Project planning is an on-going and continuous process before and during the construction phase of a renovation.

I have allowed for contingencies in my budget for the unforeseen – what if we discover a huge boulder while digging into the ground or the entire roof suddenly crumbles during demolition. Depending on the nature and size of the project, I have previously provided a 10% contingency on construction costs for new builds.

Excavation and preparing trenches for concrete foundation

While waiting for the Construction Certificate to be issued by a private certifier, my builder proposed we save time by demolishing the aluminium garden shed built on a concrete slab, remove trees, garden shrubs and plants on the reno footprint and excavate trenches for the concrete foundation.

(In New South Wales, the document required before building works can commence is called a Construction Certificate. In Victoria, this document is called a Building Permit).

Large heaps of black earth from excavation works

You don’t need to be a lawyer to know that digging a hole in the garden bed can also be deemed gardening as opposed to excavation for building purposes. And I have read about domestic violence among Hollywood celebrities inflicting more destruction compared to the demolition we have carried out thus far.

Cutting into existing concrete pavement to create trench

Even though there is an existing concrete pavement on the southeast side of the backyard, this concrete needs to be cut to create a trench for the new concrete foundation. A new pathway will be constructed directly above this concrete pavement for new access from the study onto the outdoor deck.

This concrete pavement will form part of the under house storage of gardening tools and equipment.

Boundaries of property pegged by land surveyor

The Construction Certificate was issued on 27 July 2016.

Prior to excavation and construction, one of the most important tasks is to ensure the boundaries are correctly pegged by the land surveyor. Although, demolition of the garden shed and removal of plants and trees commenced on 19 July 2016, we lost a couple of weeks due to the heavy rain and storms between end July and first week of August. Once excavation is completed, concrete was poured on 12 August 2016.

Concrete works – 12 August 2016

Concrete mixer truck at the front of the house

The house has a 22-metre north-east frontage that is drenched all day with natural sunlight.

On this beautiful winter morning, a concrete mixer truck is ready to do its work. Readymix concrete from smaller suppliers are significantly more expensive in Sydney at $275 per cubic metre compared to the $160 per cubic metre I have paid for property development projects in Melbourne.

Concrete being pumped to rear of property

The concrete from a mixer truck is pumped through a pipe along the northwest border to the rear of the house.

Concrete being pumped into pier foundation

Each pier foundation that would eventually support the extension of the dining area and outdoor deck is filled with concrete.

Fresh concrete pumped into trench

The newly cut trench at the bottom of the walkway outside the study is filled with concrete.

Fresh concrete being pumped into trenches

As the concrete is poured into the trenchs, it is evenly leveled before it dries.

Fresh concrete being pumped into trench

This concrete trench will be the foundation for the edge of the outdoor deck facing the reserve.

Leveling fresh concrete

Concrete hardened and set after three days

Brickworks – 19 August 2016

Bricks temporarily placed on nature strip

These bricks are for the underside of the elevated deck as it needs to be fully concealed to comply to the ‘flame zone’ fire rating. Had I chosen not to conceal the underside of the deck, all the joists and materials will need to be non-combustible.

These nine pallets of bricks cost about $2,750 or approximately 65 cents per brick.

Cement mixer on the front lawn

Part of the front lawn has been used by the brickies to mix their cement. The nozzle on my garden hose is totally smudged with cement and my builder has kindly offered to buy me a new one.

Eventually, the red brick walls will be rendered and from a renovation perspective, this is one of the most effective ways to ‘modernize’ an older style red brick facade.

Both Mysaucepan and I dislike the white plantation shutters (yaay! we do agree on certain things!!) because they require swinging space when opened. Out of the fourteen window panels around the house, I have sold 12 panels for $100 each on eBay and there are two remaining panels for sale.

The white window frames are original from the time when this house was built in the late 1960s. They will be replaced with matt charcoal aluminium windows from Trend Windows in Eastern Valley Way, Chatswood.

Wheelbarrow transports bricks from from lawn to the rear

The brickies wheelbarrow the bricks from the front lawn and stack them up before they are laid.

