home, adding more independence and privacy to the space.

Why Choose Us for Additions and Renovations?

If you are planning a major renovation, turn to Valley Home Builders. We are committed to delivering the highest quality additions and renovations with exceptional customer service. We provide custom craftsmanship and offer attention to detail on each project.

Valley Home Builders has an in-house design team made up of designers, architects, craftsmen and project managers who are well-equipped to handle all your needs. We will work with you every step of the way to ensure we create the living space you have been dreaming of.

Learn More About Our Home Renovation, Addition and Expansion Projects

Whether you live in San Jose, Palo Alto or anywhere in between, you can trust Valley Home Builders for all your home renovation needs. For your convenience, our design and build process allows you to work with a single contact for the entirety of your project. We offer custom craftsmanship and attention to detail to make your home project a tailored concept. Our design team — which is completely in-house — can create the living space of your dreams. Learn more about our design and build services by contacting us or visiting our office in Santa Clara.