Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jul 20, 2009 4:47 pm Hi. I'm an owner of a circa 1915 semi in suburban northern Sydney. I am interested in renovating the back of the house with a modest open plan living with new kitchen, bathroom and backyard studio. I have absolutely no idea where to start and wondered if folks here could point me in the right direction. I guess I'm so early on in the piece that I need to do a lot of research regarding the process ie. plans, DAs etc. Is there a website (or several) that provides a kind of reno 101 type overview. I'm fairly sure that there are a myriad of options and choices so I guess I want to be informed before I delve in to hiring architects etc. One thing I'm interested in knowing about: is it best to go with a company that manages the whole build or is it feasible (for a newbie) to select people for certain jobs as I go. My taste in design is simple but different, functional but definitely NOT the kind of concrete bunker styles you can find in every mag out there. So just wondering if anyone had some good recommendations for designers/architects that don't specialise in the latest trends but have an ecclectic/unusual eye for home design. Does that make sense ?::wornout:: I'll stop there. Thanks so much in advance for your help. Pipedream Re: Newbie with a lot of questions 2Jul 20, 2009 4:58 pm Hi pipedream, I'm sorry I am of no assistance. But welcome to the forum and yours sound like a very interesting reno. Hopefully someone that can help you will be along soon! I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: Newbie with a lot of questions 3Jul 20, 2009 5:21 pm Your local council website is a good place to start for a good overview of the process for kicking off a renovation. It will give you a feel for the types of questions you will need to have answers to. We have a 1910 victorian terrace we are planning to renovate. I did lots of research on architects and picked one that a) had experience in doing similar properties and b) had a style that was in tune with mine. We're also getting a separate registered builder to handle the whole build as it is quite large. My concern with managing it yourself is that getting tradies to turn up to complete individual pieces of work would be a nightmare and leave the build taking 10 times as long as it should. Once you know what you are after the approach to getting there is all up to you and depends on what you are comfortable with and how much money you have. Renovation Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=38489 Would anyone on this forum know of a builder/company in Brisbane with house designs for a shallow block. I have a block 20 x 20 so with front and rear set backs I need a… 0 4716 You must be new to the internet. You're also the only person anyone here has ever heard of washing their garage wall. I hate to break it to you, there are insects and… 6 4798 I am building in claymore NSW and this is shown in the building envelope plan. … 0 9970 |