Designing a Second-Story Addition Remodel
If you like your current House, but you want more living room, there’s an option to consider moving up! Sometimes, you’ll take up all the space available in your house. Whether you’re expanding your family or taking older parents back to stay with you doesn’t matter. There are plenty of ways to exhaust your space. In today’s marketplace, buyers are highly competitive.
At Ottawa Home Pros, we receive a lot of questions concerning the best way to create living space for your home. Although adding room makes sense, if the House gets situated in a smaller area, you may not have enough space to build on top of your current footprint. Therefore the addition of a second story may be the most appropriate option.
There are a variety of essential factors to take into consideration before making a final decision. For instance, a second-story addition can significantly impact the other areas of your home and require structural reinforcement at different levels.
Are building up or adding on digging the best method of maximizing the potential of your House?
Consider These Things
The cost of expanding is costly. It’s not always straightforward and may require a considerable amount of time to finish the second story to get done. Before you start, consider the following:
Do You Like Your Location?
Living in an excellent place is crucial in today’s competitive market! The fact is that there’s a shortage of homes in many parts of the country is limited, and there are few desirable homes available for sale. If you’re in a place you like or would like to live in for the long term, it may be challenging to recreate the current conditions. Remember that every property’s three main aspects are: place, place, and place! The benefit of having a property located in an area that will meet your requirements is a great value! Put a checkmark here and go on to the next consideration if you love where you live but need additional space.
Know how a second-story addition could change the Whole House’s look
The appearance and function of the addition of a second story will impact everything else in your house, all the way from finishes and mechanicals to structural work. A well-designed design will incorporate the addition to ensure it appears as if it’s always there. Therefore, take the time to ensure the new addition improves the home’s functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Structural Problems
A second story with furniture and occupants will weigh considerably more than the old roof. Engaging an engineer to determine how much weight your foundation and walls can support and the best way to keep it up is necessary. Second-story additions require structural support, including adding plywood and steel connections to the main fence to the foundation to ensure that it meets codes.
Adding Access: Stairs
A staircase added to the new living area requires removing the floor space of your main floor, which could affect the flow and usage of the room. Working with a professional design-build professional can assist you in exploring all the possibilities to make the best option. Sometimes it’s straightforward, for instance, extending the existing staircase into the basement. Sometimes it’s not, but creativity and imagination are essential.
Mechanical Upgrades
The mechanical systems of your home are all designed to suit the area of your House. It includes your water heater, furnace, electrical, and HVAC systems. They all work according to what size you have for your home and the number of fixtures. If you decide to add one, you must review every one of your home’s mechanical systems.
Electrical panels might require a refresh. HVAC systems may need to get replaced or even added new zones based on whether they get forced radiant or hot air systems. Consider making energy-efficient improvements like geothermal systems, solar-powered hot water panels, or photovoltaics.
Finish Elements: Windows Doors and Siding
The most important components of exterior finishes could be a huge question mark when expanding. Are you in line with your home’s design? Do you start from scratch? Suppose the main level’s structural work requires removing part of the siding and replacing many windows. Should you change the siding on the whole structure? If the windows of the main floor and doors have become worn out and inefficient, rotting, or aren’t in compliance with current energy standards, Do they have to get replaced?
These are the choices your design-build professional will work with you to make earlier in the process. Deciding to order windows for a quarter of a house as a project is underway can add more time to your timeline and blow your budget.
Final Thoughts
Adding a second floor to your house has a lot of advantages. In addition to generating more usable space, growing vertically is a more efficient use of space than enlarging your home’s footprint onto your lot, especially if your lot is more minor. It lets you live comfortably inside your home without compromising the outdoor space. The same area will be for gardening and outdoor living. It won’t impact the neighbors more than your current home.
Another option is to use this project to raise the ceilings of your first floor to increase your House’s value. You could also consider the plan and decide whether to open small spaces or combine rooms. It can open up a whole world of possibilities. Contact your design-build specialist to discuss options for adding extra projects that fit within your budget since you’ll already perform a lot of work.
If you’re considering adding a living room to your Ottawa residence, allow the Ottawa Home Pros general contractors to gain your trust and business. Call us today at (613) 288-9145 or email info@ottawahomepros.com for your next home renovation or improvement project.
