Yes you can! Extending your home is a great way to increase the value of your home while also tailoring your home to your needs. A few points to remember:

• Try and keep the upper level walls lining up with your lower level.
• Always design for the future rather than for your current needs.
• Try and align heavy load areas such as bathrooms and study to sit on walls which can either support the weight or can be accessed and upgraded to handle the heavy load.
• Avoid having upper external walls running over open spaces. The loads of these upper external walls need to be supported by heavy beams if spanning over large areas such as living areas.
• Engineers will always be involved with two level extensions. By engaging with a structural engineer consultant at an early stage regarding issues such as walls being upgraded for heavier loads, it give you a clear picture regarding cost and how to minimise structural construction cost.