If your house isn’t large enough to meet the needs of your growing family, you might be thinking about building an addition. One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether you should build outward or add another floor.
Pros and Cons of Expanding Your House’s Footprint
Building outward can increase the size of your home without adding another floor. If a member of your family has limited mobility, that can be a good option, since your relative won’t have to deal with stairs.
A house that’s one story can be easier to maintain than one with two or more floors. Jobs such as painting and cleaning the gutters are less of a hassle when you don’t have to climb up and down a tall ladder.
Expanding your home’s footprint means you’ll have to sacrifice some yard space. If you have a large piece of land, that might not be a problem. If you have a smaller lot, however, your kids or your pets might not have enough room to play, or you might not have space for a pool or a patio.
Reducing the size of the yard can impact your home’s resale value. Having a smaller yard might not be a problem for you, but it can make your house unappealing to future buyers, especially those with kids.
Zoning rules require houses to be a minimum distance from the property line. Depending on your home’s current location and the rules in your area, your options might be limited, or expanding outward might not be allowed at all.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Building Upward
Adding another level to your house can allow you to increase the amount of square footage without sacrificing any yard space. You’ll still have the same amount of outdoor area for your family to enjoy, and you won’t have to worry about a small yard hindering a future sale.
If you build an addition without expanding your home’s footprint, you won’t run into problems regarding the distance from the property line. You might, however, have to deal with restrictions on the height of your home.
Building an additional story means workers will have to install stairs. That will force you to give up some square footage and might require you to modify the floorplan.
Stairs can make the house hard to navigate for senior citizens and people with limited mobility. Even if that’s not an issue now, it might be in the future. Think about how long you plan to live in your house and whether stairs might become a problem down the road.
Choose the Design That’s Right for Your Family and Your Budget
There are many ways to increase the size of your home. Your house’s design, the size of your yard, local zoning regulations, your family’s current and future needs, and your budget will all influence your decision. Contact a few local contractors to discuss your options and request estimates, then select the approach that’s best for you.
