Second floor and rear addition project converted a little bungalow into a contemporary custom home with 4 bedroom and 5 bathroom. New design features 10' ceilings on the main floor, 9' ceilings in the second floor and a large basement full of natural light.
The living space of a one storey brick dwelling was tripled, and a small bungalow was converted into the one of the kind 3 storey contemporary house with finished basement and livable 3rd storey attic. In an established enclave of 1-1/2 storey homes, adding a third floor to a proposed dwelling is difficult enough. The key factor in obtaining the positive verdict of the Committee of Adjustment was the fact that the addition would be constructed on existing footprint, not to mention the fact that using existing foundation helped to save the homeowner over ten thousand dollars.
Bungalow in the highly desirable and demanding neighbourhood boasts a large back and second floor addition. We developed an addition project with an ergonomic and versatile layout. Contemporary property offers enough space for both entertaining and family living.
No matter what your dream home is, it comes with a budget that should balance both your vision, as well as available resources for realizing it. Often, homeowners find themselves hesitating about setting the record straight with a budget. Questions such as “when is the right time to discuss the budget for our dream home?”, or “do we even need to discuss our budget with the design firm?” often arise.
The answer is plain and simple: as a future homeowner, you should discuss, and be open about your budget with us. It’s important to talk to your architect about it very early on, preferably during your first on-site meeting. It’s natural to want to keep financial matters, especially the limits of your budget, private, but a successfully designed project only has value if it can be executed. A design has to be buildable, and therefore has to match the budget you have allocated, as the homeowner.
At Well Built, your project is designed and ideas are developed with your budget, and the features that will fit it, in mind. We can place your project in a well defined budget range, estimating the cost of the project as accurately as possible. Our extensive experience, including our architect’s experience as a construction project manager allows us familiarity with the material costs of a finished project. With the practicality of every design in mind, we always strive to work within the limits of an allocated budget.
The devil is in the details. Even when the budget is well defined, and the conceptual ideas are built around those numbers, individual design solutions can still vary in cost.
Here is a simple example: sometimes we can use either the metal beams or the wooden beams, without weakening the structural stability. But wooden beam costs $1,000, and the metal beam costs $6,500. We treat homeowner’s construction budget as our own, and we understand that the potential savings of $4,500 can be used towards upgraded kitchen appliances, for example.
Another example: A homeowner wants to have an archway between two rooms. The homeowner does not really care whether the archway will be 15’ or 30’, but a 15’ archway could cost $5,000 and a 30’ arch can cost $30,000.
With scenarios like these in mind, we provide an expert solution that balances the design features you wish to enjoy in your new home with the budget you are comfortable spending.
Another way to define and allocate your budget for the construction stage is to choose what type of the construction suits you best: a new custom built home or a home addition. Home additions are a great way to save. Though they might sound odd, home additions can still deliver on everything you are looking for; high ceilings on the first floor or an open concept layout are all still available to you, and achievable with this option.
Our partners at the Wellcore Corporation can provide us with an expert opinion on how much of the existing structure can be utilized in a future project, by finding out how strong the foundation is or if the exterior walls can carry the load of the second floor. Using more of the existing structure yields more savings for you in the construction phase.
At Well Built, we like engaging homeowners in straightforward financial discussions as early as possible. Our goal is to openly talk to you about preliminary construction costs, find room for savings, figure out what can cause upcharges, and work around your budget. At the end of the day, it boils down to your must-haves in your new home and lifestyle. A practical, buildable, and customized project is developed through our open dialogue.
(416) 882-4606
Address: 41 William St, Toronto, ON M9N 2G6 Phone: (416) 882-4606 Email: [email protected]
