So I'm adding a second floor to an existing home. I figured you all might want to follow its progress since it's an unusual occurrence.

We have gone through the design and bid phases. But I'm building on the cheap (without compromising quality), so this should be fun.

The first thing you might think is stairwell placement. That has been managed by removing an existing closet (which is/was 50% of all existing storage). The next idea was to relocate the kitchen to a more appropriate space and to minimize costs on finishes on the second floor.

The latter has been difficult at best.

So here's where I was upon signing a contract with the GC:
$160k for a 2000sf second story. Know that I used to build custom homes myself, and I hammered the GC hard for cost. But I still want him to be paid. So this is a wonderful experiment in me letting go and at the same time not doing so... if you get what I mean.

I get to be the client I always disliked. I get to look exhaustively at websites for deals and systems... or just systems without deals. I get to make change orders on a whim.

Okay... that won't happen. But I am always conscious of cost, and I want to nail this sucker down. Call it a challenge. I know I can do it. But I also know google powers will never replace experience.

I hope I can help you all and learn at the same time while on here. I'm past design and into permitting right now. But I am still looking for offsets on basics if I can make the finish a little better. The finish is where I figured costs could be saved, and that's where I cut it off.

Notes on the build itself:
The footprint of the original structure is well within easements (by four or five feet on a five foot easement). So the solution to the addition is to build on piers outside the original foundation rather than underpin it. As a result, we will have a second floor deck that cantilevers outward three or four feet on all sides. We will also keep the existing first floor lid intact by running beams and truss joists above it all. In the end, the addition will be independent of the original structure save the stairs.

If any of you have any questions, ideas or suggestions, please feel free to chime in. I want to share this build with you all because I think it can be done without fear of engineering or cost. I think I've beaten the first hurdle. Now we're on to the fun stuff.