Renovation Planning Guide

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Renovating or extending a home is extremely common in Australia. According to a 2023 study conducted by Resolve Finance, over a third of Australian homeowners had planned to renovate their homes over the preceding 12 months. And it’s not hard to see why so many of us are keen to get renovations underway. As buildings age or as our families grow, a renovation provides the opportunity to create the home of your dreams, while increasing the value of the property.

So, when it comes to actually planning a renovation – where do you start? How much should you be budgeting? Should you call an architect, or a builder first? And how long should you expect the entire process to take?

These are the sort of questions that roadblock the project. It can go from something that sounds both exciting and enthralling when discussing with your partner, to a logistical nightmare when you think about where to start. But it doesn’t have to. Obviously, every project is unique, but if you’re planning on renovating your home, there is an order of steps you can take to make the process more efficient, as well as align with your desired outcomes.

Planning a renovation: your first steps

Setting clear goals

A renovation is typically born out of a problem or a set of problems – whether it be a lack of space, deteriorating materials, or poor layout. When planning a renovation, get to the core of why you want to renovate, and create a list of requirements and goals. Having a list of goals will ensure that your renovation fulfils all requirements. For instance, it’s all well and good to upgrade your kitchen to a more modern style, but which is it going to be layout, storage, appliances, or space that are going to make the biggest difference to your day-to-day living?

Budgeting (the fun part of renovating!) goes hand in hand with setting clear goals. If you have a list of priorities, you can effectively research the costs involved for each of these goals and break down how much you should be budgeting for the overall project. Even if you have a budget that can be stretched – make sure you’re able to itemise and stick to what you’ve accounted for so that it doesn’t completely blow out.

Who should I contact first, an architect or builder?

Both will play a role in getting your renovation plans off the ground. If you want to nail down the designs first, then contact an architect first. That’s not to say that you should not contact a builder early on – especially if you’ve already got a referral or someone in mind. Getting both on board early on will allow them to build a relationship and ensure both parties can feasibly tick all of your boxes. However, a builder does need plans to be able to provide a quote on your renovation. Ultimately, an architect will do all of the planning, but it’s also the builder who needs to be able to execute these plans – so they need to be on the same page.

Getting an architect onboard early on means you can run your budget by them – they’ll be able to tell you if your plans are feasible with what you’ve got to spend.

Development/council approval

council permit guide

If you’ve had a neighbour, friend, or family member complain about the timeframe of renovating – it’s likely because they’ve faced development approval issues. However, getting council approval doesn’t have to be difficult; an architect can help you put the right plans in place to tick all boxes from a legal standpoint, so your plans are compliant and meet all local requirements.

Renovation projects that need development approval will vary from council to council. Generally speaking (although not always the case), if the renovations are internal, it will be complying development or exempt development for minor changes – and you won’t need council approval. Examples of exempt development include decking, garden sheds, fencing, or painting.

Structural renovation is where you’ll need to check with your architect as it may be a Complying Development (CDC) or in other cases Development Application (DA). As part of planning a renovation – make it easy for yourself by looking up your local council’s requirements for building and development.

What is the process from there?

The first part of the process is working with an architect who will:

1. Create a Detailed Brief 

2. Create several planning strategies for your project

3. Work with you to create a construction budget based on the strategies

4. Recommendations about the consultants you would need 

After the research phase, it’s time to jump on the most exciting part, The design process:

5. Create a Concept Design based on the strategy you have selected

6. Refine details of the design through the Design Development process

7. Apply for development approval

And while design is crucial – it’s only one aspect of the project. From there, the process will be:

8. Create construction drawings

9. Approve drawings/work with builder on plans

10. Contract Administration 

11. Start build (hooray!)

12.  Regular site meetings for quality & cost control

13.  Get the completion lists & certificates

14.  Project handover

15.  Voila!.

the renovation process

Sounds simple enough, right? That’s because when you’ve effectively planned for the project (rather than going in blind), renovating your home does not need to be complicated. What those who are reluctant to hire an architect (usually due to a fear of associated costs) don’t realise, is that having an architect to walk you through these stages without deviation will end up saving both time and money over the course of the project.

However, we’re not naïve to the fact that even with the lists, budgets, and plans – timelines can change, and there are additional elements to consider when planning a renovation.

Additional considerations when planning a renovation

Timeline of renovating

Renovating offers an opportunity to change everything you don’t like about your home. Naturally, the more you’re doing, the longer you can expect the renovation to take. A renovation can take a couple of months, to up to 6-12 months and longer for more complex projects, depending on the scope of the build. This is a consideration because it means you’ll need to consider what your living situation will be during this period. In most cases, you may need to find a temporary accommodation, while in special cases you’ll be able to continue living at home.

What if my home is heritage listed, or in a conservation area?

If your property is heritage listed or within a conservation area, you will need to seek approval from your local council or sometimes from the Heritage Council of NSW before the project gets underway. It’s still possible to renovate and update your home if it’s heritage – the difference is that buildings are given a listed status to mark historical or architectural significance, protecting them from damage or inappropriate alterations. Working with an architect (especially if they have experience in this space) will give you more insight into the sort of changes you can and cannot make to the property.

October 31, 2024

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