Where to start?? Newbie advice!

6 months ago

Hi everyone, I posted recently to get some ideas about possible renovation/extension ideas for our family home. There were some great ideas which I’d like to explore further, particularly around what is actually possible and costs.
However, I have no idea how to start! Do we engage an architect to come and have a look? A builder? A plumber? Are there any services that will advise the best solutions for what we’re trying to achieve? We are located in Adelaide…
It feels very overwhelming, so any advice on a usual process / first steps would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

dreamer
6 months ago
Google “renovation companies adelaide”. A renovation company will come to your home and discuss your needs. Look at your property, load bearing walls, plumbing, site restrictions etc. and draw up an initial design. They will cost out for you and give informative feedback on timelines expected. You may have to pay an initial amount of money, for plans, engineer reports etc. This is an ideal scenario as you have not renovated before and have no knowledge of the process. OR, you could contact the council first to find out where your service lines into your home are, water, electricity, sewer. Do rough sketches of your thoughts. Then contact a drafts person to draw up some initial plans from your rough sketches. Then contact a builder, a structural engineer, a plumber, a electrician etc etc. to look at your property to see what is feasible. You could then project manage all aspects of the renovation. If you are a busy family and don’t have the knowledge or time, then a renovation company would be a good start. If you feel you have the time and are willing to learn with trial and error, then you can project manage. But what you wish to take 3 months may take 6 months or more. If you do not have personal reference contact with any trades, then the renovation company may be better.
Kate T thanked dreamer
bigreader
6 months ago
Start following some Reno Blogs. the_reno_life on Instagram is a good one. They also do very reasonable floor plan reviews. Three birds renovations and Buildher both have courses you can do. Undercover Architect has some great free resources and is worth following on social media. Katrina Chambers has good basic e-books to start you off. You need to gather information and increase your knowledge before you start spending dollars. The big first step is to establish your budget and what is a need vs a want. Use that and the preliminary draft plan you have from here as a start. Then have a visit to your Council, either in person or my phone, to show them your preliminary plan and see if it’s allowed for your site and the process for permits etc. Then have an on-site visit with a builder - you can pay for their time to see whether you’re looking at $50k or $500k. The builder won’t be able to give exact costume but they will be able to tell you what’s buildable and if it’s in your budget. After that you may decide it’s Al too hard and use an all-in-one company to handle it. You will pay a premium for that but renovations are not for the faint hearted.
Kate T thanked bigreader
Related Discussions
Ugly back of house and garden, and ive no idea where to start
Q
Comments (24)
So many great suggestions here for you! What a fabulous house to work with. I would extend the pergola out to where the BBQ is, but scrap it. I also suggest replacing the brick paved area with large creamish pavers & use the bricks to pave the path in a bit if a curve. Utilize the curved area for seating widening the steps as suggested. A couple of large pots with citrus either side. These could be planted later as the garden progresses. Also a grape vine or wisteria planted to grow over the pergola would give summer shade & let light into the house in winter. I would screen the granny flat with either a few hardy bushes or a lattice type screen & grow a passion-fruit, kiwi fruit or climbing rose. If you don't like the climbing thing something structural like yucca's or cordylines, both low maintenance - talk to your local nursery, they are the experts. They may offer garden design too. Also have a look at http://plantselector.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/ Just put in your postcode & you get a list of plants with pictures, descriptions etc. Enjoy your garden room. Good luck.
...See More
Where do you start?? house design advice
Q
Comments (14)
Jason.....3 factors: 1. your requirements/goals/"brief" 2. Budget 3. Site/context........these 3 things will define the project outcome/direction one way or the other...and that outcome/direction will depend upon how these factors are negotiated, balanced and managed..........I could go on for days about all this stuff, but as start, perhaps think about developing a home from the inside out, rather than the outside in, because if you do that it generally will reflect/respond to and be better suited to and derived from you, your needs and the lifestyle you seek. You already have some reference points (land, certain styles that appeal etc)...perhaps best you reach out/speak with some design professionals about your potential home and begin to hone in on your priorities and what aligns with your goals......... Be aware that you will be predominantly EXPERIENCING your home, rather than sitting outside with a cup of tea admiring it like they do in the Colorbond TV ads......so what it looks like, really should come from what it is internally....form follows function.....also arguably some of the beautiful European architecture is not necessarily that well suited to the Australian climate & environment......a house that deeply connects to the site/context, functions & performs to a certain level and "feels" great and appropriately balanced will provide an immeasurably greater living experience on many levels, as opposed to one that may look pretty in a brochure or on instagram, but in reality is disconnected to context, arbitrarily sited and configured or misaligned in various ways the homeowner's various particular & practical needs........ Fantastic & exciting opportunity..... Hope this provides some preliminary food for thought....feel free to reach out if you'd like some further direction/guidance Good luck! Cheers PD :) www.pauldistefanodesign.com
...See More
Where to start with planning a 10acre property
Q
Comments (9)
Hi T Whit, Firstly, congratulations. How lovely to have 10 acres and a view! Also really glad that you are taking the sensible approach and aren't rushing into anything. Perhaps the best place to start is finding an architect or building designer with whom to work through your ideas and come up with a concept. Whether you engage an architect or building designer really depends on three things: your budget, the size of your project and, probably the most important thing, finding a professional person with whom you feel comfortable working. The whole process will always run more smoothly when a good working relationship is established. Once you have a plan you are happy with, it may also make sense to engage an interior designer to look it over prior to submitting to council or beginning construction, to see whether the flow of the internal design is optimal and where any adjustments might be made. Once you have council approval, it's costly and time-consuming to make significant changes as you'll then need to re-submit the plans. An interior designer can also help with exterior colours and finishes, selection of all the internal finishes, lighting, fixtures & fittings and would be able to provide detailed design of kitchens, bathrooms, built-in joinery etc. which trades will need. There are so many details to consider in any building project, so best to have as much of it as possible worked out before the project gets underway. Having said that, it's also an "organic" process and your ideas and tastes may well change during the design process, so it's good to have people you can trust on board to help with important decision-making and to workshop ideas. Best of luck with your project!
...See More
HELP :) Advice on kitchen plans and how to start our reno??
Q
Comments (15)
Thank you @oklouise for your detailed response and proposing a plan! Just a couple of responses and questions regarding what you've mentioned: - Agreed that we need a proper plan in place before doing any big kitchen renos. I've been doing research all day and have better understanding of how complex the process can be. I think a complete DYI kitchen will be out of the question for us, so we will shop around for builders and a cabinet makers to get a better feel of the costs involved - Agree with leaving the 70cm wall, at least on the side where the fridge is. Spoke to my partner and we will amend our plans - You mentioned that you like the stove location but think the kitchen is too shallow to have the stove and kitchen there. Can I ask why? I've seen a couple of examples where stove & island is 1 meter apart, which seemed to work. - We unfortunately won't be able to have the dining table in front of the stove, as we won't have enough space to accommodate quite a large couch & TV in the remaining living space :( I'm still gravitating towards having an island, as I prefer some separation between kitchen & living space Cheers, Xenia
...See More
Kate T
Original Author
6 months ago
You are so helpful! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply 😊

Where to start?? Newbie advice!

Comments (3)

dreamer

bigreader

Related Discussions

Kate T
Original Author

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Where to start?? Newbie advice!

Comments (3)

dreamer

bigreader

Related Discussions

Kate TOriginal Author

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Kate T
Original Author