Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Mar 21, 2013 9:15 pm Hi All, Pretty new member here, I think I found this forum while looking into the polarising topic of refrigerated air con vs evaporative cooling. I've since read through several build threads and picked up a stack of notes, and many more questions which surely at some point will test my builder's patience! Anyway, I thought it was time to start my build thread. We have bought a lovely old place, in dire need of renovation (see photos below) and have just put plans into council. Nothing much to say at this stage other than architect and builder are both good friends, so we're either going to leverage that, or possibly lose a couple of friends - here's hoping for the best! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Plans went into council today: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Cheers, Dim Re: My build thread - old house to straighten up and extend 3Jun 29, 2013 7:53 pm Update after almost two months of action: Re-blocking Chimneys removed Old plaster removed Old ceilings removed Electrical rough-in Plumbing rough-in Windows removed for repair Plastering Feels like we're moving along nicely. Now starting to make real decisions about finishes - tiles, carpets, lights, door furnishing, etc etc. Current happy snaps are on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dccolebatc ... 383548983/ Cheers, Dim Re: My build thread - old house to straighten up and extend 6Apr 20, 2015 9:13 pm Hi All, In 2003 we did a huge reno (back to studs), and as I got a lot of benefit from this site I thought it was worth summarising some thoughts. These are things we did that I'm glad we did, or things that I wished we'd changed: 1. Budget - added 20%, then 20% again, and checked we could afford it. Ended up spending a little over the first 20% (from what I'm told this is absoltely normal - don't be naiive and think you'll come in on budget). 2. Kitchen - don't compromise, we were lucky to have enough space. Island is a must, overhang makes it a breakfast bar. Get a good dishwasher that is quiet enough to turn on during dinner (we have a neff - go to massivesale.net.au and look at their next factory sale, you get the same stuff at 50% off). Also - depending on the structure of the contract, there's a lot of money to be saved (or spent) here. We spent $19k on our kitchen (excl appliances), note it's huge, but we had quotes for $40k for the exact same design - shop around. Happy to tell you who we went with via PM. We also put a boiler under our sink which means we have instant really hot water (not quite hot enough for a cup of tea, but close) with zero waiting on our main tap, love it. 3. Storage (as others have said) - in-roof storage as overflow, plenty of cupboards etc for day to day stuff. 4. Bathrooms - "shampoo shelves" in showers, something my wife insisted on, and I now see why. Makes it very easy to keep things tidy. In toilets - put soft closing lids (pretty standard these days). 5. Intercom for front door (depending on the distance from your living/kitchen to the front door) - glad we put one in. 6. Cleaning - think about how you will clean your house. Where do you want your powerpoints, where do you want access to water for buckets etc. Did I mention powerpoints? Put them everywhere. 7. Hot Water - we got this wrong initially, and had the plumber come back to fix it. The concept of "instant HWS" is crap, there's a 15 second delay, and when we first moved in because of the way the pipes were laid out, it took a minute to get hot water in our ensuite. Make sure you have your HWS right next to your main shower, and the pipes go the most direct route! 8. Tanks - in a new house you will need tanks to flush your toilets (either than or solar from memory). Your tanks will need a pump - we have our pump right outside our bedroom window, this was a mistake, put it somewhere where the noise won't matter in the middle of the night when the kids go to the bathroom! 9. Managing a build is a full time gig, be prepared to spent your weekends choosing light fittings, door handles, toilets, and all manner of things. We spent every weekend for almost a year choosing things, god knows our kids got sick of driving around looking for stuff. So - either be prepared to manage the build tightly (don't believe your builder will do this unattended) or find a project manager you trust. 10. Heating/cooling, we went with hydronic and evaporative - could not be happier. Both excellent. 11. Sink in the kitchen - I do the washing up, so was picky here and am glad I was. Getting a big sink is a must in my view. 12. Also kitchen - under cupboard strip lighting. We spent $30 (yes, $30) on strip lighting for under our cupboards. Very easy to do, get your sparky to put a power point in your rangehood cupboard, with a switch for it whereever your kitchen switches are. This worked out so well that our builder has now done it in his kitchen. 13. One final kitchen tip - if you can afford the space, get a deeper bench. This will give you more space behind your cooktop so you won't be banging larger pots against the wall/splashback. On the same topic, we went with 1000mm bench height (normal is 900mm), and my wife (who is 5'4" or 163cm) and I (189cm) both love it. We also went higher vanities but I can't remember the height. 14. Re wiring, take photos of it all before the plaster goes on too, so you know where it is when you want to make changes. I also wish I'd put more conduits in so I could run more wiring when I need to. And re internet/phone points - put them all in now, in every corner of every room, it's not that you need them all at once, but that way they are there for you when you want to reconfigure your rooms. I hope this is of help to people searching. I'm happy to answer questions but obviously don't frequent the forum much now that we're done. Good luck to all of you on your builds/renovations! Cheers, Dim ok thanks - yes was wondering if that should have been listed as Option Three! 2 7741 You should pressure clean your roof first and make sure the paint you buy also is anti mould. 4 18563 Old Home Restoration / Renovation Hi, just discovered all these junks left behind under the floor. Could any of these be asbestos? Best to leave as it is or clean up? Thank you for your thoughts 0 8070 |