With five married sons and 16 grandchildren, Mitt Romney needs a huge spread to house his people when they come to visit. And the 2012 Republican aspirant for President is working on expanding his La Jolla crib to take care of the issue.

Romney has plans to expand his local home, just north of the tony Bird Rock neighborhood and near La Jolla High School, from its current 3,009 square foot configuration to some 11,000 square feet, while adding a second story. The 75-year-old house now has three bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms.

A spokesman in the Romney camp said the home as it stands "is inadequate for their needs."

The one-time governor of Massachusetts bought the oceanfront home three years ago for $12 million. Romney and his wife, Ann, spend a lot of time in the San Diego area, and two of Romney's sons and several grandchildren live nearby.

The Romney official said the home renovation won't begin until after next year's presidential election. Romney has filed application with the City of San Diego for the makeover, which must be approved before the work can be started.

Romney's clan is no stranger to ultra-high end real estate. The Romneys sold their 6,500 square foot place in Belmont, MA, for $3.5 million. They unloaded an even bigger home (9,500 square feet) at the Deer Valley ski resort, near posh Park City, Utah, for some $5 million, according to the Associated Press story released last year.

The Romneys have kept their vacation home at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, as well as a townhouse in the Boston area.

Romney made many of his millions as co-founder of Bain Capital, a private equity company. He and his wife have personal assets valued at anywhere from $190 million to $264 million, depending on who is doing the counting.

During a gathering with a gaggle of jobless folks in Tampa, FL, in June, Romney created somewhat of a stir by telling the crowd, "I'm also unemployed.'' No doubt that crack will resurface as word of Romney's house rebuild gets around.

But when Romney is in the La Jolla home, he has few --- if any -- worries. At a book signing in nearby University City last year, Romney explained why he bought the house.

"I wanted to be where I could hear the waves," he said. "As a boy, we spent summers on Lake Huron [in his native Michigan] and I could hear the crashing waves at night. It was one of my favorite things in the world. Being near the water and the waves was something I badly wanted to experience again."

This won't be possible residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but Romney is apparently ready and willing to deal with it.