HOW MUCH SPACE DO YOU NEED?

A commonly asked question by our clients is will one bedroom and ensuite bathroom cost less than three bedrooms and two bathrooms? The answer is yes it will. However, the additional cost to add those two extra bedrooms and one bathroom whilst you are building will be less than tackling them at a later date. This is the point where more thought is required at the planning stage.

Adding a second storey is going to be more costly than extending outwards at ground level. Whether you are adding one ensuite or three bedrooms and two bathrooms, there is still the same associated costs. For example:

• Structural
• Roofing
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• A new staircase

Tip: Planning your renovation is essential. This is when rough ideas become detailed plans with scaled drawings to guide your renovation. It can take a few attempts to get the plans absolutely right.

How Much Will it Cost?

When considering extending upwards there are a number of factors that you will need to consider when setting your budget. You will also need to think about what you want to achieve. For example, do you want to change the style/modernise the look of the house or keep to sympathetic renovation?

For example the cost of adding a second storey extension – medium to large second storey addition – plan around $250,000 to $550,000+. The quality and price of construction materials and inclusions will make a difference and if the ground floor needs reinforcing to carry the load of the extension, it can add a substantial amount to the cost.

Have a contingency for those unexpected costs and time delays due to current materials availability. For example you may have to undertake additional electrical work such as updating the mains power board or undertake additional plumbing. Your roof system may also have to be reconfigured.

The cost of adding a second storey extension – going up – will always be higher than going out. This is mainly because the existing house will need to be strengthened and the work is being carried out at height that will require scaffolding and shrink wrap.

ARCHITECT & ENGINEER FOR YOUR SECOND STOREY RENOVATION

Finding an architect and engineer is one of the most important steps in your renovation process.

• Typical questions from the architect are:
  • Design features you want included.
  • The degree of changes you want to undertake? For example, basic, middle or extensive.
  • How much you want to add on to your existing home in terms of floor space.
  • The your budget allocation including a contingency.

Creating a second storey does mean adding extra weight to the existing house structure. You need to ensure that the building is able to handle the pressure as some older style homes are not structurally built to handle the extra weight. Therefore, an engineer’s assessment may be required to establish feasibility.

The first step in the process is to have concept plans developed by an architect along with the engineer’s input.

Concept plans will help you understand what is realistic. For example, creating the second level will require a staircase. As a rule of thumb you will probably need to sacrifice a room on the ground floor to create enough space for the stairwell.