When homeowners want to add an addition to their home to get additional space, they will need to determine how they will want to do it. Adding on to a home means you can stay on ground level and go out, or you can go up, creating an additional story to the home. There are major considerations, advantages and disadvantages to both. The design of your current home is another major factor in which way you can add on to a home. Future Vision Remodeling will share what to consider for home additions and if they should go up or out.
Bump Out Home Additions
It is more common for room additions to be done on the first floor. In many cases, a homeowner wants a bigger kitchen, living room or an office. There are a few less considerations when building out versus going up such as if the building can hold the additional weight of the second story addition and where to put an access point or stairs if not already present. Ground level additions often require the contractor to do some excavating and putting down a slab for the addition. The walls and roof will of course need to be connected to the existing structure and the outer walls removed. Most contractors find it is must easier to go out since it is typically less work. However, it does have its drawbacks. When building out from the ground level you will be losing some yard space. Additionally there are some restrictions such as how close you can get to the property line. There must be at least 7½ feet of space between the house and your neighbor’s property line. Code varies from state to state and from each city and county. Some codes and regulations may even put a cap on how much extra square feet you add to a home particularly ground level. However in most cases, ground level additions are more popular and far easier to manage.
Building Up with a Second Story Addition
Additions that are built on top of a first or even second story home aren’t as common. The most common addition for elevated additions usually occurs on top of garages or porches, especially when a second story is already present. Adding a second story to a single story home is far less common. Mainly it can be problematic to find a spot to add a staircase. Sometimes a ground addition is added just for the staircase leading to the second story. If not, some living space will need to be sacrificed. Sometimes the second story addition attaches to the outside of the home, much like an additional wing which involves the addition to go out and up. A multi story attachment is often like an apartment or full living space for aging parents that has a full bed room, bathroom and kitchen. Depending on how you plan to attach the addition to your home going up has a few advantages such as you don’t have to give up yard space or worry about conflicting with city or state codes. However, there are restrictions as to how high you can go.
Room Home Additions & More in Redwood City, Foster City, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Loyola, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Santa Clara & Greater San Jose, California
When you want to add more space to your home and need a quality contractor that can help design and ensure you follow codes and regulations, contact Future Vision Remodeling.
