What You Should Know Before Adding a Second Storey

An efficient way to gain more floor area and living space to accommodate your growing family’s needs is by adding a second storey to your home. This is especially the case if your property already extends to the boundary set-back lines.

Adding an additional floor to your home can really open-up your floor plan. It also lets you maximise space and tends to capture much better views.

Find out what significant issues you should be aware of before proceeding.

How do you plan to use your home over the next 10-20 years?

The needs of your family will change over time. Your babies will become little kids; your little kids will become teenagers and so on.

Hence your home Designer needs to help you contemplate the future. He or she needs to understand how you want to live and accommodate your family’s needs:

• babies and little kids need constant supervision, therefore it is essential to have good sight-lines from the kitchen to the family room
• noise separation and privacy will become important as teenagers develop some noisy hobbies or need a quiet place to study
• you and your partner may want a special retreat for yourselves in the house that is a quiet place to read a book or watch a favourite TV show

These are only some examples of the changing needs of a family. Take these into consideration when discussing your second storey addition.

Decide on your maximum budget for adding a second storey

Know what your desired budget is and the maximum you are willing to spend on your upstairs addition. There is usually quite a difference between the two and being clear on this matter is crucial.

The best way to stay within your budget is to make any changes you want during the design phase. You want to avoid changes during the  construction phase.

Work with your Designer to determine if your project will need to be constructed in stages or all at once, depending on your budget.

Who to select as your Home Designer

Choose a home Designer who has had many years of experience adding a second storey to homes. Most importantly, select a Designer who can transform your house into an exciting, comfortable, elegant and functional living space that is perfect for your family.

A sketch design, or just a floor plan, is a long way from being suitable for submitting an application for an approval. A home Designer who is experienced with your local council and State regulations will know specific designs that will not be approved. This will save you precious time, energy and money.

Some properties have specific requirements. If you are renovating on Bushfire Prone Land or a Heritage Conservation Area, select a home Designer whose has expertise designing for these properties.

A really good Designer will coordinate consultants and builders for you. They will take care in providing all information to council for approvals you require. A home designer with a 100 percent success rate in council approvals is your best option. Once all approvals have been received, construction can commence.

How to select your builder

A home designer who has been in the business for years has already established a good relationship with consultants and builders, will definitely speed up the planning process. A reputable home Designer can connect you to an equally reputable home builder.

Select a builder who specialises in second storey additions. You want someone who can seamlessly manage the project in a timely manner with high standards of workmanship. Having effective levels of communication with you, your Designer and their team will go a long way towards a successful outcome.

The success of your home renovation project will depend on a successful team approach. The pivotal people in this team are your Designer and your builder.

If you can visually inspect some of your potential builder’s previous work or talk to previous clients, the better.

Help your dream second storey home become a reality

First and foremost you are renovating your home.

Therefore the result must be what you are happy with. For this reason I establish strong lines of communication with my clients. After all, the better our relationship is, the better the result will be.

In addition to creating exciting designs to add a second storey to many homes, I also have extensive experience and know the rules and regulations for creating designs in Bushfire Prone Areas and Heritage Conservation areas.

If you live in the northern Sydney area and are considering adding a second storey to your existing home, feel free to contact me. I would be happy to assist you.