Building Up vs Building Out

amother

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 10:25 pm

Hi all,

We BH need more space in our house. We need at least another two bedrooms and a bathroom. For many reasons we don’t want to move (work, schools, etc.) We want to build an addition. I’m thinking of either extending the entire house into our backyard, or building a third floor. We currently don’t have a third floor at all, just some crawl space.

Have you done either of these? What are the costs? Pros / cons of each way?

Also - I don’t really need the space in the backyard. Ie it wouldn’t be a loss to me to extend backward for that reason.

Would appreciate all your thoughts. Thank you!

amother

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 12:36 am

Which way is more expensive, generally speaking?
I do like the thought of having the third floor for married couples IYH. That’s a good point. How can I know if my foundation would support a third story? I assume the architect has a way to figure that out?

On the other hand an extension on ground floor could be used as extra living space...

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 5:40 am

Generally building up is usually cheaper than building out. I would get a contractor who you can trust to have a look and see which makes more sense with the layout of your house etc. Like I know my current house has a very small landing and to put stairs in for a third floor is almost impossible. Also if you have to raise the roof to fit the floor, it starts adding up a bit more.

amother

Pewter

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:00 am

Check zoning laws.
Personally, I would prefer building out. Stairs are no fun at all. It's cumbersome to go up three flights to get to a bedroom.

The less stairs a house has, the better, IMO.

Who would be using the third floor? If it's guests that come once a month, that's fine. If it's teens that live there, I would prefer to build out.

Rubber Ducky

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:30 am

If you don't have already have a bedroom on the ground floor, better to build out. Better for guests with mobility issues, better for elderly parents, and maybe better for you when you are older.

Also, someone already mentioned that there may be height limits in your area that preclude building up. And your house has to be structurally able to handle the weight of an additional story.

simcha2

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:41 am

Rubber Ducky wrote:

Was going to write this.

As our parents have aged we are so grateful (and so are they! ) for the bedroom and full bathroom on the main floor. (Which is one of the main reasons we bought our particular house).

FranticFrummie

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 8:43 am

essie14 wrote:

1. You need to check the zoning laws.
2. Your contractor has to tell you what is even feasible based on the structure of your current house.
3. Cost is dependent on so many factors, theres no one answer. Your contractor and architect will give you costs.

All of THIS.

The most affordable option might not be the best in the long run, so don't focus entirely on money. Often the middle bid is the best one, so keep that in mind.

Get as many estimates as you can, and make sure that all contractors are properly licensed and up to date with the latest building codes. Pay more for Union workers, and don't go for independents unless you know them personally. Even then, make sure that they are carrying insurance, and ask what that insurance covers.

Find out how long they guarantee their work for. You can build in the summer, but what if the roof leaks like crazy and ruins everything in the winter? If they install faulty wiring and your home burns down, you want to know that there is accountability and recourse.

Where are you going to live if they are installing an upper floor? They'll be tearing the roof off, and you really don't want to be underneath when that happens. If they are building into the yard, you can stay in the house safely, so factor that in as well.

A third floor up is a lot of stairs. Do you have a regular cleaning lady, or do you do the cleaning yourself? That's a lot of shlepping. If you put the master bedroom up there, keep in mind that some day your knees aren't going to be what they used to. A master on the main floor when you build out could be a better investment in the long run. On the other hand, if you are using the new upstairs mainly as guest bedrooms, then that's better.

Lots and lots to think about! It's an exciting project, for sure. Don't get scared by all the details, but for sure make lots of lists of pros and cons, and things that will occur to you along the way.