Cottages provide a cozy, charming, and inviting place to live—both year round and as vacation getaways. And you can find cottages in all types of settings: at the beach, on the lake, in the mountains, and in the woods. But no matter where your cottage sits, when you’re considering a lift, you want to make sure every detail is taken care of. Below we’ve compiled seven tips for lifting a cottage-style home, so you can prepare for a safe, successful lift!
Inspect the Foundation
As cottages are ideal for vacation getaways, you’ll find many cottage-style homes on the lake front or at the beach. Many times, erosion or even waterlogged soil will cause a cottage’s foundation to shift. If you own a beachfront or lakefront cottage, we recommend inspecting the foundation during your lift. There is no better time to get an up-close view of your cottage’s foundation. And if you own an older cottage or one near a body of water, then checking on your foundation’s integrity is crucial. A solid foundation means you can enjoy your cottage for decades to come!
Take Care of Pest Problems
Cottages are often located in rural areas. And because of this, cottage owners might find that they have pest issues. While you’re having your cottage lifted, it’s a good idea to hire a pest control company to do an inspection. They can determine if your cottage is susceptible to bugs, rodents, or even larger animals looking to make your home their home! When your cottage is in the air, an inspector can get a good idea of the state of your cottage and advise on a plan of action or proactive steps to keep pests away.
Plan for an Accessible Lift
Cottages often double as summer—or winter—homes, perched neatly on the mountainside. If this is the case for you, you might realize that your contractor could have a difficult time reaching your cottage depending on its location or even the weather.
Large lifting equipment will have a difficult time accessing a mountainside cottage during a particularly rainy season, especially if the hills are steep and the roads aren’t solid or regularly maintained. Heavy snowfall can also affect your lifting plans, downing trees or blocking the way to your cottage. When looking at the calendar, keep in mind weather patterns and how they might affect your cottage’s lift. You don’t want to have a solid plan in place only to realize that severe weather will prevent your project from taking place!
Clear Trees Blocking Your Cottage
Many cottage owners situate their homes deep in the woods, away from the hustle and bustle of their daily obligations. If this is the case for your cottage, you should work with your contractor to determine if any trees will interfere with lifting your home.
Often times, your lifting contractor will be able to work around trees to lift your cottage. But in some instances, there are too many trees near your home, and your lifting contractor can’t access the cottage in order to lift it. Discuss your trees and their proximity to your cottage with your contractor to ensure they won’t pose a problem on lifting day.
Lift to Add Space
Are you lifting your cottage because you want to protect it from flooding? Or maybe you need to make a foundation repair. Consider installing a basement or crawlspace if the terrain allows. Cottages are cozy, and while a smaller space is a defining feature of a cottage, sometimes it’s nice to have the square footage to include more storage or even expanded living space.
If you own a mountain cottage, a basement serves as an excellent addition. And if you’re already going through the process of lifting your home, why not add a basement or crawlspace to give you that extra space?
Plan for Hidden Costs
Cottages exude a certain charm that you simply won’t find in newer, larger homes. But when you’ve got an old, charming cottage, you might find that you’ve got problems that only an older home will have. As you’re planning out the cost of your lift, factor in for hidden expenses that you might uncover as the project goes underway.
When your home is in the air, your contractor might note that you’ve got rotten boards or that you’ve got old pipes that need to be replaced. This is not uncommon when work is done on older cottage-style homes. Plan for hidden costs when you’re working out your cottage’s lift budget so that should a problem arise, you’ll have already prepared.
Hire a Prove Lifting Contractor
Our last tip for lifting a cottage-style home is to hire someone who will do the job correctly and with integrity. Lifting your cottage, no matter how small it might be, is a huge undertaking that should never be done on your own. Hiring a proven, professional contractor with experience lifting cottages will make all the difference in your lift. When you work with contractors who have lifted a cottage-style home—and who have integrity and professionalism—you can rest assured that your lift will go smoothly and safely!