Why Not Extend Up Instead Of Out?

Adding an extra storey to your Adelaide home may be less expensive than you think

You may be looking for an extra bedroom, a study, a guest room or simply extra space to house a growing family and want to extend your home. If you think that building up might be the answer, but are concerned that the cost of doing so could be prohibitive, you may surprised to discover that it’s not necessarily the case that extending your home by adding an extra storey is more expensive than adding a ground floor extension.

For instance, adding an extra room or two at ground level will require new foundations to be laid and this is undoubtedly one the most expensive elements and may well cost more than extending upwards (although it should be noted that in some cases, adding a second storey may require the ground level to be reinforced, which will add to the overall cost).

In addition, houses of all vintages can benefit from adding an extra floor. Older Adelaide homes, for instance, are usually extremely well constructed and therefore well-placed to be able to extend upwards due to their solid and durable foundations and roofs. Therefore, if you have previously thought that your older home may not be suitable for an upper floor extension, it might be worth looking at this again.

How adding an additional storey can enhance your home

A significant advantage of adding additional storeys is that they can be designed so as to create light and airy interior spaces that at the same time greatly enhance the exterior look of your home. A well-designed upper extension that develops and builds on the essential character and look of your property should ideally not look like an addition at all, but rather appear to be an original, integral feature. Creating this look will not only positively impact on the appearance of your house but will also add significantly to its value as well.

As well as creating extra space through the addition of a bedroom, bathroom, study or utility room, simply improving the view can be a great lifestyle benefit. An upper floor lets you see beyond the immediate confines of your neighbourhood and may let you take in a view of the Adelaide Hills, or one of our wonderful beaches, or even give you a chance to experience the city skyline in a way you haven’t seen before.

Extending your home upwards: the pros and cons

If you have limited outdoor living space, then adding an extra storey rather than a ground level extension means that you can gain indoor room without compromising your outside lifestyle. As newer Adelaide homes often tend to be built right out to the boundaries with almost no garden or outdoor space, then adding an extra floor may be your only option for gaining more indoor living space.

Likewise, adding a storey to your home may turn out to be a more cost-effective and ultimately less disruptive solution than selling up and moving altogether. Relocating brings with it any number of readjustments to your lifestyle that you and your family might not be ready for, or you may just simply love living in your existing neighbourhood. In either case, finding a way to give you more space where you already are may well be a much more appealing prospect than moving out and starting all over again.

There are of course some drawbacks that you need to consider if you’re thinking of adding an extra storey. For instance, the nature of the work does mean that there is likely to be more disruption to your home life than if you’re simply adding an extension at ground level (although we are very experienced in this area and do all we can to make the disruption as minimal as possible).

It is also the case that not every home is suitable to have an additional storey added and so another space solution may need to be found.

Choose an Adelaide builder experienced at extra storey extensions

While adding an extra storey to your home can be a relatively straightforward operation, for it to be done effectively and efficiently, with as little disruption to your home life as possible, you need to look for an extension specialist with a proven track record of successfully extending homes upwards.

At Builders At Your Service, we have satisfied clients in the northern suburbs and all over Adelaide who we have helped to improve the livability, look and value of their homes by adding additional space with an upper storey. We understand that renovations can be disruptive and so we work with you to ensure that this is kept to a minimum and that you can get back to everyday life as soon as possible.

We not only take care of building your extension, but we also can undertake the design work for you, ensuring that your vision is brought to life in the way you want, while we are also very experienced at the processes involved in obtaining council planning approvals and can manage this part of your project for you too.

Our extensions, whether extra storeys or at ground level, are also energy efficient and comply with all relevant low energy use guidelines.

Pros

  • no more expensive than a ground floor extension
  • ideal solution for properties with limited outdoor space
  • both older and newer homes can be extended upwards

Cons

  • can be more disruptive during the building process

Tags: Adelaide builders, builders in Salisbury, extensions, extra storey extensions, home extensions, home renovations, northern suburbs builders, upper storey extensions

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