If you need more room than you have in your current house, you have four choices. You could buy a larger new house, buy a larger pre-owned house in move-in condition, buy a pre-owned house that has room to expand (perhaps in a more desirable neighborhood), or add on to your existing house.

Assuming you select either of the last two options, now you have another choice to make - build up or build out. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Adding a second story conserves yard space; however, the drawbacks, to name a few, are:

The existing first floor is left open and subject to water damage during construction and the house usually is uninhabitable until done
The foundation may need to be enlarged to hold the extra weight
The finished house room sizes or layout may have been compromised due to the existing house's design

Adding a one story addition (or new 2 story addition) may eliminate a good chunk of yard space, but some of the advantages include:

The design is far less restricted
It is less expensive
The homeowner/family can live in the house during construction
There is no wasted space for the staircase (safer/easier for the elderly)

Other Considerations

A big challenge is to blend the addition seamlessly with the existing structure. Floor levels need to match, doors and moldings need to look the same as in the existing house, and the roof lines need to look like the entire house was built at the same time.

Other things to think about are the orientation to the sun, the local zoning regulations, and the increased load on existing electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, which may need to be upgraded to operate at maximum efficiency.

While everything previously mentioned is important, the most important part of a successful room addition is hiring a contractor who understands homeowner needs from the start and with whom you can freely and comfortably communicate.

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. has been listening to homeowners and making their room addition dreams come true for over 23 years. If you are considering a room addition or a major home remodeling project, please call the office at 561-795-2551 to schedule a FREE design consultation.

This device is like a combination garbage disposal and pump. The sewage enters the lift station from the house side and, once a predetermined level is reached, the unit grinds up the sewage and pumps itself out through a 2" pipe until empty. The pipe can go up hill to the septic system since the discharge is under pressure.

Lift stations can also be used with city sewers if the house is built below the sewer lines. This is common in other parts of the country and world where houses are built below the road on the side of a hill or mountain.