Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 May 07, 2013 2:27 pm Hi All, New to the forum and would appreciate some advice. We live in the Hills area and are planning to convert our single garage to a rumpus room and add on an adjoining indoor/outdoor room. First time going through any type of renovation so had a few questions: i) as we need to knock out a couple of walls to achieve the above (from alcove through to garage, then garage to outdoor area), do we need the assistance of a builder firstly to determine if they are load-bearing, and assuming all ok, remove them? If so, any recommendations for this sort of job? ii) what sort of council approval will we need, if any? iii) Any tips on what to watch out for when undertaking a garage to room conversion? I have no previous experience myself but willing to give DYI a go if it's in the realms of a fairly capable home handyman. Cheers Re: Recommended builders in Hills District 2May 19, 2013 6:28 pm I wouldn't be ripping any walls out without first checking with a qualified builder to see if they are load bearing. The one from the garage to outside will most likely be so you need to ensure there are sufficient beams in place to stop the roof from falling in. Garages can be converted to livable spaces but often they don't have a waterproof membrane under so may not be passed by council as a habitable room. You need to decide if you want it done properly and legally or if you want to risk the DYI option. If you go the DYI option without proper paperwork you will have many issues when trying to sell. Good luck. My first port of call would be to get a few builders out for a quote and go from there. Thanks again Simeon for being so elaborate. Appreciate it. Its gives us a very idea. Kind Regards 4 3645 Even if it's not being sub-divided and you want to keep it as Torrens title, you will still need to talk to a town planner or Council themselves, to see if they will allow… 1 11014 Look at your bill from the electricity company. It should detail the charges. You will need to do some estimating and some calculations. Then charge the… 8 4194 |