9 things you must do before renovating or building: part 2/5

March 13th, 2012

Yesterday we looked at the first two essential considerations one must think about before building or renovating.

Today we check in with heritage building designer Peter Latemore to find out what else the experts recommend.

Most of these points help you better communicate with your builder so your expectations can be more easily, quickly and economically met.

Write a brief

This will involve discussing ideas with everyone in the household. Latemore recommends consulting with the kids in the house as well.

“You really want to assess your kids’ needs. If you decide to build upwards, perhaps your teenagers will be happy in the darker downstairs area. If you have a teenager who wants to paint their ceiling black, let them! You can always paint over it later on.”

Write down the overall needs, for example, four beds, a deck, not to extend beyond the kitchen. Detail some specifics, if you love cooking you’ll need a spacious kitchen. This helps you sort out the likes and dislikes.

“Needs trump wants; always think needs before wants.” Latemore suggests you also think about what you might need in the future. What will happen in 5, 10 or 20 years, will the children be gone? Will you be looking to turn a room into a gym, or to resale?

“Use strategic planning, not just design planning.”

Think budget

Be realistic. “Be honest with yourself and give yourself a contingency plan – projects always have unexpected costs.”

Check with your bank. “Your friendly bank manager still needs head office approval.” Find out what you have to work with first.

Consider staged development. “Do you need 20 bedrooms now? Can the carport wait? You can always start with the basic needs and let the design be ready for future development. This can take the pressure off you significantly.”

Clever design. “Smaller, good designs are better. You can also pull it back – there’s nothing wrong with a smaller, more efficient spaces.”

Research costs. “Ask around for costs, try quantity surveyor sites and check with your neighbours, family and friends.”

Keri Algar

Having once had to sit on the washing machine to stop it from bouncing into oblivion, Keri is today delighted with the new (smoother running) technologies that make housework easier every day. A self-confessed lazy-bones, Keri seeks out quirky inventions that ease the human workload, such as the robotic vacuum cleaner (wow). And as soon as someone figures out a Jetsons-like self-cleaning house, she will happily lay her pen to rest and retire from appliance journalism. Until then, her pick is a fridge that will tell her smartphone when it's time to pick up more beer on the way home. Magic.