So you’re ready to renovate, but now what?

SO here we are. You’ve dreamt of this moment for the past five years while diligently saving your pennies for a long over-due renovation on your house or apartment. And you’re bloody excited, right?

Well, so you should be. Congratulations, the fun and real work is just about to start.

What you’re about to go through can end up being a maze of hidden extras, unpaid bills, unwanted council fees, and messy sub-contractors… but it might also be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

What happens next comes down to you and the amount of preparation you put into this process. So, let’s start planning your build.

Create a mood board & have direction

Experience tells me you’re going to need some sort of mood board.

The way I see it is if you’re not on Pinterest for this then you really should be.

Depending on the complexity of what you want to undertake, a mood board will help one or all of the people involved with the project understand what it is you want to achieve.

Arrange permits

I’d encourage you to seek clarification on whether or not permits are required for the renovating work you’re undertaking.

If you’re engaging an architect, they’ll be able to assist with this process.

Just a heads up, permits will inevitably involve fees and paperwork; it’s often this part of the process where frustrations can begin.

As a general rule, if you’re not altering a facade or doing any major structural changes, you can assume no permits are required.

However, to save any messy conversations with council later on, touch base with them in the early stages to ensure you’re on the right path.

An architect or draftsman?

The job of the architect or building designer (draftsman) is to convey on paper to the builder or tradesmen what it is you want your project to look like.

They’ll use a set of plans with dimensions and elevations and this will act as your project’s blueprint from start to finish.

It’s not uncommon for these plans to alter as a result of unforeseen circumstances (i.e., discovering asbestos, latent conditions, etc.), but with the help of modern technology this process has been made much easier – so be prepared to be flexible here.

When you require an engineer or builder

Anything affecting the structure of your property is going to require an engineer and a builder to certify the work.

The engineer’s role is to assess load applications and structural integrity, then pass this information onto the builder via plans to complete the work.

The builder, meanwhile, applies the practical knowledge base to ensure it’s done safely and efficiently and engages the relevant sub-contractors to ensure this happens.

Taking on structural works without a solid grasp of construction methodology is a risk I’d not recommend; I offer that as a warning, not as a business development tool.

Let’s look at it this way: A builder in Australia is going to come at a significant cost, right?

But it’s often overlooked that builders provide a service and require a wage, just like you as an employee or employer do in whatever line of work you’re in.

So, when you put the shoe on the builder’s foot – and realise that everyone needs to make a dollar – then it might make your builder’s next bill a little easier to swallow.

When you break it down, you have to ask yourself the question: Is this project going to be worth my while and sanity to go through the heartache of sourcing, organising, value engineering and paying sub-contractors as opposed to paying someone to absorb that stress for you?

If you answer ‘yes’, then make sure you’ve got a solid action plan in place to move forward and start your home improvement project.

— Dean Ipaviz, realestate.com.au

❝any However, to save

messy conversations with council later on, touch base with them in the early stages to ensure you’re on the right path.