Building Under a House – Under House Extensions

Outside staircase renovation.
When renovating to add space on a property most homeowners in Australia will create an upward or outward extension. Queenslanders on the other hand, have been doing it differently for decades: building a under a house. Continue reading to learn more about under house extensions. If you are planning an extension project in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast any time soon, you might want to consider lifting a house and building underneath as an alternative to conventional home extensions.

When should you consider building under a house?

Under house extensions are most suitable if you have limited lot space where a single-storey extension will shrink the yard significantly, or exceed the council’s restrictions. This will also work well if your home’s structure isn’t fit to accommodate a second storey.

Do note however, that not all types of property are amenable for this alternative home extension. If your home has a concrete slab, made out completely of brick, or constructed from a combination of brick and veneer; this kind of extension is not for you. But if the property has timber frames built on stumps or brick piers, then building your house extension underneath is a great choice.

Shot of Queenslander home with large stairs

Read our helpful article on ‘5 Things To Consider When Planning A Home Extension

What are the advantages?

Under house extensions will preserve the overall appearance and character of your existing house while adding more livable space to your property. You can just retain the exterior and do minimal interior changes. Then, add a living room, bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry to the new extension.

If your home is located in one of Brisbane’s heritage places, whether it be a local, state, national, or international level; an underneath extension will allow you to comply with existing heritage regulations and council restrictions while adding more rooms to the property.

Check out some of Renovare’s completed projects on our website.

The building procedure

Building under a house to extend your home will start by having the contractor lift the house and support it temporarily with steel beams and timber cribs. Then, any brickwork or stumps are removed to give way for the concrete slab and pier holes. Steel columns will be placed on the pier holes and concrete will be poured.

Afterwards, the temporary support will be removed, and the contractor will pour the concrete slab. Walls will be built on the slab and around the property, mimicking the position of the existing house’s outer walls. The last steps will be to create internal walls and build an internal stair on a good location that will connect seamlessly to the upper floor.

Building under a house with Renovare

Extending your house underneath can be a good option if you’re looking to create more space for your family. Just ensure that the new home extension complies with guidelines from your local council. Also building approval and other necessary permits must be secured before proceeding with any construction works.

To make sure that your home extension project will be successful, you should enlist the help of expert builders like Renovare. We can help transform your home by expertly extending your house underneath with building code-compliant and high-quality works. Our Brisbane and Gold Coast builders specialise in home extensions and renovations, helping homeowners build their dream homes.

Call Renovare today at 1 300 049 516 or send us an online enquiry and let’s start building the best home extension for you and your family with our house raising service.



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