Post some photos. Everything depends on the configuration of the house and where the new stairway will be. It is difficult to add a second floor without redesigning the first floor. And then there is the "while we're at it" syndrome.

The major cost of an older home is upgrading mechanical and electrical systems so check that out carefully.

It will be much easier to add the load of another floor if there is a crawl space or a full basement and the first floor structure is accessible. If you have a slab on grade and the roof framing consists of trusses then there is probably no center load bearing structure and you would probably need to tear up the slab to add a footings in the middle of the house (depending on the width of the house). Spanning the second floor framing the full width of the house is an option but expensive.

Thanks so much for the replies so far!

Our house has a full, walkout, poured concrete basement which is unfinished--I look at insulation every time I do laundry! I think it was designed with a second story addition in mind, but would definitely have an engineer check the blueprints to see whether that's true or not.

Macy--I'll try to take and post some photos--what's the best way to do it? A link to photobucket? I think the stairwell would go in our main room (above what is a stairwell going downstairs, if that's structurally possible). It's a split bedroom ranch: master bedroom & bath on one side, an open kitchen/dining/living area (a lot of people love this but I loathe it!!) and 2 bedrooms and a bath on the other side of the house.

Live wire oak (I love that username--my dad is from Charleston SC :))--we would have to pay for any additional land. Sadly. (My grandparents own the farm and will not be handing out free land, I wish they would! Though this area is getting 'built up' and my husband wants to live in a more remote location, long-term.)

Here are some photos--I hope the link works! I have to apologize--my house caught a bad case of the MESSIES today! It's actually a little mortifying, but I'll live. You can see the stairwell to the basement; above there is where I was thinking we could do a stairwell up. I'm not sure how we'd reconfigure the living/dining/kitchen and current master BR area, but we'd make those 'public' spaces--probably creating a den/away room in the current master BR and doing something to get the kitchen hidden a bit more.

On the other side of the house, we've got our guest bath and 2 BRs. This is where I'd put the master BR area, I think.

Upstairs, if we were to build an upstairs, would house 3 bedrooms (possibly 2 BRs, 1 'study'), and maybe a bathroom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of current house

There is probably a center girder at the ceiling of the basement supporting the first floor joists. Even if the roof is built of trusses, you can probably reinforce the basement girder and supports to carry the new second floor load. Look up in the attic and see if it is full of truss chords or open.

Poured concrete basement walls is good news. Do you have the original design drawings? Can you get them at the building department? Just go in and ask to see all the information on your property.

Putting the new stair over the existing basement stair solves a major issue.

We have the original blueprints--the big, rolled up things I've been storing in a closet for years! Also a whole photo album and video of the house being built, stick by stick, thanks to my conscientious grandparents!

I'm not sure about the attic being made of truss chords or open--I'll have to google it to see. I've been up in the attic plenty of times b/c we store items up there, but since I don't know building-terms I'm not sure what we've got. There are a bunch of beams running across the attic 'ceiling' but I don't know what they are.

Sounds like the roof is made of conventional rafters with horizontal collar ties. Trusses would be pretty obvious.

It all sounds good.

Thanks so much.

How much do you think a second-story project would cost (there are so many variables, I know, but sq footage about 900 and including a bathroom)? We have thought of paying a contractor to do the 'heavy duty' stuff that we simply CANNOT do, but we *can* do all the finishing work ourselves (or most of it): drywall, painting, trim, flooring, all bathroom fixture installation, etc. And we'd probably pay to get an architect to draft the plans first, then work on saving for 5-10 years so we could pay mostly or all cash. Such a fun thing to be able to plan!

For now, too, any advice on how to make a 'modern' house have more vintage charm would be great. I think when we replace the carpeting (ugh) with hardwoods, I'll also install higher baseboards--mine are pretty short. And I'm thinking of handscraped hardwoods or wide planked, perhaps!

Thanks so much. As an aside, I'm happy to report that we went to see the 1912 farmhouse we were obsessed with for 3 days and it's a definite NO---a gorgeous, beautiful house with so much potential,and the most beautiful views I have ever, ever seen from a residence, but *too* much potential for us at this point in our lives. I have always lived in older houses (except for the one we're in now) and I walked out of there, turned to my husband and said "run away NOW!" :-) One day perhaps we'll find the right older home for us, but that one needed an extraordinary amount of rehabilitation! I hope and pray the right buyer finds it--it could be fantastic!

My husband and I are both pretty handy too, and we have just purchased a ranch. We are looking at our options as far as an addition as well, I'm hoping we will be able to add a second story over the center of the house. I have always loved old farm houses, but the property sold me on this one.

We have several plans to bring an old farmhouse style into this panelling filled 1970's ranch. The biggest things I olan to do (after ripping out all of the panelling and carpeting that is) is install plank floors and big heavy woodwork. Our floorplan is nothing like yours, but I plan on remodelling the kitchen: adding new cabinets,countertops, slate floors. I have fallen in love with the Martha Stewart cabinets at home depot. There are a few with real old kitchen details. I also plan on replacing my fireplace surround with brick and adding a wooden mantle. I am putting a claw foot tub in the bathroom and built-in book cases in the dining-room. The biggest thing that says old beautiful home to me is wood floors and thick woodwork.

You should contact EngineerChic (find something she has commented on, and click "MyPage" and email her). They tore the second story off their cape cod, and redid it/are redoing it--almost finished, I think. She might have a better idea of cost. But, also, cost is very area-specific.

since you love where you live use your money to make over
your mom's house into your country cottage.

our builder built all the walls for my second story addition on the ground.
his crew cut the top of my house off and then the tree guy used his crane to take them off and place the new sides and roof in place.
it was very cool to see, and the difference was AMAZING.
show us pics of your house and let's play with it.

and if the property values are really soaring maybe buy the other as an investment.