Remodeling and Additions for Exeter Homes
Exeter grew up around the falls where the Exeter River meets the tidal Squamscott. Its older streets still hold Colonial, Federal, and Victorian houses. The newer neighborhoods sit farther out.
A Colonial or Federal house can have a cramped kitchen at the back and too few baths. A Victorian may have the room and still have a floor plan that no longer fits the family.
The company behind your Exeter remodel
Persson Construction is a remodeler based in Greenland, about 8 miles from Exeter. We work in this order: we plan first, price second, and build third.
We look for problems in an old frame or old wiring during planning. That way, fewer of them show up after a wall comes down.
Your Exeter project, step by step
It starts with a fit call. We talk about what you want, how the house works for you now, and the budget and timing you have in mind. After that, Chris comes out to see the house.
Next comes planning, under a Project Development Agreement. Alyssa, a local designer we partner with, will design your project unless you bring a designer of your own.
During planning, the subcontractors who will build the job come out on trade days. They flag problems early and price their work from what they find. Their prices become your construction proposal.
The build itself runs on Cost Plus: you pay the actual cost of materials and subcontractors, plus our markup. While we work, Buildertrend keeps you posted with daily logs and photos.
The work we do in Exeter
We take on historic renovations in Exeter’s historic districts and beyond them. Within a district, a town commission reviews outside changes, such as new windows or a fence.
A house with several tired rooms suits whole-home remodeling. A family short on space may want one of our home additions, such as a first-floor primary suite. And in every kind of Exeter house, old or new, we redo kitchens and baths.
Our Exeter Remodeling & Historic Renovations Services
Kitchen Remodeling
We remodel kitchens in the room you have, or add on when the room is too small. We plan each kitchen with the designer, then price it and build it.
Bathroom Remodeling
Primary baths, plus showers with a low curb or no curb at all. We also swap old Jacuzzi tubs for bigger showers.
Whole Home Remodeling
Two or more rooms done as one job, such as a kitchen and a bath. We plan and price the whole job before the build starts.
Home Additions
First-floor primary suites, bump-outs, and great rooms. We also build ADUs, like an apartment over a detached garage.
Historic Renovations
In a historic district, window sizes, siding, and trim come with rules we plan around. Many old houses outside the district need a lot of work too.
See More of Our Work
View Our Work →Why Exeter Homeowners Choose Us
Plan First
After Chris sees your house, we plan the job under a Project Development Agreement. Then the trades who will do the work walk the house and price their part for your proposal.
Open Books
With Cost Plus pricing, you see the actual cost of materials and subcontractors, plus our markup.
Daily Logs and Photos
After you sign the build contract, you can follow the job in Buildertrend, our online portal. It has daily logs and photos of the work, and you get an update each week.
Based in Greenland
Our office is at 17 Alden Ave in Greenland. Much of our work is in Portsmouth, Rye, and North Hampton, and older homes are a large part of it.
Our Reviews
Straight from the People We've Built For
Recent Projects
Kitchen Renovation & Addition in Rye, NH
We built a kitchen addition, two-car garage, deck, and bigger basement for a family whose kitchen was very small.
View Project →
Whole Home Remodel in Portsmouth, NH
Homeowners Chris and Janet bought their waterfront condo new in 2023. We remodeled its kitchen, dining area, and primary suite.
View Project →
ADU & Garage Build in Lee, NH
Since 2018, we've built Amber and Ben a home addition and a garage with an apartment and office above it.
View Project →Serving Exeter and Surrounding Areas
Find Us Near Exeter
Exeter, Then and Now
John Wheelwright founded Exeter in 1638. He and his group had been forced out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony over their faith. They settled where the Exeter River drops over falls into the tidal Squamscott River.
During the war for independence, Exeter was New Hampshire’s capital. Phillips Exeter Academy was founded here in 1781.
The Ladd-Gilman House went up around 1721 and is now part of the American Independence Museum. The Gilman Garrison House dates from the early 1700s. The Congregational Church dates from 1798.
Today about 16,000 people live in Exeter, on about 20 square miles of land. Census data counts about 7,400 homes, and about two in three are lived in by their owners. Fewer than half are single-family houses.
The typical home was built in 1978. Old houses are still a big part of the mix. About one in five Exeter homes was built before 1940, more than in any single decade since.
Our office in Greenland is about 8 miles northeast of Exeter. Exeter’s neighbors include Stratham, Newfields, Brentwood, and Kensington. We serve all four.
Exeter Remodeling & Historic Renovations FAQs
My Exeter house is in a historic district. Which projects need the commission's approval?
Changes to the exterior do. That includes new windows, roofing, doors, a chimney, a fence, or tearing down part of the house. Patios, walkways, and outdoor lights count too.
Repairs that match the old design, material, and color do not. Neither does work inside the house. The town’s Historic District Commission review page lists the details.
What does the commission want to see before I add on to a historic Exeter home?
For an addition, the town’s new construction application asks for a site plan, floor plans, and outside elevations, all drawn to scale. The elevations show window and door styles, trim, heights, and how tall the houses next door are.
The designer draws these during planning. We check them against the town’s form. That way, the commission sees the same design we will build.
Can I paint my house any color in Exeter's historic district?
Not always. The commission keeps a list of approved colors for each house style, from Colonial Georgian to Colonial Revival.
A Federal house and a Queen Anne draw from different lists. Your home’s style tells you which list to use.
How do I start a remodel on my Exeter house?
Call (603) 292-5901, or book a fit call on our contact page. If your street is in a historic district, tell us. We will plan around it from day one.