Brickie preparing cement for bricklaying

Today is Friday, 26 August 2016 and it is a beautiful winter day to be laying bricks even if I am not a brickie myself.

Cement mixed in the front lawn is shoved onto wooden planks next to brick piles.

Bricks ready to be laid

The walls around the area to the left of the staircase where my builder (in blue shirt) is standing have been demolished. In time, the roof will also be demolished and that area will become a new bedroom and living area. The area where the staircase is currently located will be extended to become the new dining room.

Bricks ready to be laid

What was once a garden bed with beautiful agapanthus, lilies, camellias and hydrangeas looks like a complete mess to the dismay of Mysaucepan.

Southeast and southwest brickwall completed

The walls on the eastern and southern boundaries of the deck are completed after three days. Note the concrete has changed colour from a greyish blue to a whitish grey when fully hardened.

New brick wall foundation for elevated deck completed

It took two brickies five days to construct this wall and brick piers at a cost of $4,500.

(Note the wall is not completely illustrated in the image above.)

It seems like ages since sale contracts were exchanged on the 4 June 2015 for this property.

A contingency clause in the sale contract is incumbent upon the seller obtaining probate from the trustee for a deceased estate before settlement can occur. After a prolonged delay, we finally settled on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 for a contract that normally takes 42 days to do so.

I went straight into project planning mode after contracts were exchanged in June 2015, engaging my building designer to formalize and submit a DA for the renovation and addition.

BEFORE Excavation – Site Preparation

BEFORE Excavation: The backyard and garden

Initially, I expected approval for the renovations to be obtained via a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) the process of which could take as little as ten days through a private certifier. However, a bushfire report returning a classification of ‘flame zone’ (the highest bushfire alert rating per the NSW Rural Fire Service) means constraints to building design and materials used for the proposed renovation. The CDC process is not permitted due to this rating and a council approval is required via a DA. Project costs will also incur the additional expense which I anticipated at the outset.

Through my experience from building townhouses in Melbourne over the last few years, I have learnt that Council restrictions to building design can often be opportunities in disguise. Obstacles present an opportunity to think creatively and in ways we don’t normally do. I will share my new discoveries in building materials and the design of a “floating corner” that integrates the outdoors with the interior of the house in my next blog post.

Delays on the part of the building designer meant the DA was eventually lodged on 28 January 2016, a lengthy 127 days since settlement on 23 September 2015. Upon lodgement of the DA with Northern Beaches Council, I am told by the council planner that they are currently inundated with a high volume of development applications.

It seems that most home owners are eager to have their DA approved before Christmas and ours were eventually determined on 22 April 2016.

BEFORE Excavation: The backyard and garden

The previous owner maintained quite a few plants and used brick pavers to define garden beds. Though I enjoy gardening, there is ample land in the backyard and I foresaw an opportunity to add value during open inspection back in May 2015 when it was for sale.

“Can we keep this garden bed?” Mysaucepan asks as I finalize renovation plans with the building designer.

“From a real estate investment point of view, no” I reply. “We cannot realize the full potential of this land if we keep this garden bed.”

On the space where the garden bed and paved concrete area are currently located will be an elevated deck and spa pool. The garden will be low maintenance and brick pavers will be replaced with sandstone rocks for a more natural setting.

BEFORE Excavation: Plants in garden bed and concrete pavers are removed

BEFORE Excavation: Plants in garden bed and concrete pavers are removed

A building permit is required before construction can commence and as I wait for this permit to be issued, I begin my search for a good local builder. Over a few weeks of meeting builders and going through quotations, I believe that I have found the right builder for this proposed renovation.

BEFORE Excavation: Plants in garden bed and concrete pavers are removed

BEFORE Excavation: Plants in garden bed and concrete pavers are removed

View of the backyard and reserve from our kitchen

While waiting for the permit to be issued, the builder begins the site preparation by removing the garden bed, a mature yakka, fern and concrete pavers.

I consult a local arborist to see if mature strelitzia nicolai and palm trees next to the house can be relocated elsewhere. The arborist advised that depending on the age and species of a tree, the cost of relocating and replanting can be up to $5,000 and there is no guarantee the tree will even survive in its new location. Based on this advice, I think the decision to use an arborist for replanting is rather obvious.

