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What do you do when your family is outgrowing your house and there's no room to expand laterally? You can move, or you can build a second story onto your home. There are some substantial pros and cons to this decision; it is a major construction job. An overview is below; talk to a contractor to find out what is possible for your home.
The Benefits
Second story additions can effectively double your living space. You can turn the second floor into a master bedroom suite or two bedrooms and an office (which can often help out during tax time). You can even add a kitchen and separate entrance and turn the addition into an apartment for grown children or grandparents, or even rent it out for a while to offset the cost of building it and continue to receive a return on your investment for years to come.
If your property has limited outdoor space, building up may be your only option. In this case, second story home remodeling is a great opportunity to expand your living space and drastically increase the value of your property without having to leave a neighborhood or a house you’ve loved for years.
The Drawbacks
Adding a second story can be an expensive process, even if you do a lot of the work yourself. Materials, labor, and permitting add up over time if not budgeted for correctly.This process is more than simply building another room. It can sometimes even be more complex than building an entire new house.
It's also time consuming and requires adequate planning on the part of you and your family. It can take months to complete the job, and living in your home during the remodel may be a bit uncomfortable.
Some structures cannot support a second story. In other cases, the remodel may be possible, but neighbors or city planners could block your permit if your construction will affect the view or otherwise be out of balance with the rest of the neighborhood. And any place where you have limited lot space on which to build an addition could potentially be an area where neighbors and planners take their structural harmony seriously. Talk to your neighbors before embarking on your plans. A little bit of finessing can go a long way towards forging friendships that can outlast the banging of hammers.
Adding a second level to your home is not for the timid. Talk to a remodeling contractor to get estimates of cost and time and ask to see several design possibilities before you commit to the process. The results can be impressive, from inside and out, but only you can plan accordingly and support the endeavor from start to finish.
Sam is an avid blogger looking to share his experiences with others on the web.
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