Hi Amanda My renovation work has ranged from $1,500/m2 to $4,000/m2 (and more). What varies is the standard of finish, the amount the existing home is disrupted, and the structural gymnastics being performed. I would concur with the above advice that finding the right design professional and briefing them well will help you deliver a renovation in alignment with your goals for it. What also is important is starting your reno with a great overall strategy. There are a few ideas involved in this, but one that has worked for my projects (both my own and my clients') is to capitalise on the economy of building 'new' when extending. New work is less expensive to build than renovating (on a square meterage rate), so consider whether you can bolt on your extension and not disrupt the existing too significantly. Below is a photo of the type of thing I mean - this was a reno I did of one of our own homes, and we added a living/kitchen/dining pavilion on the rear of an old Queenslander home. This home is another example - the entire extension was built for a similar price to the refurbishing of the existing home - and yet provided significantly greater returns in space and design. "Before" shot from rear "After" shot from rear You may not be seeking something of this aesthetic (and your council may limit your aesthetic too), but the general intent of these extensions is that they 'bolted' onto the existing home. The roof of the new extension is separate to the existing, with a transitional built element that tucks under the existing roofs to bridge between the two. Best wishes with your plans - getting ready upfront will also help you manage your costs. Time = money so when you brief your team well, everyone works efficiently, and construction can flow seamlessly without unnecessary delays, then that also assists in keeping on budget. I wrote a blog about how projects go over budget, and how to minimise this risk on your project. Click here to read >> Regards Amelia Lee, UA www.undercoverarchitect.com amelia@undercoverarchitect.com

Hi, we have actually built a luxury 4 bedroom container home from scratch. It had a master bedroom, walk in robe, ensuite, laundry, living area, study, bathroom, toilet, alfrsco etc and ended by being quite large. We bought existing containers and converted them. As a builder, we understood the challenges of getting it to comply, but as MB has said, the challenges were huge. The engineering reinforcement and cutting of corten steel with a plasma cutter was a whole new learning curve in practicality. The realities of dealing with condensation /insulation and wiring are another. My strong suggestion to you is to either go through a specialist container builder (there is one in Victoria from memory) or use another method. Here's a piccy of what we did.... Ensuite

Hi Joy, Not sure where you are but can offer you a few tips. Before you engage a designer, try a little simple research of your own if you haven't already. In any city there are display homes/apartments open by builders with the latest yet affordable styles and colours. A weekend spent walking through (the new displays only) will soon give you the ideas of what you like or don't like and what you think goes together. And it's free... Another alternative is to attend home opens for houses similar in style to yours that have been well renovated. You can often see a cool idea or use of materials that doesn't go overboard. The main thing for it all to 'feel right' is to have a style that suits the existing house, works with the the new decor and yourselves. This sounds hard but with the right use of colour (paint) and some materials it is amazing how you can connect old with new. Your designer can guide you with this. For example, we have just finished the conversion and major extension of an american influenced 100 year old cedar clad home into a Hampton style throughout. In some areas, the original skirting is different as we chose to retain the character to what we put through the extension. As we have the whole house painted the same, it isn't noticed by anyone unless we point it out. We have crafted some doors to match the old and updated the handles to an antique brass throughout. Again, a consistency. The consistency in some areas can camouflage necessary (eg budget) compromises. Once you have the idea of your likes and dislikes, you can easily ideasbook a few things. As they say, a piccy tells a thousand words. Good luck!

Can you post a sketch? I'm scrolling back and forth trying to visualise it all and understand dimensions and orientation and usage. If the fence colour suits the house and creates a good background for the plants I wouldn't worry about whether it will date. The same concern could apply to the house, but if it all comes together in a way that is classically timeless rather than overly trendy and you're happy with it, then it's working. Alternatively formal or informal hedging can obscure the fence and avoid the question of what colour the fence should be. I agree that with a toddler and dogs you want to keep as much of that lawn as you can. Work out how much garden bed is needed around the edge so that you are not constantly pruning the plants back to fit, but so it still leaves as much lawn as you want. What's missing in my view is edging, most garden styles look better with edging between the plants and the grass. Another thing that gives gardens a more finished look is underplanting. Research plants to ensure you don't plant anything that is toxic or allergenic. Remember humans and dogs can differ in that regard. Start an Ideabook for your garden. If you have images of what you are trying to achieve, and you can share that with us, you can make progress with specific how to's and choosing specific plants.