For those living along the New Jersey coast, the terms “house raising” and “house lifting” have become very common over the last year. Ever since Hurricane Sandy, many residents are exploring the idea of House Raising in NJ in order to get their home in a better position for future flooding.
But responding to once in a lifetime superstorms is not the only reason people might do house raising in NJ. There are many reasons why someone might want to lift their home. Here are just a few of them:
Lower Their Insurance Premiums – This is an obvious one. The new Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) flood plain maps determine the expected water height during normal high tides, flooding conditions, and 100-year storm flood conditions. If FEMA says you need to be at eight feet over mean high tide, you’ll want to be at that height or higher, otherwise you can expect to have much higher flood insurance costs.
To Get Above Flood Levels – Again, this one is pretty obvious. People who experienced flooding during Hurricane Sandy want to get their homes to a higher elevation to avoid flooding in the case of future storms. This prevents insurance claims, costly repairs, and being put out of your home for months at a time during repairs.
To Create A Car Port – For those in coastal communities, having a raised home with space enough underneath to park a car is a popular design feature. These raised homes will often enclose their open foundation in latticework, leaving space enough for parking under the house. Any home raised high enough by a house lifting NJ company and that is set on pilings can be a candidate for this kind of feature.
Improving Waterfront Views – The only view better than a waterfront view is a waterfront view from a nice elevation. Your backyard deck might seem fine now, but imagine it lifted six or eight or even ten feet higher. That is a truly wonderful way to enjoy summer days!
Building An Easy Addition – You don’t have to expand outward to get more room in your home. A NJ house raising company that lifts your home can create extensive storage space for you and your family. Store boats and kayaks beneath your home, bikes, patio furniture, and more, freeing up space in your den, garage or attic. In some cases you may even have room enough to create an open air workshop.
Increase Home Values – When you raise your home, you do more than save some money on your flood insurance. You also boost your home’s resale value, making it more attractive to potential sellers. That kind of investment is money in your pocket over the long term.
As should be clear by now, raising your New Jersey home isn’t just about reacting to storms like Superstorm Sandy. Sometimes, it’s simply part of making desired upgrades to your lifestyle.