Do you feel like you’re running out of room in your home? Do you find it hard to keep the kids entertained in their own space, or don’t know where to put guests when they visit? Then adding extra space or rooms might be the perfect solution. If you’re a homeowner considering adding an addition onto your home, ask yourself if building up or building out is better for you. What’s the difference you ask? Keep reading to find out…
Building Out
Building out is when you increase the footprint of the ground-floor level of the building. When you build out in your home you’re not adding another story like you would if you were to build up. You’re mainly increasing space horizontally.
Since both projects are huge decisions to make, we’ll help you figure out where to start with the benefits and limitations of each:
Benefits:
- Least disruptive-
Building out offers less disruption to your home life since you’ll be able to live in it while it’s under construction.
- Cost flexibility-
Increasing ground level space can be less costly but depending on where you go with the build out, prices can potentially become a match with the cost of building up.
Limitations:
- Loss of yard space-
Building out means that you’ll be taking away some yard space and this could cause complications. Depending on your town, you may face certain limitations or have to deal with strict permitting issues to build your ground level addition.
Building Up
Building up is another great way to add space and personality to your home. Building up not only allows you to expand upwards but you can also add to an already existing second floor. You can build up by adding living space over a garage, porch, sunroom or one-story wing. If you decide to build up, you won’t have any loss of yard space but you will have to deal with county or city limitations. Many cities put a limit on how much height you can add to your house. Make sure to check the building codes in your state before you start.
Benefits:
- Adding a second story can capture more views.
- Square footage will be maximized.
- You can locate all bedrooms on a single level if you choose.
Limitations:
- Increased inconvenience and cost-
More than likely you’ll probably have to vacate your house for up to six months while it’s under construction. It’s important to factor in the cost of finding a place to stay in the meantime and the cost of expenses, such as food.
- Weather-
Depending on where you live, the weather can play a huge factor as to whether or not building up is a good idea. For example, two story houses in Florida are more at risk for damage from hurricanes, tropical storms and other weather related scenarios.
If you’re having a hard time making the decision as to build up or build out, meet with a contractor to get some ideas flowing. Your contractor can help you design and build an addition that suits your needs. The experts at Gulfstream homes can’t wait to get started on your project. Call 239-254-1664 or visit gulfstreamhomes.com to begin today.
