Adding a second floor to your home is the most cost-effective way to add space
Unlock your properties potential with a second story addition
Adding a second storey to your home will give you all the extra space your growing family needs without having to compromise on your outdoor living areas. In fact, ‘going up’ offers huge design flexibility with the potential to double your home’s floor plan as well as significantly increase its value. It also presents the perfect time to reconfigure the layout of your entire home and attend to repairs or structural maintenance, which can save you big later down the track.
Double your floorplan
Maximise the location and views
Increase the value of your home
Avoid the cost & hassle of moving
How much does a second story addition cost?
Popular floor plans
Parents Retreat
Growing family
Growing family + master ensuite
Dazzling Second Storey Additions in the Northern Beaches
Adding space to your home at the second or even third story can add spectacular views, maximise space on a small lot and let you keep all the bathrooms on a single level. Added square metres to your home also adds incredible resale value. However, a second story can greatly impact the rest of your home. Often, the lower levels will need to be reinforced. At The Perfect Space, we get additions done safely, stylishly and on-schedule.
Consider Adding Two Storeys at Once
Building two storeys rather than one is a great idea for those who are looking to achieve maximum value for money with an extension. Buy adding multiple storeys, the average cost per square metre added is reduced. This is simply because the more expensive elements, such as roof and foundations, will be stretched out over a larger area. Another relatively inexpensive way to add a second storey is with a two-storey garage addition.
It Has a Whole-house Impact
The design and function of a second-story addition will have a significant impact on the rest of your home — it will affect structures, finishes, lighting and mechanical operations as well. The experienced team at The Perfect Space knows how to make the second story look like it was always intended. We'll take the necessary time to make sure the addition does a favour for your home's functionality and beauty.
Structural requirements. A second story with occupied rooms will weigh much more than your old roof system. Our team of engineers will calculate how much weight the main floor walls and foundation will carry and design a new structure to hold that weight up. Second stories require structural support that includes adding plywood and steel connections at main-level walls and down into the foundation to meet government code requirements. This is especially important in areas with seismic risk and with older homes.
Stairs. Adding a new staircase usually requires taking space away from your existing main-floor rooms, which can impact the use of those rooms and the traffic flow. Sometimes it’s an obvious choice, like mirroring stairs going to a basement level. But sometimes a little creative thinking is required. Our design team will thoroughly examine all of the options for stair location, choosing the spot that will yield the best results.
Mechanical. Your hotwater heater and electrical panel all work based on your home's size and the number of fixtures you have. By increasing the size of your home, you may need to increase some of these systems as well.
Chimneys. When you add a story to your home with an existing masonry chimney, you must either eliminate the chimney or build it up (with brick or a metal flue) to above the new roof level. This can be a simple decision that depends on your family's lifestyle.
Electrical panels are usually upgraded during a second-storey renovation, and HVAC systems can be replaced or added on to as well, to keep up with your family's demands. Hot water can be delivered in a number of ways — from tankless heaters with recirculating pumps to tank systems and separate on-demand systems just for a master bathroom. A home renovation is a convenient time to upgrade the efficiency of your property by adding an energy-efficient system too, such as:
- solar-heated hot water
- Solar roof panels
Consider a Cantilevered Extension
Cantilevering is a useful device for creating design features such as balconies, mezzanines or whole storeys that project out from the floor below and appear to float with no visible means of support. While this is not a common design, The Perfect Space may suggest it for snug spaces.