Recent years have been a bit of a rollercoaster for the building industry, and by extension, the renovation industry. The post-COVID HomeBuilder incentives for both new homes and major renovations led to a boom, but this was later curtailed by a combination of higher interest rates, building material cost increases, supply chain issues, and labour shortages. In 2024, there are signs that some of these key factors affecting the industry are stabilising and, as others aren’t likely to improve in the foreseeable future, this year is likely to be the best window of time to renovate before a poten ..read more

Sometimes you look at a home and you’d never know it’s been renovated. That was the goal of homeowner Lisa when she decided to add more space to her South Turramurra home… and she is delighted with the result. Adding a second storey was, surprisingly, the latest of four renovations to her 1950s bungalow. As well as adding two large bedrooms, a bathroom and living space for her twins, she carved out more storage, an office and further improved the flow of the home. Previous Renovations The previous owner had extended out the back in 2000 – well before Lisa bought the home in 2009 – with a cons ..read more

It’s a common dilemma for would-be renovators working on a tight budget: do you complete some of your renovations and finish the job later? Or do you try to do everything at the same time? There are pros and cons to each approach. Back in 2015, this was the exact conundrum facing Addbuild client Brendan. In 2023 he completed the second and final stage of a renovation on his family home in Mascot, and his case study is a great example to learn from. We start at the beginning, almost nine years ago. Initial Investigations What prompted Brendan and his family to look to renovate? “When we bought ..read more

As a builder, you don’t always hear about how someone’s home renovation is faring more than a decade after the project was completed. So it was particularly satisfying to see an enthusiastic comment on an Addbuild social media post from a former client still delighted with their home addition: “They’re great. Added 100s of thousands in value and quality to our house 12 years ago.” A quick check and we established that Bexley homeowners Bill and Anna had in fact built a second storey back in 2009, just after the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Would they be interested to tell us more about what ..read more

Looking to add a second storey to your Sydney home? Where you place the stairs for your new addition is almost certainly more critical than you think. We look at why, explaining the important aspects to consider to help you make the most from adding a new floor to your home. Planning a major renovation to expand your home is exciting, but the array of choices can be a little overwhelming. It’s easy to get lost in the details and, depending on the advice you get from the professionals you engage, you can overlook some of the fundamentals. One of these – and maybe your most important first deci ..read more

For many homeowners taking on a major renovation, they are stepping into the unknown. Despite being Eileen and Pat’s second time, it was their first after moving to Australia nearly a decade ago, and a much bigger project than their attic conversion back in Ireland. They were nervous about removing the roof of their home in Lane Cove West to add a new storey. “The whole concept was quite new to us because these types of home addition are not at all common in Ireland”, Eileen notes. “Removing your roof and exposing your home is a scary prospect!” However, she is delighted with both the result ..read more

The pressure on housing availability in Sydney is rarely out of the news. Even the most optimistic estimates of new home and apartment building suggest that this situation won’t change soon. More and more Sydney families are looking at alternatives that involve making the best use of their existing family home. Grandparents and adult kids are moving in, but this can make use of the shared spaces at times crowded and stressful. Home Alternatives It’s not surprising this is making homeowners look at more permanent solutions, creating a separate suite that gives independence and privacy for the ..read more

Most homeowners take on a major renovation to expand their home because they need to accommodate a growing family. The timing of needing that space is therefore completely unrelated to current economic conditions. Usually, there’s a baby on the way, or the soon-to-be teenagers who were sharing a room now need privacy, which means creating their own bedroom and study space. For others, it’s because of multigenerational living, where one or both retired parents come to live with a son or daughter in their family home. With money tighter than ever, most growing families who approach us regarding ..read more

Renovating your home can be exciting, daunting, fun and stressful … all at the same time. It is a disruption to your life in the present that can generate a huge return in the future: the pride you will feel in a home that you created, the practical improvement to your lifestyle it enables; and the financial investment by increasing the value of your home. It’s easy to focus on the not-so-fun parts – getting the development application approval through your local council, or living through the actual building phase – but there are plenty of exciting and creative opportunities when you’ll be p ..read more

2023 may be a better year for renovating in Sydney than many would have predicted. That’s the view of the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the peak body for residential building in Australia, a view shared by Addbuild proprietor Chris Books with strong reasoning. HIA chief economist Tim Reardon noted in a recent Sydney Morning Herald interview that “the rises in the cash rate are taking demand out of the new housing market but, in contrast, we don’t expect renovations to slow at all.” Drivers the Same, Conditions Easing His view is built on a number of factors including a more predictable ..read more