Where are you in the
renovation process?

If you find yourself in this position, don’t panic. We’ve talked to hundreds of people just like you and have produced amazing outcomes for them. Not knowing where to start means you can get it right from the very beginning. Between your online research and conflicting advice from well-intentioned friends you can begin to feel overwhelmed and renovating can seem way too hard. We call this paralysis by analysis and it’s something you want to avoid.

You are already right at the beginning of the renovation process and have the opportunity to save yourself a lot of time, money and stress by starting out properly and following a clear path forward.

From here, the next step is to contact us. Our local builder will come out to your home and chat about what you would like to achieve from a renovation. We’ll assess your house in its current state and gather some initial ideas about what your new home might look and feel like. This is the time to have an upfront conversation about what you truly want for yourself and your family now and into the future. Our job is to work with your budget and to help you achieve everything possible.

Once we have a general picture of the scope of your project our designer gets involved and together you’ll generate more specific concepts around floorplan, design elements, and all the fun stuff. As renovation specialists, we have a great deal of experience and can offer ideas and suggestions which you hadn’t considered or even thought possible. We’ll lay out the initial costings, and when you’re feeling comfortable it’s on to the next step. You can read all about our Design-Plan-Construct process here.

If you have a few ideas about what you want from your renovation, this is a great step forward. By sketching out a floorplan and throwing around ideas you have probably really taken the time to think about what you and your family need to get out of the new space and how it needs to work for your lifestyle.

With a few ideas in mind it can be tempting to jump online and find a designer or architect to draw up your plans, but before you get that ball rolling it is crucial to think honestly about your budget. Renovating has some unique costs involved and a specialist renovation builder is the best place to start in order to get accurate pricing for your project. It’s our job to help you get everything you can out of your budget, not to draw up plans that aren’t based in reality.

From here, the next step is to get in touch so that we can have a conversation about the plans you already have in mind. A site visit will allow your local renovation builder to make sure that your dreams are technically achievable and give them the opportunity to discuss all the possibilities. Being completely upfront with your builder about your budget means they can apply their expertise to maximising your return on it. A Smith & Sons designer will put all of your concepts and plans to paper with your budget and expectations already in mind. Once suggestions have been tossed around and drawings tweaked we’ll be able to provide you with an indication of cost. When you’re happy with this, we proceed to a full-scale estimate and detail all inclusions so that you’re always crystal clear on what to expect. You can read about our Design-Plan-Construct process here.

If you’ve done a lot of legwork and have plans already drawn up, you’re probably on the hunt for builders to give you a quote. We’re more than happy to do so, but first, there are a few things you should be aware of.

• Comparing quotes can be like comparing apples with oranges. Getting quotes from a few builders and then comparing them seems like the obvious way to go—and it would be, if each builder presented the exact same build strategy, inclusions, timeframe, and experience.  It might also be reasonable to assume that the quotes you receive will be detailed and honest about exactly what they include but, unfortunately, this is often not the case. Many builder’s quotes are intentionally scarce on the details and wading through them takes time, effort and back-and-forth with the builder.

• Selecting a builder based solely on price can be a race to the bottom because there’s always someone willing to undercut someone else. In addition, by using price as your only guide, you might miss the fact that the quotes are not providing the same quality inclusions or detailing the same exclusions. This route often leaves expectations unmet in the end.

• Every home renovation is different so comparing what you want for your home with what your friends had done to theirs can overlook the unique aspects of each project. This could give you an inflated expectation of what your renovation will cost, or leave you unprepared for the realistic price of achieving your own dream.

• Renovating brings its own challenges and requires specific strategies. A specialist renovation builder comes pre-packaged with all the knowledge of how best to go about a renovation—expertise that a general builder is unlikely to have. Preserving some elements of a home and incorporating them seamlessly into a new space while completely demolishing other elements—and not blowing out the budget in doing so—takes some know-how.

What is the alternative?

In all likelihood, your home is your most valuable asset. Trusting it to a fast-talking builder with a rock-bottom price may entail some risk. When entrusting your family’s lifestyle and safety to someone, it’s important that your interests are their priority. Discovering this means having an open conversation and building some sort of a relationship, so throwing plans out to a selection of builders and seeing what comes back may not be the best way to go about it.

We know that the cost of your renovation is a major consideration for you. Be frank with the builder about your expectations and your budget and find out exactly how they can help you.

A renovation specialist like Smith & Sons will not only craft a stunning renovation, they also have the expertise to guide you through the whole process from start to finish and really put your budget to use. It can be daunting renovating your home but our streamlined process is designed to minimise the stress involved so that you are over the moon about the result and left feeling that the whole journey was completely worthwhile.