How would you extend an existing home only a few feet
Hey hope all is well. Just brainstorming on ways to add room. My second floor is about 8 foot shorter than my first floor. Which is too short for a room. I’m considering building my basement level and first floor a few feet out to make the room and gain a few feet. My deck extends 14’ out so if I can steal some space from the deck I can gain some extra room. Underneath the deck I don’t have much head room, about 6’4, I can get a more accurate measurement but a drop beam to support both levels would be very low. If I can close in the patio I can lower the level. What would be the easiest way to do this, and preferably the most economical, picture attached.
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Small additions are the most expensive way to add space, per square foot.
This is true, if I can somehow cantilever the second floor at least 2 feet, it wouldn’t be a large room but enough to make a reasonable size room. It wouldn’t require the extra cost of building and digging a new foundation. I could open the first floor wall and install a large header.
I’m no expert by any means but couldn’t you also install a post and beam with a header that is next to the existing basement and first floor? Essentially making a double wall to help support the weight.
First most deck foundations are not built to support a snow load, roof and a finished room so making the deck into living space on the cheap is likely a nonstarter.
Maybe the house is already butt ugly and you have nothing to lose but the rinky-dink stuff I am imagining certainly would make the house ugly.
I think if you do the math, you can likely sell this house and buy something that better fits your needs for less money over all and end up with a better home.
Walta
Probably correct in selling and getting something that better suits my needs. I was going to build a new foundation and use the wood from the deck to drop down on it but sounds like it’s too much trouble to even do this. I could put 200k into this home and it would still be less expensive than buying a 3 bedroom home in my area in the current market. I guess it’s all relative to what you get for selling it but if I could spend 100k and get an extra bedroom it would be worth it to me.
With 8' space there you can cantilever 1/3 so ~4' so that would get you the space you need. You'll need to add structure underneath to support the weight and your footings have to be wide enough to support the extra dead load. This would let you keep the existing deck intact which is usually not up to supporting this kind of weight in most cases anyways.
If the existing structure can't support this extra load or be easily upgraded, you can add new posts with proper footings for support where the deck is and support the overhang.
You'll need to figure out what your existing house structure and foundation is and have an engineer to look at the options. There are many ways of building this so definitely not impossible.
As others have said, small extensions cost the same to build as big extensions, so you are not really saving all that much by building small. Probably the only way to do it for a reasonable cost is to DIY or have good carpenter frame up the new section and you finish the inside.
thegiz,
This is one of several times you have circled around much the same question about expanding your house, always accompanied by sketches that unfortunately don't give enough information for us to give any useful advice.
The house can be extended. How easy it is depends on a number of things like the layout of existing roof, the direction of the framing, and a half dozen other factors. Whether it's a good idea probably depends on a half dozen more. At one point you were going to engage a design professional, whose job is to assess the situation and offer advice on exactly that. I'm curious as to why you have gone back to repeating the question here?
Sorry if I have circled the same question, I thought the approach here was a slightly different idea hence another question. I have had architects and designers come before, most have said my only option is to add a side addition and rip out my garage, that I would not have enough space to build a garage. They also told me since I’m on a slope it would take tremendous amount of digging and redirecting water flow that it would be out of cost range. I value input on here because over the years I have gotten the best and most logical advice. Yes maybe I can find a design expert that can think of a better way but until I find someone I was looking for advice here. I might also put too much sentimental value in this home because it was built by my great great grandfather. I attached the survey, all my utilities are to the left of the home gas line, sewer line, ac condenser, etc. the driveway slopes down and flattens right where the deck is. I also have 0 issues with water in the basement because a drywell was installed on side of home and redirects all the water away. This is done in 90s so not sure how they did it but water is no issue. That’s why I was starting to think a rear addition would be easier because land is flat and digging would be easier. I also avoid messing with my main utilities. The pictures probably are just a bit of everything like you said so many other factors will determine the project. Cost per square foot will be much higher but I’m assuming overall cost may be lower or the whole practicality of adding space here will save me the headache.
Do you have zoning? That lot is pretty small by US standards, here you'd be pretty severely constrained as to what you could build due to setbacks, lot coverage and area ratios. That's the kind of thing a local expert will know without looking.
