Wow! What an amazing house. I agree with your sentiments and understand how much work they can need to repatriate them into something that works now. It might be worth getting a building inspection report from the builder you plan on using) to see where the major headaches and wallet bleeders are in the house so that you can make an informed decision and then brief a designer/architect and figure out what, if anything, you would like salvage. That way you might be able to incorporate new and old together at a cost effective price or at least you'll know in your heart that you've made the best decision for your home.

If renovate do one room at a time, strip wall paper and paint then concentrate on using trades in kitchen bathroom etc.

If there was a beach view which your existing house was not capitalizing on I would say to bulldoze it. However, if there is no view to be had, I would think hard before razing it. it looks like you have great wooden floors. high ceiling and big rooms. Can you afford to build a place with high ceilings, solid wood floors and large rooms? Many modern homes have no character but your place has character. I don't know what you consider is wrong with the house. The color scheme seems neutral and the rooms seem bright. Removing the wallpaper in the hallway is a simple job you could do yourself with little expense. I assume you don't like the kitchen and bathroom/s? and need a family room opening to the backyard.

I've just bought a house from the same period in far worse condition than this, I wish mine was in as good nick as yours, the living and bedroom areas look like they merely need a refurbishment rather than a renovation? There's great light and space and the floors and plaster look great.

As long as it's structurally sound, I'd simply concentrate on the kitchen/bathroom if they're not in as good a condition as the rest of the house (they rarely are!) then live in it for a while before deciding how to extend or change the place, this would give you a year or so to get a little more capital and equity for it. But I have to side in the camp of NOT knocking it down. There is always a way to do something, you just need a few compromises here and there. As I've found out renovating my "Old Dame"!!

+1 for keeping it. It looks great, what is it you don't like about it? Maybe start with answering that question and go from there. Looks like you've had good tenants in there, the whole place looks cared for. Lucky you.

Oh... what a stunning home !! Please please please...think thirty gazillion times be fore you demolish. Anyone can build a "modern " house. This beauty could be a fabulous home . I completely agree with all comments from the keeper brigade. Get an inspection, live in her and work out why you don't like her. If you decide to demolish...please sell her to someone who wont. There are so many houses in Perth.. we are losing our stunning heritage homes. Please note the use of "house" and "home", they are 2 totally different things.

Hi Abstar - We are just at the other end of such a project in a river location in Perth. The designer has done an amazing job of blending the old and the new with the use of interesting materials, features and detailing. The work done on the old structure (2bd cottage) makes it look like a new build. I have attached a couple of photos and would be happy to put you in touch with the designer, who is also managing the build. Photos are of the work in progress although we are now much further along and in residence. Cheers Deborah

Definitely a keeper. I hate to see these older homes being knocked down for the ultra modern builds that stand out like sore thumbs in the older suburbs.

Don't look at the big picture as it is too overwhelming - take one room at a time. You just have to decide which is the most important room and start there. For me it is the kitchen.

Renovate, definitely, it's an amazing house and could be just stunning with so much more character than a new home could ever offer. There will be ways you can save on your renovating budget, painting things yourself, demolition yourselves etc. Where there is a will there is a way..

While the amount of work may seem overwhelming at this stage, your efforts will reap great rewards. Home of this era scrub up very nicely after a quality renovation is undertaken. At Amerex Renovations and Additions, we specialise in transforming Perth homes of this era, and have many home renovation and addition examples for you to draw inspiration from, both here on Houzz and on our website.

If you would like to give us a call and arrange for Steve Burke, our Managing Director to visit and discuss your home, please call (08) 9227 1822. Many of the projects we undertake have budget limitations, and we are happy to advise what you can realistically achieve within your budget.

Character Home Top Storey Addition and renovation · More Info

Character Home Top Storey Addition and renovation · More Info

The house looks in pretty good condition actually. I've seen far worse! You have good bones to work with; why would you want to detonate? I don't understand why people buy beautiful old homes and then just want to obliterate them. Just go and buy an empty block somewhere if you want a new house, and leave the beautiful old homes for someone who would really appreciate it. It has history, heritage and all thing things that make make the street interesting in the first place. Such a shame to see it go. I hope it's heritage listed :)… and good luck!

Photos can look better than a building 'feels'.

Have been through this process with numerous people and my first advice concerning additions (any not just heritage) is to take the money you would spend on the additions and add it to the money you would have if you sold the house and go and buy what you need.

This advice is given against a few provisos, if you love the area/street then that will colour your decision, if you have been renting and have to pay capital gains tax on top of the stamp duty and agents fees then the economics lean more towards renovating.

The biggest problem with renovation of old homes is that it is never ending and expensive. Approximately three times the cost of new construction per sqm.

