As I mentioned last week, we're doing some renovations around the house. Our new front door and entry door to the garage are just awesome. They no longer bleed precious heat or scrape across the mud room floor. We also replaced a half-wall between the main stairway (it's a split ranch) with a simple railing allowing more light throughout that entire area. All in all the changes brought more light in and are keeping the cold out. It's great.

The next project will be a bit more aggressive. The goal (still in the planning stages) is to bump out the wall in the mud room (that backs up to the garage) and build a little bench with cubbies above and below the seating area. This will help remove the shoe caddy that takes up floor space there and give a spot for coats as well. As we were preparing for this, we realized it was time to bring in a professional to ensure that any of the construction (and destruction) would not impact the structural integrity of the home. Today we're going to talk about some of those considerations when you're thinking of changing your home's floor plan. Let's get started.

When considering our cute little cubby spot, the primary goal was to clear out the floor space in the mud room and give folks a place to lace up their boots. I mention this because it is important, at this stage of the planning, to focus on your primary objective. Don't worry about furniture placement, finish style, paint color or window treatments. All of that is secondary and you'll have plenty of time for it once the sawdust settles. For now, focus on the specific problem you're trying to solve. Do you need more open space? Does your family need more private rooms for meetings and school? Is it time to build an addition? Keep your goals at 30,000 feet for now.

As we talked about earlier, opening up a floor plan is a very popular goal, especially for growing families. The main consideration here is the identification of "load bearing" walls. Those are the ones that keep your house standing tall and your roof lines straight. For our cubby section, the wall in question borders the main house and the garage. Clearly (even for the uninitiated) this is an important structural piece. That said, it still made sense to see if we could "alter" it instead of just remove it. If you're considering a wall between the living and dining rooms, you might be in the clear. In our cape style home growing up, the exterior walls were the important ones. I think we could have gone nuts on the interior!

In today's climate of countless (endless!) video meetings, some households are opting for LESS open space and more "rooms" in the house for privacy. I completely understand this need and adding a simple "separator" is not going to do the trick. I think adding walls is just as complicated as removing them so I would approach this with cautious optimism. "The one thing most first-timers overlook is the amount of 'finish' work they will be facing once this type of project is completed," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Daren Levitt. "Matching paint tones, adding trim and working through the electrical work often get overlooked and oversimplified as these projects begin," he continued.

Daren is spot-on here. My honey wanted to paint her office and replace the trim. Of course it was fun to remove it all and prep the room for the new paint colors. But, when it was time for the new trim to get put on, she quickly realized how difficult it is to get baseboards to sit "flush" to the floor of an old home and how challenging it is to match things up in the corners. These lessons I learned when installing the baseboards in my newly constructed home. Even there, it was miserable getting them to sit flush! We both have a very healthy respect for finish carpenters. You folks are amazing!

While we're on the topic of adding rooms, adding a bathroom is never a bad idea. Whether it is due to the growing number of family members in the home or a simple desire to add the convenience, another bathroom is an always welcome addition to homeowners and potential buyers alike. Of course this is a room fraught with complications. It is no secret you're dealing with electrical, plumbing, moisture and construction all in a few square feet. This is another area where the pro's should be called in, if for no other reason than getting some experienced insight into the project.

As with any type of project in your home, unless you are Ron Swanson, you will likely need help, instruction, and likely some sort of permit. Before you go smashing down walls or building them up, ask around and learn what is needed to keep yourself out of trouble with the local zoning folks. You'll be glad you did. Happy renovating!