When you think about renovating your home, you might not immediately consider extending a previous building project. However, this option is a flexible and creative one that can help to provide you with the extra space that you desire and bring your design vision to life. In addition, when you convert a single-storey extension to a double storey, it can add significant value to your property and increase interest from future buyers.
Before you begin planning this addition, it's crucial that you ascertain whether your single-storey extension is fit for converting into a two-storey one. There are a few key steps that can help you acquire the necessary information quickly and easily.
Invest In The Expertise Of A Structural Engineer
The main factor that determines whether your single-storey extension can be adapted or not is whether the foundations can fully support the extra load. In order to ascertain this, it's important to get a structural engineer around to your home to assess the depth of foundations for two-storey extensions. It's important not to skip this step as an architectural specialist or builder will not be able to design or build safely and accurately without this information.
Understand The Details Of Your Foundations
After a thorough examination that involves digging into the ground to see the foundations up close, the engineer will be able to make personalised recommendations for your home based on the condition and type of your specific foundations. Foundations can vary widely based on the nature of the home and the type of soil that is found in your area, so it's important to get an accurate assessment from a professional.
Hire A Specialist To Make A Plan
If the structural engineer gives your foundations the green light then it's purely a matter of hiring an architectural designer to provide you with some design concepts that can help you to add space and value to your home by converting your single-storey extension into a double.
If the engineer does not approve your foundations for a two-storey extension, however, you can still pursue the building project with the added step of replacing your foundations first in order to support the new load. An experienced architectural firm will be more than capable of drawing up a plan based on this two-step process, so there's no need to put your dreams of updating your home on hold.
At BDS Architecture, we specialise in helping our clients transform their homes. For more information about converting your single-storey extension to a double, contact a member of our team today.
