Estate agent fees, Capital Gains tax, transfer duties, moving expenses, and so on, make selling your home to buy a new one quite a pricey endeavour. As such, increasingly more homeowners are opting to renovate their homes, instead of selling them to buy another. The concept sounds simple enough, but homeowners should be aware of the many considerations that need to be taken into account before undertaking structural renovations.
Function
Many people who choose to renovate their homes from a structural perspective, are often looking to increase the size of their living space. There are three basic options available to homeowners who wish to achieve this, namely to extend the home (on the same level), create more space within the internal structure or to build up with another storey.
For those who wish to build on another storey, be aware that it will be necessary to check with the local council and with the title deeds of the property to ascertain whether there are any building restrictions in place that might, for example, limit the height of the building, or perhaps there are aesthetic guidelines that need to be adhered to. In some instances the existing foundations will have to be checked by a structural engineer to see whether the house will be able to sustain the additional weight of the second floor storey. It may also be necessary to re-work some of the existing ground floor structure such as beams and support columns in order to support the second floor additions.
Extending the home through additional living space on the same level is another option, but before this can even be considered, an architect, draughtsperson or builder will need to be consulted. These professionals may need to look at the site conditions and size of the erf to assess whether your proposed ideas are feasible. Proposed changes to a house have to fall within the council by-laws. Should you, for example, build over a building line without the proper consent, it will cause you frustrations in the long term. For this reason the best route to follow is the by-the-book approach.
An alternative method of extending living space is to knock down internal structures and create open-plan living areas. In this vein, it is important to consider the function of the room or area and its accessibility to other related areas, as well as knowing which walls are retainer walls and which walls can be knocked down without compromising the structural strength of your home.
Budget
Rising building costs have widely been reported in South Africa and therefore homeowners need to be careful that they do not under-budget for a project. Ideally, your budget should be broken down into two sections – necessary changes and changes that would be nice to have done. A certain amount should also be kept aside for unexpected crisis costs. Once you have established a sensible budget, take this to an architect, draughtsperson and reputable builder to see how much your proposed idea will cost. Shop around for the best price, but remember that cheaper is not necessarily better, especially when it involves structural changes to a home. It is also a possibility to plan the alterations in phases - this can be discussed with all parties involved.
Planning ahead
Homeowners should not rush into making structural changes to a home because it is imperative that it is planned out properly. Consider the time frame and liveability of the project, as well as all the costs involved including approval authorisations, architects or draughtspersons, contractors and builders, material costs and so on.
Be careful to consider the impact that the changes will have on the aesthetics of the home. For example, adding on a room that is out of character with the rest of the property means that the home will look unfinished or disconnected. Before tackling any renovation project, homeowners should see the long term use or bigger picture. In other words, renovations need to be suitable for your lifestyle, but should also be done in such away as not to depreciate the value of the house or make it unsuitable for future prospective buyers.
Hiring a professional
There may be many homeowners who do not see the necessity of employing a professional in the field to draw up plans for their renovations, but from a structural perspective this is critical. It must be noted that your professional of choice must be registered with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). Professionals who are not registered with this body will not be able to submit the plan for approval to the local council.
So what’s the difference between an architect and a draughtsperson? An architect will usually do the initial design of the necessary changes, arrange for a builder and run with the project until handover, whereas a draughtsperson will usually do the initial design, but then the owner may then have to find his own builder and almost act as the project manager along side the builder. This has its own benefits and drawbacks – basically it is all about pricing and the amount of time that the owner would have to be involved in order to have a hands-on approach to the project.
Adding value to the home
Here are some tips and ideas of how to add character to a home through structural changes:
• placing new windows in existing openings and enlarging others,
• adding interest with shutters, awnings, and arches,
• opening interior ceilings to create vaulting heights,
• building a new addition to the front or side of your existing home, or
• changing the entire profile of the home with a raised roof or gabled dormers. – Antonella Desi
Readers' Comments Have a comment about this article? Email us now.
Perhaps you should have done a little more homework through Sacap with regards the options for who does your drawings. It’s not as clear as an Architect and a draughtsman. There are two levels of professionals in between that which you left out of your article – bit insulting to the rest of them classing them as draughtsmen... - L
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