The Fixer To Fabulous Renovation That More Than Doubled A Home's Square Footage

Dave and Jenny Marrs have pulled off some amazing renovations in five seasons of HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous." But throughout the history of the series, there's one renovation in particular that stands out for the sheer size of the project and the completely transformational result. Season 3, Episode 15 was Dave and Jenny Marrs' biggest "Fixer to Fabulous" project to date, and the results were truly spectacular. The renovation and design duo took what was once a shabby three-bedroom, one-bath 1,000-square-foot ranch-style home and turned it into a two-story modern masterpiece boasting 2,800 square feet and various additions. 

Since about one in three people think their home is too small (according to a study published by Home Advisor), most homeowners likely dream about adding square footage to their living space to improve their ease of daily living and to boost home value. But adding living space to a home is no easy endeavor. This is especially so for doubling a home's square footage, which is what makes the Marrses' HGTV home makeover such a spectacular project. With hefty price tags and many steps — including working with a structural engineer, getting plans drawn from an architect, getting permission from your local municipality, and working with a general contractor to get the project done — doubling a home's square footage is not for the faint of heart. We'll break down how Dave and Jenny Marrs did their project and share tips on what to consider before building a home addition of your own.

To take this HGTV fixer house to fabulous, Dave and Jenny Marrs not only renovated and expanded the ranch house upwards, but they expanded outward as well with the addition of new rooms and an extra garage. For the brand-new upper floor, the Marrs pair added two bedrooms and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, plus a flex room for relaxing, gaming, and hanging out. On the lower level, the Marrses created an expanded living room and kitchen, complete with open-concept room-to-room flow, dramatic modern design, and a floor-to-ceiling fish tank and wine room. They put the expanded master suite on the ground floor and created the perfect spa-like bathroom alongside a spacious walk-in closet. The final ground floor additions were an office/bar entertaining space and an added garage. 

"This one was definitely our biggest Fixer to Fabulous project so far. We went up; we went out; we went extra," wrote Jenny Marrs on her blog. Sharing a quote from her client, she added, "There could be no other way — as Rob says, 'Go big or go home.'" But adding space isn't all the Marrses did. They also modernized the home and took it from an outdated green rancher to a chic contemporary house with a cohesive modern yet warm exterior and interior design. Their clients were ecstatic about the result. "It's just over the top," said homeowner Rob about the reveal. He later said, "I feel like we're on vacation all the time."

Though Dave and Jenny Marrs make it look easy, there's a lot that goes into home additions, and many things you'll want to consider before you choose to add square footage to an existing home. The first thing you'll want to look into is how much it costs to build a bump-out addition from scratch or to build a second story onto your home. Sometimes, because of the architectural complexity required for home additions, it can end up being more cost-effective to sell your existing home and purchase a new one with increased size, rather than add square footage to an existing home.

However, additions are great if your home is in an ideal location already that you don't want to give up. They're also good if your house is in an area with increasing property values and it's expected to increase in the future. Unless you have a vision of your perfect addition in your mind already, you'll want to consider the best type of house addition for your existing home, including bump-outs, adding a level, or adding a mother-in-law suite or granny home. Doing this can boost your home's value even more as area property values soar. Although it wasn't shown on HGTV, you'll want to check with your local municipality (and your homeowners' association, if you have one) before starting any remodel projects to ensure home additions are allowed and to learn what rules you have to follow.