I’m r5 in attached document, I will need a variance for almost anything. My idea was to build a foundation under the deck and make it an enclosed room in the basement. I’m talking about concrete walls when I say foundation not some makeshift support. Build the first floor 4 feet out and build up from there. I would gain 2 12x19 rooms one in the basement level and 1 on second floor. The extra 4 feet on the first floor would give me the extra room to have a dining room off the kitchen. Going from a 14’ deck to a 10’ deck is not a deal breaker for me. I may never get a variance for this or it might make everything ugly like Walta pointed out. But I remember DC mentioned some rule that you can build a basement out because it doesn’t count towards gross square footage or it by passes some building law. Anyway I made a rough drawing of idea if I didn’t make sense. Thanks for listening and offering honest advice, I may need to just sell. Again I may be holding too much sentimental value here as it’s hard to build anything on this lot.
"But I remember DC mentioned some rule that you can build a basement out because it doesn’t count towards gross square footage or it by passes some building law."
Zoning is hyper-local. What my zoning says has zero bearing on what your zoning says.
OK, for R5 you have:
Front yard 30 feet
Side yards 8 and 9 feet
Back yard 25 feet
Lot coverage 31.5%
Accessory building has to be a minimum of 10' from house.
So the biggest house you could have on that lot would be 45' long and 33' wide. That's under the lot coverage so the lot coverage is moot.
Your existing house is non-conforming, it's too close on the front and right side. It sounds like it was built before zoning so that itself is not a problem. The question is to what extent they let you extend existing non-conforming; zoning is hyper-local so only someone who works in your area can tell you.
I suspect the reason people are telling you the only direction you can build out is to the side is because of zoning. Going back, if you keep the right side line you're extending a non-conforming condition. You also need to keep 10' of clearance to the garage which limits your ability to go backwards.
I have no idea how easy it is to get a zoning variance where you are. I can tell you where I am they don't give them out easily, really they only give them if there's some special condition that prevents you from doing something you'd otherwise be able to do. For instance, on your lot you could by right build a 45x33 house if there was nothing there. But since there's a non-conforming house already there that keeps you from putting that 45x33 where it's supposed to be, they'd let you put it where the existing house is. But they're not going to let you put a bigger house or a differently shaped house.
But your zoning board may be different.
I’m a little confused by “ But since there's a non-conforming house already there that keeps you from putting that 45x33 where it's supposed to be, they'd let you put it where the existing house is. But they're not going to let you put a bigger house or a differently shaped house.” what does this mean? Is it hard for me to add anywhere? I know it’s hyper local but when you are non conforming where do they typically allow you to add? This is the first floor layout, what is the most logical place to put in a bedroom here? My only other idea is the turn space under the rear deck to a bedroom, but basement bedrooms are not ideal. It would be a walkout however if I’m using the term right. The rear of the house and basement level is above ground. Does that make a difference compared if it was half underground?
The way it works here is you come up with a design, you go into the zoning board with a rendering of that design, and you pitch the zoning board for a variance.
This is not a DIY project, you'll typically hire an architect and a civil engineer to come up with the design, and a lawyer to make your case before the zoning board. They're going to want to see full construction documents of exactly what you're proposing. The lawyer will have researched similar cases that the board has handled in the past, and will advise the architect along the way and gently remind the board of their past decisions in his presentation.
Before going before the board you may have to present your plans to your immediate neighbors and various neighborhood boards and make sure there are no objections from them.
Along the way, you're more or less implicitly saying that you have the right to tear the whole thing down and build a hideous McMansion, that's what you're going to do if you don't get this variance. And your architectural renderings show a beautiful, tasteful reworking that is fully consistent with the "character" of the neighborhood which you'd much rather build.
I've sat in on many of these meetings, but I've only been the applicant once. I'll consider myself fortunate if I never have to do it again.
Again, this is all hyper-local. You need to talk to local experts.
It would actually be more like this in terms of structure, my bad
You don't happen to have any framing drawings from the original construction of the house, do you?
Sometimes it makes sense to lop off a bit before adding. It all depends on how the house was framed.
Attaching things to attaching things to attaching things ends up with a mess. Sometimes it's best to tear back a bit and then to do a clean addition.