You know you want to expand your home – but how exactly? There are many ways you can gain extra space through a home addition. Let’s start by outlining your options.
Building Up
“Building up” means adding a second or third story to your home. This can be huge project, but if you live in a single story home and would like to double your floor space, building up could be a great option for you.
Building Out
“Building out” pertains to adding an addition on the main level of your home, or a completely new structure. If you have plenty of space around your home, building out might be for you.
Unsure which is the best option? Read on to help determine the best way to expand your home.
What Is The Purpose of Your Addition?
Consider why you’ve decided to add to your home. If you’d like a bigger kitchen, or would like to expand any particular single room on the ground floor, building out is likely the easiest and obvious choice for you.
If you need multiple extra rooms, love your yard or don’t have space surrounding your home, building up is more likely to be a viable consideration.
Building up on your home can dramatically increase your living space.
Consider Neighborhood Restrictions
Before you decide to take on any addition project, find out what restrictions your neighborhood has in place when it comes to expanding your home.
- If you’re looking to build out, find out if you need a zoning variance and that your plans fit in the legal property line setback.
- Also check your plans fit in with the local floor-area-ratio rating.
- If you’re looking to build up, check if your neighborhood has a limit on the height of homes.
Be sure to check local regulations before starting your home addition project.
Consider Disruption
Will you be living in your home throughout the build? If so, the amount of disruption caused by choosing to build your home addition up or out should certainly be a consideration.
Typically, building out is the less disruptive option, particularly if it’s possible to avoid the area of your home that is being worked on for a few weeks. With a second story addition, disruption can be much greater. The walls and ceilings below are often affected by building up, as additional support may need to be added. New electrical lines and plumbing can also mean disruption to the lower level. If you choose to build up, planning may also be more complex – consider where you can add a stairwell, for example.
Get a Professional Opinion
The Reliable Home Improvement team have vast experience creating beautiful home additions. Speak to one of our professional team members about your build goals for tailored room addition advice.