Victorian homes storing ‘down’
Mar 19, 2014
While it has long been popular to build ‘up’ or ‘sideways’ in an effort to garner more storage space in the home, adding extensions at the basement level not only adds more value to the property, but also preserves those all-important street-view aesthetics.
According to an article posted on the Herald Sun website, many Melbourne residents ‘dig deep’ to add a second or third level to their home, when ‘building down’ can be done at a fraction of the cost.
But while building extensions to add extra rooms to the home – whether they are to be used as living spaces, storage areas or car-ports – can no doubt add value (not to mention convenience) to your home, any type of renovation can turn in to a costly undertaking.
Further, not all homes are suitable for subterranean types of extensions, the website warned.
According to Australian Institute of Architects Victorian chapter president, Jon Clements, sloping blocks are best-suited to this kind of development, as some flat sights need a light-well installed to provide the required ventilation and natural light.
“One of the biggest problems is water ingress. You have got to have a builder with the experience to know how to do it. If it’s properly done, there’s no issue. But if it’s not, you have to start again,” Clements told the Herald Sun.
Other things to consider when adding a basement level to your home include: council restrictions; the type of soil involved; and protection – not only for your own foundations, but also that of your neighbours, the article said.
On the flipside, thousands of home-owners around Australia are discovering that you don’t have to build at all in order to benefit from increased storage space. With mobile self storage, you can choose to save your hard-earned cash on an area of your house that really needs work – like a new kitchen or bathroom – and still have the peace-of-mind that comes with storing your belongings in a secure, lock-up facility.
Containaway offers a range of mobile self storage shells that come to you. You can choose to load your self storage shell personally, or we can do it for you; you then lock it personally and we take it back to our secure facility until you decide you need it.
Plus, we offer flexible contracts, allowing you to store your goods with us for as long as you need.
So whether you’re renting, building extensions, or still deciding, Containaway can help get your surplus belongings out of your hair so you can focus on more important matters – like renovating your perfect kitchen.