ᐅ Adding a Second Story to a House – Beginner Questions

Created on: 11 Apr 2019 19:28
M
Micha-l
Hello dear community,

I hope you don’t mind if I ask some basic questions here – I am a complete beginner when it comes to house extensions or renovations. That’s why I signed up here, hoping to get some answers and tips for our project. Thank you in advance for all your responses!

About my/our concern:

We would like to create additional living space by adding an extra floor to our existing house. Here is a rough idea we have in mind (if such a thing is even feasible): The rarely used balcony would be enclosed and extended upwards. The current asymmetrical roof would then be made symmetrical on both sides and fitted with dormer windows to make the attic space usable. I’ve also attached two pictures to give a rough overview of what we’re thinking.

This is just a rough idea of what’s going on in our beginner’s minds.

My concrete question to the community:
Who should we contact with this “idea” to check if and what is feasible?

I know the information is quite limited. If more details are needed, I will do my best to gather and provide them!

Thanks again to everyone, and have a nice evening.
T
Tassimat
12 Apr 2019 13:15
You could also consider visiting the building authority in person to find out whether your project is generally eligible for approval or if it has no chance from the start.

The technical feasibility should be assessed by your architect or structural engineer.
M
Micha-l
12 Apr 2019 18:20
Thank you, ypg...

I wasn’t aware of that. I thought, from my layman's understanding, that each floor would be considered as such...

I will now check with the local authorities to see what they actually allow.

If I get a positive response, the next step would be to find a suitable architect.
Y
ypg
12 Apr 2019 19:37
Micha-l schrieb:
I thought, from my layman’s understanding, that each floor is also considered as such...

In building regulations, the term "storeys" is not used.
The focus is always on full floors.
Each federal state also has its own regulations on this.
Just try searching for "full floor" regulations in Hesse.