Extend a one-story wooden house on stilts.

Hello,

I would like to add an additional floor to a 40-year-old wooden house with a flat roof and a base area of 80sqm. The development plan only allows a recessed floor of 40sqm. An extension is not possible.

I want to keep the house as it is and avoid interfering with the building’s structural integrity as much as possible. My idea now is to build a 40sqm floor on stilts above the house. Perhaps a stilt would have to be set through the roof of the old house. The first floor is to be accessed via an external staircase.

Is this idea basically feasible or completely unrealistic?

I would really appreciate an assessment.

Best regards

Charly

I would be very happy to receive an assessment.

The only chance you have is called a structural engineer and an architect. Why the idea of stilts? Wooden houses can basically also be normally extended upwards. Anything unusual just costs extra money (usually a lot extra).

The only chance you have is called a structural engineer and an architect. Why the idea with stilts? Wooden houses can basically also be extended normally. Everything that is not normal just costs extra money (usually a lot extra).

Thank you very much for the answer. I forgot to mention that it is a holiday home. My idea was that I would not touch the old well-functioning house. It is from the 80s. In the roof, not on the roof, there are Eternit panels installed, in the walls there is old glass wool etc. If you start doing something on the old house, you very quickly end up at demolition. I thought it would be easier to start new and build a room on stilts. As a layman you think it can’t be that difficult to calculate a wooden floor slab on stilts structurally after a soil survey. But probably all a crazy idea... Best regards Charly

In the roof, not on the roof, Eternit panels are installed; in the walls there is old glass wool, etc. If you start working on the old house now, you are very quickly facing demolition.

I thought it would be easier to start anew and build a room on stilts. As a layperson, you think it can't be that difficult, after a ground survey, to statically calculate a wooden floor slab on stilts.

No, it's not that simple. And not cheap either. An architect will (unfortunately) bring you back down to earth. Maybe demolition and rebuilding is even cheaper.

Should the holiday home then become a primary residence? That is often not possible.

Should the holiday home then become a primary residence? That is often not possible.

In this case it would be possible, but it should remain a holiday home.