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Is It Cheaper To Go Out Or Up For Addition?

December 21, 2022

  Any homeowner looking to increase the size of their house is confused about whether they should build their home out or up. If you are in such a situation, you should know that if you are looking to save money, you are always better off going up. Besides saving you money when you build up, home addition contractors observe that you don’t need to worry about zoning restrictions as you aren’t expanding your house’s footprint. Building your house up also means you don’t have to give up any of your yard for the new foundation. This means that you retain your yard while adding more space to your home. Best practices when building your house up You need to consider several tips to get the most from your addition. These tips include: Work with an experienced professional As much as it’s cheaper to build up, adding another floor isn’t an easy project. For one, you must remove the roof and then rebuild it completely. You also need to have extensive architectural and structural plans. For your project to be safe, you should work with an experienced professional who knows what they are doing. The professional should inspect your current house and determine whether it needs additional beams and whether the foundation needs footings poured to carry the extra weight. When hiring the contractor, hire an experienced one that has handled similar projects before. You don’t want to hire a novice who ends up botching the project you spent a fortune on. Move out of the house. Unlike adding the extra house outwards, adding the house upwards means you have to get out of the house. For once, it will be safer for you as you will have to remove the roof, and you can’t live in a roofless house, can you? The contractor will also use machines to add the extra floor, which might be unsafe for you. As you plan for the new addition, consider the hotel budget, as you will stay in the hotel for some time until the house is safe for you. While at it, also consider the storage costs. Your furniture and appliances will get damaged if you leave them inside the house, so you will need to remove them and store them in a safe place you will most likely pay for. Always plan for this as you are planning for the addition. The last thing you want is to find out that you don’t have hotel or storage money and are forced to stall your project in the middle. Have a solid budget Yes, building up is cheaper, but you still need to spend money on the project. To ensure that you see your project to completion, you should have a solid budget. When coming up with the budget, consider the cost of adding a staircase, hiring engineers, paying for building permits, installing a new heating and cooling system, repairing the house, removing and storing personal items, and many other costs. Many homeowners are excited to start their projects, but you shouldn’t. Take time and have a sitting with an experienced contractor. […]

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