Extension vs Second Storey Addition: which one should you choose?
Eventually, there comes a point where you’ve outgrown your home, no matter what you do.
Perhaps the kids are getting older and can’t share a room without fighting.
Perhaps you’re working from home, and need a home office.
Perhaps you want your ageing parents to come and live with you.
When you reach the point where you’re running out of room, you’ve got two options: move house or make your current home larger.
Moving house may seem like a good idea, but the process of hunting for the ideal house, actually succeeding in buying it, selling your existing home, then uprooting your life and moving can be a major hassle – not to mention the costs involved in buying and selling.
Extending your home, however, has several benefits when compared to the hassle and expense of moving house. Number one is that you’ll be able to redesign your entire home exactly to suit your needs and desires! It’ll also be less expensive than moving and it’ll boost the value of your property too.
But should you go up or out? In this article, we’ll lay out the pros and cons of both options.
Extension
A horizontal extension is a common option for growing your home, especially for homes that are situated on a sizeable patch of land. In fact, the biggest limiting factor for a ground floor extension is the impact it has on your outdoor space (which you may also need to reconfigure to accommodate the new rooms).
Generally, a ground floor extension is less disruptive than a second storey addition – depending on the extent of internal renovations – and it’s more likely that you’ll be able to live in your home while works are being carried out. It may also be less expensive than adding another storey, and it may be easier to obtain council approval.
Finally, adding extra space on the ground floor is a big tick for accessibility. So, if you’re extending because elderly parents are coming to live with you, or you have other liveability requirements, a ground floor extension could be the better option for you (if space permits).
Second storey addition
The big selling point for a second (or third) storey addition is the sheer amount of additional space you can add to your home. Adding an extra floor could easily double your living space.
In addition, you could further increase the amount of living space (and improve the flow of your home) by reconfiguring your existing floor(s) – potentially combining existing rooms into larger living areas by removing walls and/or repositioning doors. Just imagine what you could do with your ground floor if you moved the majority of your bedrooms upstairs.
However, adding a second storey is usually a more costly option than a ground floor extension due to the amount of structural work involved (after all, you’re literally raising the roof). It can be trickier to obtain council approval, too – especially if there are height restrictions on homes.
Last but not least, adding a second storey is quite disruptive, especially as you’ll most likely be carrying out internal renovations on the ground floor as well. While a carefully staged construction phase can minimise the amount of time you’re unable to live in your home, many owners choose to vacate while works are going on. You should factor this into your budget as well.
Choosing the right partner
Undoubtedly the most critical aspect of carrying any kind of extension work is finding the right partner to project manage it for you. With more than two decades of experience in custom renovations, second storey additions, extensions and new builds, Next Gen Building Solutions harnesses our years of building expertise to help our clients realise their visions – no matter how big or small they are.
