Building a second storey addition involves removing the existing roof on your property and creating another level. When building a second storey addition, we need to look at how to enhance the views from your extension as well as letting in natural light. You would also need to consider changes downstairs to ensure you can get access to your second storey addition. This means losing an existing room to install a new stairwell, although this doesn’t mean losing functionality. A new stairwell can provide under-stairs storage such as a laundry room or a cloakroom. As your second storey addition will change the fundamental structure of your property, you must obtain council approval before going ahead. This means working with your local council to achieve development approval and looking at any specific planning policies that are important to them. We must also note here that services such as plumbing, gas, and power also requires approval and inspection by the relevant authority before construction can proceed. 

A common concern with building second storey additions is invading your neighbour’s privacy. This interference is known as overlooking and overshadowing. Overlooking is a complex issue that needs to be carefully considered when planning your second storey extension. Window placement is the most important aspect to avoid this. Building a second-storey addition means adding weight to your property, so you need a solid foundation to support the additional load. An engineer’s assessment would need to be carried out before construction to inspect the footings of the property. The assessment would mainly look at the structural integrity of the foundations and roofing to determine whether a second-storey addition would be suitable. This assessment would need to be carried out before getting council approval for construction.