By Kim Parmon, December 12, 2019
It is super common in Portland to see homes with bedrooms on the second story. Sometimes those bedrooms were part of the original floor plan of a home. Often times, though, a previous owner during the home’s long history turned a former attic space into finished living space.
There are a couple of ways to tell if the second story square footage is legal or not. If the head height on your staircase looks like this there’s a good chance the upstairs square footage isn’t legal:
Other signs include: low ceiling height throughout the finished space, stair treads that are either very shallow or very steep, and floor joists that are spaced too far apart. Does this sound like a house you are looking at buying, or maybe one that you already own? Fear not! With some smart planning this issue can be resolved.
My clients bought the house pictured above. They worked with an architect to change the pitch of the staircase by extending it further into the kitchen below and the hallway above. When they finished this project the house went from being claustrophobic feeling without a functional floor plan to spacious and bright:
It was quite the transformation! Changing this one element elevated the house considerably. A new owner takes possession of this great house today. I know she will enjoy the functional, usable second story, along with all the other great work my clients did. Congratulations all around!
Kim Parmon
Principal Broker | Earth Advantage Certified | OR
She/Her
Kim Parmon Principal Broker Lead Listing Agent Earth Advantage Certified | OR kim@livingroomre.com Oregon is the fifth state that Kim has called home in her life, and this one is sticking! After moving multiple times in her childhood, Kim fully understands how empowering homeownership and having roots is...
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- T: 503-438-5101
- kim@livingroomre.com
