Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum 1 Jan 07, 2010 7:49 pm Apologies if this question already exists elsewhere, but I haven't seen it. I'm going to show my owner-builder virginity and ask what'll probably be an easy question to answer. I've seen a home (not in the flesh yet) with a brick ground-floor level and wooden cladding on its upper level, and judging by the agent's description I suspect the bottom level may not be of legal height for accomm purposes. Before I arrange a viewing I wanted to ask the 'more knowledgables' if I could realistically raise the level of the upper level. I'd like to increase the value of the property by building more rooms underneath. In the same way that you can restump and raise wooden structures, is it very different in this case? As we're not talking about significantly adding weight to the existing bones I would have thought it wouldn't be a problem from a structural perspective. Thanks Re: "Raising" a brick-based home 2Jan 07, 2010 8:18 pm Sounds like a fairly expensive job to lift the top floor and build up the brick courses. Minimum height for a habitable room is 2.4m and non-habitable is 2.1m. Just take a tape measure to the viewing and see how much it is. Could you dig down or have the owners laid a slab? There are ways around the height issue, within reason. Andy Re: "Raising" a brick-based home 3Jan 11, 2010 6:58 pm Thanks Andy Yes, it would be pretty expensive, but the area lacks sufficient 4-bed and 5-bed stock, so I'd hope the enhancement would add a fair amount of value. The property is already slabbed, so that would be a major project avoided. Yes, I've heard of 'ways around the height issue' but unfortunately there's no way around this one because of the height involved - I measured it today and it's only 2 metres. Thanks Darren Re: "Raising" a brick-based home 4Jan 11, 2010 8:00 pm It can certainly be done, but I guess it boils down to how much you would pay for the place and how much it would be worth with the extra rooms. Also can you do the work yourself or would you have to pay a subbie to do the work? Is the ground floor brick veneer? Double brick? Not sure where abouts you are but you could try ringing a restumping company for a ball park figure... It would be kind of fun to do though.... Andy Hi We are building in the Hunter Valley, our soil test is H1, our builder has advised us they need to have a letter signed for Fair Trading as the new drainage standard… 0 3554 thanks. the above one is white Mat tiles and have gripness so going for this Mat tiles for both indoor and outdoor. Beaumont told it can be used in both indoor and… 2 1700 Brass fly wire, you will need to cut it, shape it and jam it into brick slots 1 7488 |