Is a home renovation project on your to-do list this year? Before you begin your venture, let us help you set a realistic expectation. Renovating a house or building home additions is a lot more complex than what you see on The Block. But with careful planning and hiring the right builder, it can go along smoothly and be done according to your timetable.
We’ve divided it into two stages: pre-home extension phase and during the home building process.
Home Renovation Stages
- Design
To start with, it’s all about first picturing how you want your home to look like after the home renovation is complete. You can look for inspiration online or by watching home renovation shows, or you can develop your own design that complements your lifestyle. Hille’s has very experienced designers that can come out to your property and offer ideas on designs and quote at no cost, and without any obligation.
- Planning
Next step is developing your design with home renovation experts; they or they may not be the same team you’ll be working with during the building process. This phase is mainly about analysing whether your design is feasible or if there’s a team that could help you with it. Check your home builder’s reputation; look at a history of work, licenses, references, and reviews. Feel free to review some of Hille’s Home Extensions Testimonials here.
- Acquiring permits
At this stage, it is assumed that you already have a final design so the next logical step is acquiring consents from the relevant council. It’s always best to speak to any neighbours that may be inconvenienced with your home construction.
- Estimating the cost
Set an estimate based on the price given by your home extension builder during the planning stage. However, keep in mind that this isn’t the final cost and some circumstances during the construction may come up. Keep a contingency fund for this, so that the renovation won’t be delayed and cost you more in the future. Hille’s will always be very transparent with all costs so going over budget is the exception, not the rule.
- Hiring a builder
Once you have the definite design, a plan, have obtained necessary permissions, and have the budget for the entire renovation, that’s when you pick the right extension builders in Melbourne to execute the project. Choose someone who does not only pass the initial qualifications during your background check, but also someone you can imagine having an affable working relationship with. Home renovations can be a tedious job so having a builder that can make the entire process easy is a bonus.
Stages of home building
Here’s an idea of how a very basic project might run, but be sure to add time for larger projects.
- Week 1 – Week 2
Demolition – involves tough and dirty work such as removing furniture, walls, wiring, flooring and any elements that may disrupt the renovation. You can save money by doing this process by yourself.
- Week 3 – Week 4
Plumbing, electrical rough-in, insulation, and air sealing – at this stages, pipes, wires, and ducts get to run. Roughing-in means pulling all electrical wires through studs and installing and connecting pipes.
- Week 5 – Week 6
Framing, plaster & texture – involves closing the structure with walls. This is where homeowners could almost see how the project will turn out.
- Week 7 – Week 8
Flooring and painting – are the final steps in the homebuilding process.
- Week 9 – Week 10
Finishing and trim work – is mainly cleaning, dusting, and installing decorative furniture.
Please note that most home renovation processes are unique and this is not always the case. For complete guideline and insights about home renovations and extensions, you can talk to one of our experts at 1300 HILLES or 9379 8022.