A renovation goes wrong for predictable reasons: an unclear brief, approvals discovered late, and a budget with no room for what is behind the wall. Here is what we work through before drawings begin on a Perth renovation.
Define the problem, not the solution
“Add a second storey” is a solution. The problem might be that the family needs two more rooms, or that the kitchen has no relationship to the garden. Naming the real problem usually opens up options that are cheaper and better than the first idea.
Write down what frustrates you about the house now, room by room. That list is worth more than any mood board.
Find out what your home already has
Perth’s housing stock spans more than a century, and older homes carry their own rules:
- Homes built before the mid-1980s may contain asbestos sheeting in eaves, wet areas and fencing.
- Some walls are structural; others can be removed with a beam above.
- Heritage-listed or character-area homes have restrictions on visible changes.
- Older wiring, plumbing and roof plumbing often need attention once you open things up.
Allow both time and money for what gets uncovered. A contingency of ten to fifteen per cent is normal, and it is not pessimism.
Renovate or extend?
A renovation reworks what is there. An extension adds to it. Many Perth projects do both, and the balance matters most:
- If the existing plan is fundamentally sound, a renovation is usually cheaper.
- If rooms are the wrong size or in the wrong place, an extension may be the honest answer.
- If a sloping site is limiting you, a split level or undercroft solution can add space without moving the roof.
Approvals
Most renovations and additions in Perth need a planning assessment against the R-Codes and a building permit. Neighbouring requirements on overshadowing, overlooking and boundary setbacks can put real limits on what is possible, and it is far cheaper to learn that at sketch stage than after you have a builder’s quote.
Living through it, or moving out
Decide early. Staged work can keep the household in place, but stages cost more and take longer overall. If the building will be open to the weather, plan for a period out of the house, and put it in the programme rather than discovering it in week six.
Budget, in the right order
Set your total number, then subtract fees, approvals, contingency and site works. What remains is the construction budget. Renovations that are priced “to the dollar” tend to stall at tender, because bids come in above expectation and the design has to be cut after the fact.
Where an architect helps
An architect can confirm what is structurally and legally possible, resolve the plan so every square metre earns its place, and produce documentation that lets builders quote on equal terms. We work on residential renovations across the Perth metro area and in regional Western Australia.
If you are weighing up a renovation, start with the problem list and your block. Bring both to a first conversation and we can tell you what is realistic.