Ranch houses make truly lovely homes. Their open floor plans provide for a roomy, large feel, and navigating through these homes is easy. Large windows let in natural light, and their patios and porches are the perfect place for relaxing or entertaining.
You might find yourself considering raising your ranch-style home. Lifting your ranch house can provide more living space without the burden of moving, allows you to add a basement, and makes those significant foundation repairs possible. Below we give you seven tips for lifting a ranch house so you can make the most out of raising your home.
Clear Your Porch
Ranch houses boast charming porches, many of which wrap around the entire house. If your home has a porch, you’ll want to clear everything off before the day of your house lift.
When a lifting contractor raises your home, you don’t have to remove your belongings from inside your house. The lift is so gradual that your furniture and other possessions typically don’t shift. However, you will want to clear your porch of furniture, décor, and plants. This gives your lifting crew the space to work around your home to ensure the best possible lift for your ranch home.
Remove Trees and Landscaping
In order to raise your ranch-style home, the lifting contractor will need to have access to all sides of your house. If you’ve got landscaping, trees, or anything else in the way, you’ll need to remove them if you want to salvage them.
In some cases, your contractor might be able to work around trees. When it comes to flower beds surrounding your home, you’ll want to do your best to either transplant your flowers and shrubbery or simply remove the larger plants before the day of your lift.
Lift to Add Living Space
Ranch houses offer open floor plans and accessible living spaces and are typically just one level. But if you want to add living space, lifting your home is a fantastic option.
Lifting your ranch-style house allows you to add a lower level to your home. This gives you the option to increase your square footage without giving up your current home or going through the hassle of moving. If you love where you live and you love your home, a lift is a perfect way to stay right where you’re at while enjoying more living space.
Lift to Add a Raised Basement
Many homeowners have converted their single-story ranch-style homes into what the housing industry refers to as a raised ranch. In a raised ranch, you walk into the front door and climb stairs to reach the living space. Go down a set of stairs, and you’ll enter the basement.
Basements in a raised ranch are partly below ground level and usually have an attached garage. Transforming your single-level ranch into a raised-ranch can give you a basement, garage access, or even an extra bedroom for hosting guests. Lifting to add a raised basement allows for more space without adding an entire lower level to your home.
Inspect Your Foundation
Many homeowners choose to raise their ranch home to add more living space or even a basement for storage. While you’re planning your lift, consult with an inspector who specializes in home foundations.
Ranch-style homes boomed in popularity from 1940 to 1970. Therefore, many ranch homes today are more than a half a century old and might house hidden structural issues. Have an inspector take a look at your foundation before you lift your home. If they find any issues, during the lift is the perfect time to address them.
Take Time to Make Repairs
When you plan for your ranch home’s lift, you’ll need to hire a general contractor. They’ll work with your lifting contractor to ensure your home is safe to lift. Post lift, your contractor can make repairs to any damage your house might have incurred during the process.
While you have a contractor at your home, it’s a great time to take care of any home repairs and remodeling you want to be done. As you budget for your lift, think about updates you’d like to see in your home and plan for those as well. A ranch home lift provides a prime opportunity to tackle renovation projects you’ve been thinking about.
Hire a Professional Lifting Contractor
Lifting your ranch home takes a lot of time and organization from everyone involved, and for good reason! Raising a ranch home requires manpower, the right equipment, and, most importantly, expertise. That’s why it’s crucial you hire professional lifting contractors to execute your ranch house lift.
There’s nothing like coming home, and the team at DeVooght House Lifters wants to make sure you can come home to a safe place you love. They prioritize safety and excellence in every lift and with every customer. DeVooght has decades of house-lifting experience to serve you and your family, giving you quality work and personal, friendly care every step of the way.
A Couple Projects
A Relocation Of A Ranch-style Home In Wisconsin
Ranch Home Lift On Cribbing Towers In Lavallette, New Jersey