Hanover Second Story Project Spotlight

You love your town, you love the schools, the neighborhood, the street, but not necessarily your actual house. It wasn’t too bad when it was just the two of you, but your family has grown, and is growing up. So, what do you do? Renovate or Sell and move? This is a decision many of our clients’ face. We often work with potential clients on renovation budget ranges and then they need some time to think over renovating and moving. Here’s our Hanover Second Story Project Spotlight to walk you through one homeowner’s journey with our team.

Renovate or Move?

This was the dilemma for a family we worked with in Hanover not too long ago. They loved everything about their location except that they had outgrown their Campenelli style ranch. After looking at what was on the market they could buy, (and still need to renovate), they decided to invest in a second story renovation to get everything they wanted and needed in their current home.

Design Build

Almar’s in-house design-build process handled this project. Working closely with Craig Guido, the homeowners discussed their likes, dislikes, current and future needs, and how they wanted to use their home.

They decided to gut the entire house except for the kitchen, which was less than 10 years old. We designed a second story with a master suite, two additional bedrooms, and a shared bath. On the first floor, we created an office space, family room, and living room while preserving the existing kitchen and most of the bathroom.

Challenges:

The biggest challenge we faced during this renovation was the foundation.

Before starting, we needed to ensure it could support a second story. This type of house is usually built on a slab foundation without a full basement. We dug around the foundation and found it was only 18 inches deep. We needed to dig down an additional 2 feet to support the new level.

After consulting a structural engineer, we decided to under-dig the entire foundation in 6-foot sections. Once the foundation was secure, the rest of the renovation went smoothly.

The only other minor challenge was obtaining a HERS rating. This is a comprehensive energy rating that measures a home’s efficiency. We needed it because we were renovating so much of the house.

The Result

Almar helped the homeowners stay in their beloved town and neighborhood. Together, they created a second level for their existing home. This dream home can accommodate their growing family for the next 20 years.

If you have questions Home Improvement project, please let my team know. Our team has been working with families like yours for over 58 years. And it is important to us that everyone works together to create the best possible experience. If you have questions about your home improvement project, please let us know. http://www.almarbuilding.com (781-826-2577) and watch our videos at http://www.youtube.com/almarbuilding.com