| Author | Message | ||
     Xl1200r |
I have a single story, 1,100 sq. ft. ranch with a one car garage. We're thinking about pushing the garage out to two cars and building an addition that will make our smallest bedroom into a master with a bathroom. I really have no idea on the size, figure a decent-sized room but not huge - no more than 200 sq ft added to the house. Anyone have any idea, just ballpark, how much this stuff would cost? A lot of the work can be done ourselves, but we'd need someone to build the foundation and frame it. I can't find anything online that's realistic (as in, most seem way too low). | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
New construction can run 85 to 150 (and up) bucks a square foot depending on the materials used. But thats finished.... just hand ya the keys and go. The garage part should be less... | ||
| Fireboltwillie |
kitchens and baths are the most expensive parts of the house. your first step is to make sure you have room on your lot for the addition. then a sketch of the new design. then talk to a builder. asking a builder to come up with pricing from a conversation will lead to a huge price range difference. do you know anyone who can sketch a floor plan (even just the existing house)? that is your starting point. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I can sketch a floor plan of both the existing house and what we'd want added, but I won't be able to do a final drawing for permits and everything, depending on what all is needed for that. I know this will be an expensive project anyway I look at it, as doing these things will require changes to roof, and having to reside the whole house (which isn't a bad thing - 50-year-old aluminum siding is looking a bit tired...) The only hitch is I just called my town to find out how close I can build to the property line (needed for the garage) and was told 30 feet... I don't have 30 feet now on that side, and I have less than 10 on the other, so I don't know where that number is coming from. If I can't extend the garage, I won't bother with the bedroom as I'd rather just move into another house that has more of what I want. I bought this place as a starter home - something I could afford while the market was prime for a first-time buyer, but my girlfriend and I were talking about options down the road, which included just staying here, but the garage and bedroom would need to be added to make that worth it for us. | ||
| Mndwgz |
If you're not allowed by by-laws to go horizontally, go up. Raise the roof on the garage, get a hoist that will give you parking under, (if that works for you) and build over some of the existing living space for the master bed/bath. | ||
| Oldog |
Now's the time find more of what you want here on the coast we are starting to see the rebound, with luck I will have MY own home soon.. good luck on the project. | ||
| Kyrocket |
30'? Is that front yard setback or side yard set back? That sounds like a lot for a side yard setback. I know every town, city, township and village is different but talk to the local building inspector and maybe even see if you can get a copy of their regulations. There may be an option to request a variance, ours is you request a variance, meet with the variance board and they discuss it, take into consideration any public concerns and then vote on it. Sometimes is passes as requested sometimes they modify it to suit everyone involved but I'd still be sure they understood what you were asking. I'm the secretary for our local Bd. of Adjustment is the reason for my nickel knowledge. Also for us a drawing, drawn to scale, is fine. It doesn't have to be by some high priced architect. Again, every place is different. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Going up doesn't help the garage - looking for space to park a second car indoors to be used daily. Luckily the existing garage is deep enough to accomadte a car as all the bike plus the 'extras' that end up in a garage. Going up might be a better idea for the bedroom... not sure what I'd have to do to figure out if the foundation would support it. | ||
| Fireboltwillie |
you should have a survey or ILC of the property. something official showing the property lines and the outline of the house. take it down to the building department to verify what they told you. is this a corner lot? on a corner, typically they make you have 2 front yards. that would explain the 30' number. if not, what about a tandem garage (one car parked in front of the other)? | ||
| Kyrocket |
We wanted to go up on our home. We watched a project close to my parents in progress and were pleased with the way it looked and theirs was similar to ours, a one story brick ranch. But we were told by our contractor that the foundation would not support it. | ||
| Fireboltwillie |
kyrocket, there is always a way to do it, even if it means thinking outside the box. while i have found that most contractors are knowledgeable and trustworthy, they don't have all of the answers. just getting an opinion from an engineer would have given you options. | ||
| Kyrocket |
That's true but the feasibility just wasn't there. The house was 35+ years old then and we would have had to sink a lot more money into it than we could ever have recovered. We are quickly out growing it and have plans to build new close by. We have plans and a lot picked out now just need to figure out how to pay for it. I need some stimulus. | ||
| Xl1200r |
That's kind of my boat as well - this place is 50 years old, and I already know the foundation probably needs some work - there's a wall bowed in down in the basement - hidden by drywall so it's hard to tell how much. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
I don't know what your situation is right now with your current home, but it could make more sense to sell and buy what you're looking for. A guy I worked with years ago was gonna do a big addition. After all the numbers were crunched, he sold the place and bought what he was pretty much looking to build. YRMV. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I have no doubt I could buy what I'm looking for as well - but my girlfriend just really likes this house and thinks it's something we should consider. I'll consider it, but I don't think it would go all that much further. Ideally, I'd like even more than a two car garage or at least enough property to built an out building, neither of which are possible here. just playing with some idea - fun to dream.... | ||
| Cityxslicker |
after months of searching I finally found a house plan that I could live with, its a 3 car garage, with a 1 bedroom studio above it, almost 1000 sq ft. It is a stock plan in a new development, and they are anxious to sell them because they are required to have a mix of smaller houses in the neighborhood, but nobody is biting on it... I just have to sell the behemouth I am in now. Damnit. http://www.eastparkbremerton.com/pdf/Spinnaker%20K GD.pdf builders are desperate, dont forget to check new construction  | ||
| Xl1200r |
3-car garage with a studio above it as a stock plan? Sweet! | ||
| Kyrocket |
When you have some time to daydream go to Archway press house plans. They have hundreds of house and garage plans. You can pick by number of floors, number of bedrooms, traditional, farmhouse, victorian and on and on. Really fun to see what's out there and available. They have some really cool garages too. | ||
| Gsilvernale |
You are looking at somewhere around $30,000. Which may make your house the most expensive in the neighborhood - bad from a resale perspective. | ||
| Xl1200r |
It wouldn't be the most expensive, but there'd only be one place worth more. We live on a pretty short street with all older homes, so prices are reasonable. I think we'll stick to more conventional upgrades on this place, make a little sweat equity and buy what we really want a few years down the road. |
