Things to Consider Before Adding a Second Story Addition Above Your Garage

If you’re interested in adding more living space to your home, a second story addition above your garage may be the perfect solution. Most two-car garages cover between 400 and 500 square feet, which is plenty of space to create the master bedroom of your dreams or build a guest suite that will keep your visitors comfortable. However, there are a few challenges you may want to keep in mind before starting your project:

Floor Alignment

The new floor above your garage will need to align with the existing second floor of the rest of your house. This may involve shortening or increasing the height of your garage walls or making changes to door or window headers.

Aesthetics

Once your addition is complete, you want your new space to blend in seamlessly with the existing exterior of your home. Ideally, the aesthetics of your addition will match so well that no one will be able to tell it ever wasn’t part of your home.

Heating and Cooling

Not only do you want your new space to be comfortable, but you also want to ensure the pipes that are above the unfinished space of your garage aren’t susceptible to freezing. Depending on the location of your HVAC system, you may need an additional system design for your new space.

Transitions

Think carefully about how you’ll connect the interior of your existing home to your new addition. It may be as simple as transitioning a closet into an entranceway or as complicated as sacrificing an existing bedroom or bathroom to create access.

Even though there are a few challenges to consider when planning out your new addition, having the extra living space in your home will be well worth the effort. And if you’re looking for more tips on how to approach this major renovation, check out this post.