Is it better to build a home extension upwards with second-story additions instead of enlarging a home outwards with ground-floor extensions? What makes second storey additions Morningside a better idea for homes with limited ground space?
Second-story additions are a great idea to increase the floor area of a home without sacrificing any land area. Second-story additions provide homeowners with benefits like:
- Easily increase living and activity spaces without moving to a larger home.
- Retain a property’s existing outdoor space.
- Get beautiful views of a home’s landscapes and neighborhood.
- Easier to renovate or make any changes to a ground floor without sacrificing room space.
- Enhance the value of a home.
Easily increase living and activity spaces without moving to a larger home.
Increased living and activity spaces are perhaps the greatest advantage to considering second-story additions. Second-story additions are also ideal for families that love their neighborhood. By adding second-story additions to an existing home, a family can easily increase their living and activity spaces without having to give up any outdoor spaces on their property.
With second-story additions, homeowners can retain their existing parking space, driveways, both front and back yards, garages, and even patios. With the greater floor spaces provided by second-story additions, families can live more comfortably without losing their precious outdoor space while also ensuring that there are additional rooms for visits from family or friends.
Retain a property’s existing outdoor space.
With second-story additions, families no longer have to sacrifice their yards, or other outdoor spaces, to extend the size and floor spaces of their homes. They can easily build second-story additions on top of their ground floor and retain their outdoor spaces.
Second-story additions are the ideal method to gain additional floor space in homes built on small blocks as it allows homeowners to retain their outdoor spaces like gardens or kids’ playgrounds.
Get beautiful views of a home’s landscapes and neighborhood.
Second-story additions are ideal for homes located in picturesque locations or neighborhoods as it makes for easy viewing of the amazing landscape views that an area has to offer. Second-story additions are great for homes in areas where there are plentiful ocean or mountain views as families can simply open their windows or stand on their balconies to view the breathtaking views their location has to offer without having to leave their house.
Easier to renovate or make any changes to a ground floor without sacrificing room space.
Having second-story additions makes it easy for homeowners to make any necessary changes and repairs to their ground floor if something in their home needs repairs or additional space.
Second-story additions allow homeowners to easily make suitable home design decisions for their ground floor to improve their home’s overall interior look and style without losing living and activity spaces.
Enhance the value of a home.
Second-story additions are sure to add value to any home when it comes time to sell if located in areas or neighborhoods where there is a high demand for residential properties with large floor areas that are close, and with easy access, to educational institutions, work opportunities, medical services, public transportation, and other convenient amenities and services.
What homeowners have to consider when planning for second-story additions.
There are plentiful reasons why a homeowner might consider second-story additions to their home. Second-story additions are considered as it allows existing homes to have more than enough floor space for an expanding family, increase the value of a residential property, creates more space for daily home living and activity, and take advantage of beautiful property views.
However, there are a few things homeowners need to consider before undergoing a second-story additions project.
They should consider:
- What the existing building regulations are in their area.
- Does the existing home have strong enough foundations?
- The compatibility of their chosen second-story additions design to their existing ground floor.
- The timeframe requirements.
What the existing building regulations are in their area?
Before planning or any actual construction work on second-story additions, homeowners should always check with their local zoning and building regulators if there are specific second-story height restrictions in their area or if there are specific requirements and building regulations they have to comply with that can adversely affect the overall planning of the construction of second story additions.
Does the existing home have strong enough foundations?
Homeowners should have an engineer check their home’s foundations if it is strong enough to handle the extra weight of second-story additions as some single-story homes, especially older homes, are not capable of bearing the weight of another full floor level. It is important to consider that their existing home may require reinforcement, which can get expensive, or carefully consider a ground-floor extension instead.
The compatibility of their chosen second-story additions design to their existing ground floor.
When considering second-story additions, homeowners should pick a second-story design that can blend seamlessly into their existing house so that it looks as original as their existing ground floor.
They should accept that they may lose a few floor areas to accommodate the staircase required for second-story additions. Homeowners should consult with their architect and building contractor to help them look at various second-story design options before settling on a final plan.
The timeframe requirements.
Homeowners should expect that their second-story additions project will take a considerable amount of time to complete. They should always be prepared for delays that can take a sizeable amount of time to address. Second-story additions projects, which can take time will also require a homeowner to vacate their home and move to alternative accommodations during the duration of their project.
Having second-story additions.
When planning on extending a home upwards through second-story additions homeowners need to thoroughly research their chosen second-story design to get the balance right between their existing ground-floor design and their new second-story addition.
They can even choose to retain their original home design and build a second-story addition of the same style, or they can choose a contrasting design. In the end, the design of second-story additions will always come down to a homeowner’s unique design tastes and budget.
