Know the considerations, reasons and benefits concerning House Raising from articles by Black & White restumping services in Brisbane, Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

Protect Your Home From Flood Damage

The best way to protect your home from flood damage is not to build it in a flood prone area, but we know that is not always possible, especially if weather conditions have changed the lay of the land. If you have already bought/built a home and discovered later that it is on land that is subjected to flooding at times, it doesn’t mean you have to sell up – there are easier ways to resolve the problem. Black & White Houseraising and Restumping have assisted many a family to raise their home and create extra living areas for the whole family to enjoy , which means that you not only protect the house from flooding, but you have even more space to call home.

Drainage

Once water gets over the threshold of a house, the excess moisture makes it prone to flood damage, which means that in time you will need to be pulling out all the stops to get at and remove mould, clean up insulation and replace electrical wires. Ensure that there is adequate drainage around the home, and that all water is directed away from the building and its fixtures. If you are about to enter into a possible flood event, ensure that gutters are cleared and that there are no blocks in your drainage system.

Elevate Electrical Appliances

When planning the details of your home make sure that all electrical switches are raised, and that circuit breakers, sockets, and wiring are at least a foot above the floor level. Ensure that air conditioning systems, fuel tanks, water heaters and any outdoor electrical appliances are raised off the ground and in a position where they will not be affected by rising flood waters.

Raise Your Home

If you really want to ensure that your home is safe from flood waters, have it raised  on stilts or columns so that it is well above ground/flood level. Not only will this prevent any future water damage from flooding, but will also provide extra space for the family to use. According to local family-owned business, Black & White Houseraising and Restumping, raising a home can provide extra bathrooms, bedrooms and rumpus room areas, which add value to your home. By raising your home, for the purpose of flood prevention , the experience could prove to be an exciting opportunity for the whole family to enjoy a little more space.

How To Prevent Flood And Water Damage

If you live on low lying ground, in a flood prone area, or a place where the weather can be unpredictable, preparing for flooding is an important part of being weather ready. During these days of climate fluctuation it’s important to be ready for anything, as the Australian weather has demonstrated to be a wild beast at times.

Getting your house prepared for any of the possible weather events that could cause flooding, will save you a lot of time and money in the long run, and as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The most important thing to really look out for is that your home is foundation-wise safe from flooding, which could benefit from having it lifted high above storm waters  as the first option, and which would save you money on the smaller measures. The folks at Black & White House Raising and Restumping have perfected the art of raising and restumping homes, and they are sold on the idea of getting you high and dry, away from the water completely. Here are some tips to prepare if your home is in a flood prone area:

Know Your Area

Get to know your area, and find out which parts of it are prone to floods. Knowing where the water runs will help you to know where to direct your water flow when digging drainage. All of this needs to be done usually when the weather is dry, so you will have to watch when it rains and see the lay of the land, and where the water is running so you can direct it away from your home.

Drainage

Adequate drainage is an important part of preventing water damage to your home. This includes the drainage from the gutters and down pipes, but also important for where it hits the ground. If you do not have adequate downpipe draining at ground level it could seep under the slab of your home if it is at ground level, causing mould and other water damage to spread under the foundations and into the walls. This is one reason why lifting your house is a great option for preventing water damage from flood waters , especially if there is a lot of water and nowhere for it to go.

Raise Electrical Wiring and Appliances

In the event of a house being built on low ground, installing electrical wiring and appliances at a higher level is common sense and saves much trouble if there is flooding in the future. Also storing valuables such as photo albums and important papers at a higher level such as in the attic will ensure that this is one less thing to worry about if flood waters hit.

Raise It Up

Why go for small measures, when the easiest solution, as many of Black and White Houseraising and Restumping customers have learnt, is to raise the whole house up and out of the way of water. The added benefit is that you get a lot of extra living space  in the process, for a rumpus room, storage space or extra bedrooms, making it a valuable investment to your home.

Developing Property vs. Selling It And Buying A New House

For many people who want to own their own home, the decision to buy a house comes with all sorts of different questions as to what is the best option for their needs, and how to best go about achieving their goals. For people who are looking to buy an investment property, the intention of buying a house is often to find a place they can live in while working to increase its value so that they are able to sell it for a profit.

Others who are looking for a family home, may not be looking for a speedy turnaround of the property, but may want to live there permanently. There is no real wrong or right answer to the question, although there are a number of benefits in developing an existing property over starting with a new one.

Getting the Best Deal

When it comes to finding an ideal investment property, buying new is not going to provide you with the best investment. When you buy a new house a good part of the money that you are paying is towards the developer, so you will be paying for marketing costs as well as the property, as this is often factored into the price tag. However, buying a second-hand property that needs a little work could get you a great price tag and the potential to increase its value.

Better Negotiating Potential

During the activity of negotiating the best price for a property, an older property has much more chance of being sold below cost than a new property. A developer is very unlikely to construct a property that they need to sell immediately and potentially lose money on, but for someone selling an already established property it can mean dealing with an imperfect market. So they may be more likely to accept a lower price than they would have hoped to get for the property.

Value Adding

If you buy a new home then it already has everything new, including the kitchen, bathroom, floor and wall coverings, so there is less potential for adding value. However, an older established home that is in need of repair provides more opportunity for remodelling, value adding and increasing the selling price. An example of this is when buying a property that is on low ground, and prone to flooding.

You may be able to buy the house for a good price but then by having it lifted and remodelled you will not only create extra space underneath but also increase its value remarkably. Companies such as Black & White House Raising and Restumping are frequently called in to assist with their skill at lifting houses out of flood waters .

Why You Should Consider House Raising

If your house is in a flood prone area, house raising is an option that you should be seriously consider. House raising offers many benefits to the residents. It can save you a great deal of trouble when big storms hit your area.

Of course, house raising will mean extra expenses on your part, but if you weigh the cost against the benefits, you will see that you are bound to get so much more from investing in lifting your house from the ground.

The process involves the use of hydraulic jacks to lift the entire house  to another level. This gives an extra empty space on the ground floor. There are various reasons why you should consider raising your house.

Reducing Flood Risk

You can get valuable peace of mind once you decide to raise your house. There is no telling when the next big storm is going to hit or how strong it might be. It can be a series of storms that will leave the community in floodwater for days.

Normally, when a house becomes flooded, the residents have to carry their belongings to the second floor, if there is one. Otherwise, the furniture and all other appliances could be damaged by the flood. The clean-up process can be the most stressful part of the disaster. Investing in house raising can help make sure that your home will be safe from flooding.

Lifting the house will create a vacant ground level where floodwater can flow freely. During the non-stormy season, the area can be used for other purposes. But once the storm season hits, you and your family can sit comfortably inside the house assured that your furniture and other belongings will not be soaked in floodwater.

Reducing Insurance Costs

Insurance companies do not want to lose money because of natural disasters, so they ask for higher premiums for homes in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. You can get significant reductions in insurance premiums if you show the insurance company that you doing something to protect your home.

Complying with the Community’s Floodplain Management

House raising is always part of the local council’s floodplain management scheme. Voluntarily raising your house will help the local government take care of the community. In planning for the house raising, make sure to consult with the authorities about the requirements for your area. You will be guided according to the expected flood levels and severity of the flood incidents.