Hi Ann, thankyou, yes we were very happy with the transformation. The additional floor area and light filled spaces will enhance the growing families day to day activities. The double height void with transparent staircase is my clients favourite part of the house, there is a nice area under the staircase for the kids to play in and from the basement living space the view outside through the double height glazing is beautiful, not to mention the upstairs view down the valley which is amazing. The timber is actually shadowclad with a merbau stain, so it's grooved plywood panels which are cost efficient as the supply cost is reasonable and installation is fast, shadowclad also looks great. We initially had blackbutt cladding specified here but after holding the competitive tender we went through a cost-cutting exercise and replaced the blackbutt with shadowclad. Overall the project has been a success. Thanks for your comments. Kind regards Frank.

Thank you Jackson. We were very pleased with the results. You can see more images of the project - Newtown House - (and other work), in our Houzz profile, and on our website - www,hungerfordedmunds.com I'll be adding some before and after images for other projects in the near future.

We used Sip walls, "Stuctual Insulated Panels. Also have foam cladding. Storm resistant Fire resistant Termite resistant Foam is a wonderful insulation, I'm sure your fine, just ask your builder and all you worries will disappear.

No . It might do , but what do you want to achieve , and there's nowhere near enough info . Are you a qualified engineer ? You say its solid , but old . So you presumably take all the roof off , add some beams , at least double the weight by adding another floor and walls and roof and plumbing and appliances and stairs and . . . . Will the walls stand the weight ? The piles/stumps/floor ? Then , construction costs will be higher ( yes , there's a pun in there ) because everything has to be designed to suit , lifted , there's more risk for workers , and on it goes . Almost certainly cranes , for days or weeks . What flooring for upstairs ? Frames , beams , prestressed concrete ? Then theres stairs , electricty , plumbing . You will probably have to do new ceilings downstairs , which may need new wiring , alcatraves , walls painted or papered . I could go on about syles and eras and how it all looks , but in a worst case the 'groundworks' will cost more than a section ( piece of land ) . Personally , I can't grasp why people build upstairs at a later stage ( or lift a house and build under ) . I can understand if its all designed together , but anything else my first reaction is No .