Ideas for Renovating a 1925 Massachusetts Home

Garage

• Build an attached garage onto the home if you don't have one, which is common with the Cape Cod style and in particular with homes built in 1925, when most Americans did not own vehicles. On a tight lot, you might consider adding the garage to the back of the home with a breezeway connecting them. This will make trips to and from the garage in the cold Massachusetts winters far more comfortable.

Master Suite

• Master suites are relatively new in the home building world, and it's rare to find a home built before 1980 with one. The addition of a garage to the home gives you the opportunity to build a master suite above the garage. You can leave the roof line of the home the same height and simply add a series of dormers to expand the usable floor space of the master suite.

Weather-friendly Landscaping

• Residents of Massachusetts are well aware of the beauty of their deciduous trees in the autumn, but come winter, the trees are bare and provide little, if any privacy. Add to this the monotony of a plain white yard and you'll understand why winter landscaping is so attractive. Use a variety of evergreen trees in your landscaping to increase the home's sense of privacy even in the winter. Additionally, since evergreen trees grow in a conical shape, they won't block the sun from reaching and warming your roof in the winter.

Kitchen and Bath

• Renovations to the kitchen and bathrooms of homes are among the best value-adding renovations you can make. Bathrooms in 1925 homes were largely simple affairs, as were kitchens. Add luxuries such as a vanity, standing shower and a garden tub to bathrooms to make a dramatic impact. For kitchens, consider replacing the original cabinets and counter tops and then installing hardwood flooring and new, energy efficient appliances.