A thoughtful, well planned, renovation is my recommendation. By the look of the images you have provided, your home looks to be a beauty, and the site looks to be reasonably generous.

The 'look and feel' of the home can be enhanced with a fresh lick of paint, especially if the home already has a lot of character. Issues of materials and finishes needing replacement due to age or redundancy can be addressed through case-by-case replacement or a bigger picture renovation. If there is not enough space, and the house cannot be adapted to suit, then strategically add the space required.

For any renovation project we recommend setting a clear budget with a prioritised design brief – then head to an experienced architect with this clear, definitive information.

With imagination and a clear design agenda your architect can apply some lateral creative thinking along with a sophisticated design – to make the most of your existing home, the most of your site and it's features as well as the most of your budget.

We recently wrote an article on this topic. If you are interested you can view it here.

Best of luck.

Cathi

Something else to consider archimondo is the appreciation in property value of an older renovated house vs a new build. After 10 years or so most houses will become 'out of fashion' if you like and the building component of a property's value will decline. Older, character houses will always be in demand and good examples usually fetch higher prices than more modern homes in comparable locations.

I agree with everyone who says please don't knock it down! Our place (purchased this time last year) is of a similar vintage, and while it has cost some $ to renovate, it was perfectly liveable in its original condition. Ugly paint colours, wall papers, lighting are all easily fixable. McMansions are already out of style, but your place is a beauty. Think twice before trading it in.

Wow, thanks everyone for your comments! If you read this comment, I'd love to get the name of your designer Deborah Bowie?. The house needs totally gutting, re-roofing and the extension would have to be at the front of the house, not the back as is often the case, due to the boundary. This makes sympathetic design an issue, especially due to the slope of the land, corner block etc. We have views to the SW all tricky elements to deal with.

Currently the very old loo is on the sleepout - through two bedrooms and the bathroom is off the kitchen, thats if you can call no bench, a sink and basic stove in the fireplace a kitchen? There is also an outside loo. Due to the size and stage of my family I wouldn't live there. It's a student rental! Reno would have to be first before we lived there or divorce may be on the cards. 4 builders and 6 architects have said knock it down, even though the structural report says its integrity is excellent other than the roof.However, I am trying to keep it, I'm not after a McMansion as someone put it and yes I believe too many old homes are knocked down. However, everyone has a budget and realistically I don't have the knowledge of knowing the hidden surprises a reno can bring. Some houses deserve heritage listing, this one doesn't for various reasons but I wont go on!

Thanks again and please any contacts left in comments will be appreciated!

So glad to hear you say that you want to keep it if you can. I just love these old Perth homes (I feel like I've walked past this one regularly!). It is understandable that you wouldn't want to live in it now but I'd bet you will LOVE it when it is renovated. It is such a difficult decision. Best wishes and I hope to see the house around (I can't remember *where* but it just looks so familiar to me!).

Grace, craftsmanship, great proportions, lovely timber floors and doors, a house with a history. Why would you want to knock it down??? All you will end up with if you knock it down is a dime a dozen "mcmansion" that will do its own dating in 15-20 years. Your house has done its dating and a tasteful reno will provide something beautiful to live in till you are ready to leave. Good luck with it.

Hi abstar

We've designed, built, renovated and extended many homes through the Western suburbs for ourselves and our clients. Not sure if you have started yet but here are a couple of pics of our work... particularly on a house that everyone else said that nothing could be done (we've always found a way to make retaining the house worthwhile).

Our website www.twos.com.au has loads of projects and is well worth a look.

Cheers

This home is very much like the home i renovated in Bunbury. I stripped each room independently as i completed each room i shut the door and went on to the next room. starting all over the place is not the way to go.Mine had picture and china rails and doors like yours. I did not go mad with white paint on the doors but worked around the original dark. Perth has great heritage. But sadly history is being replaced by concrete. Sad to say i now live in he tropics and housing is different. Keep that delicious house and make it a forever home.

Something which is very welcoming in this age home is timber on the veranda ceiling. it is a long time since your original question, how have you progressed?

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Congrats to the renovation decision. Attitudes towards established properties, regardless of their location in Perth has changed. People are renovating, especially along the coast, in suburbs like Cottesloe. The old adage, they don't build them like they use to, is so true - and workmanship and quality of these properties is so expensive and near impossible to replicate.

Good on you abstar9511 for choosing to Renovate! I've personally gone through a renovation in the last 18 months and it is worth it.

From the pictures the house looks to be in fairly decent nick for a Perth original, especially one by the beach with our salt and winds. If you choose to update the gardens at a later date, Planted Passion is happy to quote on a resilient garden design and installation for your properties' weather/soil/aspect conditions. Personally, I can see a Cottage Garden vibe which would like stunning, especially with the inclusion of some Hedges for beach wind protection.

Good luck with the reno!