For homeowners looking to invest in their property, building or upgrading a barn, garage or carriage house can be a smart choice – adding function, character and value. These buildings should be blended seamlessly with the architecture and style of your home. At Peak Construction we accomplish this by carefully integrating the shapes and proportions of your home with the new construction.
Garages Boost Value
Though garages are common in the Northeast due to our climate, many older homes don’t have them. Benefits of having a garage include weather protection, especially during the cold winter season, and added space for storage and vehicle maintenance. In many cases, the value gained with a garage can offset the construction costs. Even a modest garage can add $10,000 or more to the value of your home and set it apart come resale time.
Barns Retain History
In the charming Hudson Valley there are a wide variety of homes with unique style and history, often accented with farms and aging barns. Many of these barns need considerable maintenance or restoration to reflect upon the character of the property, which often stems from a different period of time.
Many old timber frame barn structures require the repair or replacement of roofing, siding, stonework, windows or doors. Unfortunately, in some cases a barn is too far gone and requires careful deconstruction and re-assembly as a new barn. However, during re-assembly we use materials recycled from your old barn to retain as much of the original structure as possible.
Carriage Houses Add Living Space
Carriage houses are currently experiencing a revival for many reasons: they increase the value of your home, add a quaint charm, and have many practical benefits. They are typically detached from the main residence and have a garage underneath a second story living or working area. This extra living space is what makes a carriage house so distinct; it’s great if you need to accommodate in-laws or guests, are looking for more vehicle storage, or need a workshop.
We recently completed a carriage house addition to a home with distinct historical character that the owner wanted to retain. Prior to the addition, we updated the home with overhangs and gingerbread gables along the roof perimeter. Shortly after, we added a carriage house with several different roof lines that imitated those of the home. This roof detail created a natural blend between the two buildings and made the carriage house look proportional to the home.
