Howdy,
I'm new here and just starting the whole reno process of our first home. We will probably not be moving in until a couple of months after settlement so all the building activity can go on without us living in it.
Since the internal walls apparently are all asbestos sheets, we will start off by having all the internal walls and ceilings removed (the cladding that is). Once that is done, we are looking to open up the living room a bit, meaning there are 2 walls that would need to be removed (see attached, red zig zags). One of them (the 3.5m wall) is load bearing, we have been told. Can imagine that that will be a bit of a pain. The third wall that will go is the one from the bathroom, but this one has been put in recently (it half covers the manhole up the roof cavity), so should be easy to remove.
While we are at it, we will then look to move the 2 bedroom doors to enlarge the bathroom. Easiest to do before the plasterers come in!
We are currently applying for quotes, we will be managing the process ourselves which is daunting but hopefully will mean that we can keep a close eye on what's going on (and keep the costs down as much as possible...). My wife isn't working at the moment so that hopefully helps.
If anyone has tips for good tradies (Brisbane's west), let me know via PM!
Also, if anyone thinks it isn't worth it, also tell me know before we start
http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t470/joostinoz/Wallremoval.jpg