Raise-Up and Double Your Space in Less Time, and a Lot Less Cost than Adding a Second Story

Raise-Up and Double Your Space in Less Time, and a Lot Less Cost than 

Adding a Second Story

Moving houses has been a dying business until now. With the environmental and friendly green awareness, the industry has new life  . . .  Raising Up Homes for Added Space you need. Reuse the existing home and raise up on a new first floor plan constructed of sustainable materials and green products will minimize your carbon footprint and cut down your utility bills.

If your home is more than 20 years old, chances are it does not meet the latest seismic code requirements. We live in an earthquake country so our structural codes require shear walls, hold downs and various other engineering requirements. These necessities will likely mean that a large part of the existing home will need to be demolished for added structural strength required to support a second story.

Most architects, designers and engineers recommend demolishing the existing structure due to the code changes that are required. For example, underpinning the existing foundation, adding shear wall (plywood) to the existing walls and removing the stucco and/or interior drywall, adding hold downs and supports within the existing floor plan, and opening up walls, ceiling and floors for the new required seismic strength to the structure. Quite expensive to do. It would have been better to demolish the existing house and completely build a new residence which will substantially increase property taxes.

An alternative concept is to raise the existing house and build a new first floor under it. Saving a big percent of added cost by not having to redo most of the existing structure than setting it back down on to the all new code required footings, walls and foundation. It is a lot cheaper and much faster construction time, keeping your temporary rent cost down. In one project, the client saved approximately $130,000 with this method and doubled the square footage over the typical conventional way of construction (adding a second story over the existing story).

By Raising Up the house, a savings of approximately 30% of construction cost plus saving the environment with at least 3 times less carbon and trash than building new construction . . . so save the house, save money plus, go Green by respecting the old while alive with the new.

 

For more information, go to www.EstimateConstructionCostFirst.com.