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Turning a rancher into a two story?

8K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  AtlanticWBConst. 
#1 ·
Right now I'm in the "looking" stage, but hopefully soon I'll progress to buying. One thing I've noticed is that in some areas near me there tend to be ranchers that sell relatively cheaply due to two factors: Their small size and the fact that they need updating in key areas (kitchen/bath) since some look like a set straight out of Three's Company.

I'm wondering if it's possible (and worthwhile) to turn a little two bedroom one and half bath ranch into a three or four bedroom two or two and a half bath two story house? To me it seems like for someone who is willing to do as much of the work themselves as possible as well as keep the property for 8-10 years, it would be worth the investment. However, I'm not an engineer or even a carpenter-just a guy who worked construction during summers off from college and saw it done once or twice.

I guess the question is, will most one story 2x4 framing be able to accomodate a second story without major major restructuring/reinforcing of the existing walls? Would I have to hire an engineer to make that determination? How much does something like that cost, etc...? Just a thought.
 
#2 ·
I'm wondering if it's possible (and worthwhile) to turn a little two bedroom one and half bath ranch into a three or four bedroom two or two and a half bath two story house?
Yes, it is possible, there are several on my street alone that were done over the years.
Tho, 'When' you will get your 'return' on the investment, may not be for a while dependant on the housing values in your immediate area....

I guess the question is, will most one story 2x4 framing be able to accomodate a second story without major major restructuring/reinforcing of the existing walls? Would I have to hire an engineer to make that determination? How much does something like that cost, etc...? Just a thought.
The answer is yes in regards to 2x4's. They hold up fine as long as your house was built properly. The reason 2x6's are used today for walls is mainly for the use of thicker insullation = greater energy efficiency.
A knowledgable framing contractor or experienced GC can help you with inspecting your home to check out the existing structure and it's current framing. No need to hire an engineer for this ...
 
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