Cape Cod owners - renovation question?

[hpygrll]

We have a Cape Cod built in 1951. We've been trying to sell it for almost a year mainly becuase it's so small for our family of four. Since the market is sooooo bad and we don't really need to sell, we're beginning to contemplate making the upstairs a full upstairs - bring it out over the whole house and put all the bedrooms up there (now it's a play area with bedrooms downstairs)

Has anyone done such a project? Anyone care to share ball park figures?

Thanks all
Jenny

 

[Loverly]

Its probably cheaper to go out-or close in a garage etc , then go up-esp if your ceiling joists cant support additional weight
Frankly-my kids bedrooms were upstairs (they ended up hating it) and I'd never get or recommend a two story home

 

[PatsGirl]

Do you mean a "full dormer"? I had a house built in the early 80s and just recently had a full dormer put on to add the second floor. The original house had cathedral ceilings on one half and stairs leading to a balcony and loft on the other half. I used the loft as my bedroom for many, many years until my remodel.

I LOVE my upstairs now! I was able to put a master bedroom (14X24) over the living area which was cathedral originally, add a master bath and laundry room and the loft area was extended about 10' to turn the "bedroom" into my den/computer/office space.

Most people here on the Cape live in Capes Most have at least two bedrooms and sometimes three, with a full bath, on their second floor. I can't tell you cost-wise whether it's cheaper to go up or out but around here, everyone has their bedrooms upstairs so it's the norm.

I still have a small bedroom on the first floor (so I'm still only two bedrooms, lol) which I'll use when/if I'm still here and unable to go up and down the stairs alot. Hopefully, I'll sell this house and buy the small one-bedroom cottage on St. John that I really, really, really want.

 

[C.Ann]

If my son-in-law was home I could give you a pretty accurate figure, but he's out right now..

I will say this however.. If you really like your house, like your neighborhood, like your yard, are happy with the schools, feel your taxes are reasonable, and the only thing you "don't" like is the size, I would definitely stay and go with the full upstairs..

Often times when people consider moving they overlook SO many of the "hidden" costs and before you know it, they're in waaaay over their heads..

Good luck with your decision!

 

[LBAK]

We had a 1/2 dormer done 5 years ago. 4 bedrooms and a bath finished and it was $80,000. It took about 6 weeks after we got the permits.

 

[DisneyKT]

Do you mean a "full dormer"? I had a house built in the early 80s and just recently had a full dormer put on to add the second floor. The original house had cathedral ceilings on one half and stairs leading to a balcony and loft on the other half. I used the loft as my bedroom for many, many years until my remodel.

I LOVE my upstairs now! I was able to put a master bedroom (14X24) over the living area which was cathedral originally, add a master bath and laundry room and the loft area was extended about 10' to turn the "bedroom" into my den/computer/office space.

Most people here on the Cape live in Capes Most have at least two bedrooms and sometimes three, with a full bath, on their second floor. I can't tell you cost-wise whether it's cheaper to go up or out but around here, everyone has their bedrooms upstairs so it's the norm.

I still have a small bedroom on the first floor (so I'm still only two bedrooms, lol) which I'll use when/if I'm still here and unable to go up and down the stairs alot. Hopefully, I'll sell this house and buy the small one-bedroom cottage on St. John that I really, really, really want.

We have a full dormer on the back, maybe he means a full dormer on the front? We redid the whole inside of our house a couple years ago and the contractor said it's more money to go up and out. Cheaper to put on a small
addition. Oh for what it's worth our bedrooms are upstairs.