Unusable corner cleared for new bedroom and bathroom

It is always best to avoid properties where the shape of the land and floorplan are irregular because they are difficult to work with.

Square and rectangular areas will generally yield the highest return in space utilization. By demolishing an external wall, this under-utilized corner of house which is currently a garden bed will be integrated to become a new bedroom with an ensuite.

An excavator preparing trenches for concrete foundation

Application was made to council to allow access for an excavator through the long strip of reserve land at the rear of the property. Within a day, the excavator prepares trenches for the concrete foundation for the extension of the existing house.

Replanting mature palm tree

A mature palm next to the house is being removed with an excavator and replanted at the edge of the backyard. I hope this palm will survive and thrive in its new location.

I am not an interior designer and don’t pretend to be one.

I am an accountant and accountants are generally known to be boring, number-crunching nerds devoid of good aesthetics and creativity, except perhaps, for creative accounting. But I do believe there exist in each of us, however large or small, a sense of appreciation for goodness and beauty that defines who we are. Aesthetically, I find darker colours like charcoal, grey and black exude its mystique when combined with natural textures such as wood and timber motifs.

Beauty is, of course, subjective and it begins with our own perception of what it actually is. In the context of interior design and home decor, I like the notion of minimalist, where less is more and how neutral colours play a role in defining a particular space. Thankfully, Mysaucepan shares this same view so we are on the same page and there is one less argument. But when it comes to choosing colours and textures for say kitchen cabinetry, floor and wall coverings, our opinions differ vastly and this is where the fight, or fun and games if you like, begin. Like most home renovators, the constraint of a budget also determines, and in many instances, limits our choice for materials and home appliances.

I am standing on a 600mm x 1200mm charcoal shade porcelain tile for our kitchen and living areas

Being an accountant, I am ever so conscious to not overcapitalize our proposed renovation. I have my own due diligence methods on how to buy real estate and have completed townhouse developments in Melbourne. But Sydney’s property market is a totally different ball game and I have invested in upgrading my knowledge as a graduate student of “Australia’s renovation queen” Cherie Barber. Subconsciously, I have secretly (not anymore now) adopted her as my mentor and confidant.

Mysaucepan and I generally agree on white ceasarstone kitchen benchtops and she is also proposing a matt white polyurethane finish for the kitchen cabinetry as well. I like the idea of a predominantly white kitchen but cautioned that we are surrounded by nature and greenery. Therefore, I reason that our ceasarstone benchtop would really come alive when juxtaposed against more earthy elements such as a dark slate floor and warm wood paneling.

In my mind, good home aesthetics come from finding unique objects or focal points and connecting these points with a common theme. It might sound easy but given a budget, time and logistical constraints, it is tempting to waver from the theme and just buy it “off the shelf” because it is the easy thing to do.

Creating something special requires patience, time and most importantly, an unwavering determination to find different elements that perpetuate a chosen theme and in our case, black against wood motifs. It took me three weeks to finally track down wall-mounted bathroom vanities in the correct shape, size, colour and finished texture that would complement the benchtop colour, the style of hand basin, taps, towel rails and floor and wall tiles.

And I am determined to do this all over again for every piece of fitting because collectively, they will perpetuate the significance of our theme. It is back-breaking but I know the end result will be worth the effort.

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Illustration of proposed material (clockwise from top):

• Blanco maple (white) silestone (sample from Nobby’s Kitchen)
• Materia 04 Black Crusted (sample from Di Lorenzo tiles)
• Polytec Ravine Sepia Oak (sample from The Good Guys)
• Textured wood finish porcelain tile (sample from Royal Tiles)
• Materia 01 Honed (sample from Di Lorenzo tiles)
• Centre tile (and my favourite one too!): PGJ RH (sample from Royal Tiles)
• I am standing on Slate Grey porcelain tile (sample from Royal Tiles)

Useful links from this blog post:

• Royal Tiles
• Di Lorenzo Tiles
• Nobby’s Kitchen
• The Good Guys

So dear readers, can you share with us your tips on creating something special for a home renovation?