There are many reasons you might consider a home renovation. For one thing, your house might be getting older, and some things might be in need of a touchup. You might also simply be getting tired of its current look and want a revamp.   Planning for a second storey can be broken down into two categories: building a completely new second storey, or renovating an existing one. As you might expect, the first one often costs more in terms of both time and money. Whatever your needs, you’ll want to find a good Melbourne carpenter. Almost always, outside help is necessary. Trying to perform the renovations on your own carries plenty of risks that can end up costing you more money in the future.    If you’re planning to either add a second storey or perform a revamp on one that’s already there, keep reading. In this article, we’ll go through a few handy tips on second storey renovations, so stick with us as we unearth how you can make sure your second storey home renovation goes off without a hitch.   

Be Aware of Height Restrictions

When building a second storey extension, you’ll need to be aware of building height restrictions. These can apply either to the residential area in which you live or in the region as a whole. If you live in Victoria, you’ll want to brush up on some of the state’s building guidelines and laws. Height restriction rules can serve several purposes. Often, residential areas or cities place a cap on how tall a house or building can be to maintain a certain aesthetic.    A different sort of height law for rooms exists that lays out some guidelines for the interior of your house. A room defined as ‘habitable,’ for example, needs to be at least 2.4 metres tall. A good contractor should be aware of all the relevant building rules where you live. 

Consider the Home’s Existing Design Scheme

It’s crucial that you maintain your home’s overall synergy, particularly if you want to build a second storey from scratch. When adding another floor to your house, take care to design your roof in such a way that your home doesn’t end up looking like a poorly-designed lego house.    This point also stands if you’re simply performing some touch ups to your second storey’s interior. While your house doesn’t have to be uniform throughout (that would be pretty boring!), you do need to maintain some sort of thematic consistency. An art deco ground floor and a contemporary modern second storey wouldn’t work very well together, for example. Again, you might want to get some outside help for this.    While you need to keep a few things in mind when adding any sort of home extension, when done right, a second storey can transform your house and take its aesthetic to the next level. 

Use High-Quality Materials and Furniture

Whether you want to perform a second storey extension or simply a renovation, you’ll want to invest in high-quality materials. While this may be more expensive right now, cheaping out on your home may end up costing you more in the future, as you’ll likely need to spend on repairs and replacements.    When building or revamping a second storey, it’s especially important to select good-quality materials for your floor. You’ll want something that’s robust enough to survive years of usage, as well as something that looks good and fits your overall aesthetic. You have loads of options: wood, stone, marble, tile, etc., and there are many different categories within each of these.    If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of places on the internet where you can find quality building materials and furniture. You can also drop by physical stores if that’s what you prefer. 

Enlist a Carpenter to Handle Specialist Works

As we’ve alluded to multiple times throughout this article, performing major renovations to your home is not something you should attempt on your own. Trying to do too much yourself often leads to problems that you’ll need to get a carpenter in to fix anyway. And at that point, you may be looking at higher servicing fees to cover more extensive work (i.e. correcting any damage done on top of actually completing the job that’s required).    With that, it’s recommended that you find a local carpenter who specialises in the sort of work you need. Factors to consider when choosing one include rates, number of referrals and past work. And be sure to vet them extensively to put your mind at ease as well. Before settling on a contractor, it’s important to have a conversation with them first to get a read on how well they understand your vision.    ~   Just like a thoughtful bathroom or kitchen renovation, adding or renovating a second storey can add an immense amount of extra value to your home, so it’s crucial you do it right. Besides being compliant with rules and regulations, you’ll also want your second storey to match the rest of your house and to be built to a high standard.    We’ve just gone through a few best practices for building your dream second storey. Of course, there’s lots of flexibility within these guidelines, and you’re going to have to tailor your approach to your wants and needs. If you’re not a hundred percent sure what to do, the best course of action is to get a carpenter to help you.