So You've Decided to Renovate Your Home?
Here Are a Few Things You Should Do Before Engaging a Professional
Renovating your existing home is as exciting as building from scratch—but it comes with its own set of challenges and considerations. Unlike the challenges of a new build, where you start with a blank slate, a renovation project means working with an existing structure, and sometimes even a piece of history.
So you’ve decided to invest in your existing home, whether it be adding another bedroom or living space or refurbishing an existing bathroom or kitchen it can be a much more sustainable way of undertaking your building project and here are some hands-on, practical steps—set in the context of Australia, Victoria—that you can tackle before engaging a professional.
Understand Local Planning Regulations and Heritage Considerations
It may seem unusual, but depending on the local planning regulations that apply to your house you may need to apply to council for a planning permissions. In Victoria, the government’s Mapshare tool (mapshare.vic.gov.au) is a useful tool available to the general public.
Heritage & Conservation, If your home is older or heritage-listed, extra rules may apply. Local councils often have additional guidelines to preserve the character of older buildings. If your house or street or even your general area is of significant heritage value, it most likely will appear on the Heritage Victoria register https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/heritage-listings/is-my-place-heritage-listed
Don’t hesitate to call up your local council. They can provide insight into property specifics like flooding risks, legal points of discharge, or even potential termite issues. It might feel a bit technical at first, but a quick chat can transform confusing jargon into practical advice for your project.
Secure and Review Your Existing Property Documentation
Given you have chosen to renovate or extend the existing property, you should seek to secure as many historic documents as possible. This will help you make informed decisions about the scope of extent of your renovation.
Search for Existing blueprint: Often your local council can have plans and drawings that were submitted to them when the house was built. I’ve requested and successfully received plans from a council that were over 50 years old!
Existing Building Assessments: Having a licensed and accredited professional come and complete an inspection of your house can help you to uncover potential issues like outdated wiring, asbestos, or illegal structural modifications that could complicate your project. It can also hopefully give you some items that require maintenance or replacement in the house that can be added to the scope of your project.
Ownership, Covenants & Restrictions: Sometimes older homes have covenants or easements that might affect what changes you can legally make to the property.
These can be found at websites similar to Landdata https://www.landata.online/
This document outlines some specific details about your land title, including some restrictions like S173 agreements or other covenants that might affect your plans. If anything on your title looks puzzling, talk to your lawyer or conveyancer to get the lowdown on what it means for your project.
I’ve had experience in the past where a restriction on the title has had a significant impact on a project, so its important to review and understand these early in a project.
Structural Limitations: Renovations can be limited by the existing building envelope, so understanding what can and cannot be altered is crucial, consulting with a structural engineer is helpful.
Dive into Property Value Research
Your home isn’t just a place to live—it’s often your single largest asset. That dream project also carries a financial dimension, so it’s important to do your homework here. I find it useful to connect with the local real estate agents to understand the current market: What’s selling well? What are buyers looking for? And most importantly, how much should you realistically spend on your new build?
When renovating, extending and/or undertaking an interior design project, within your budget, a construction contingency and design contingency is a must. Hidden behind plasterboard or a wall cavity could be something that cannot be anticipated and can need rework of your vision or additional construction costs.
By comparing the anticipated and well researched cost of construction with the current land value, you will at least have some additional points of information to make your own financial decisions from.
Refine Your Vision with the Constraints of the Existing Structure
Respecting the Existing: While you might have a grand vision for your renovated space, consider the architectural character and limitations of your existing home. Sometimes preserving certain features can add charm and value.
Space Optimization: Consider how your current layout can be improved. For instance, opening up walls for a more modern feel or updating outdated features while retaining the essence of your home.
Functionality: Consider the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and other living spaces.
Style and Aesthetics: Reflect on architectural styles you admire and design elements that resonate with you.
Future Needs: Factor in any anticipated changes, such as a growing family or evolving work-from-home requirements.
Code compliance. Construction standards have significantly improved over time, this can mean that what you thought was a simple change or shift in the house can have a cascade of compliance-related challenges which increases the scope of the work that’s needed to meet legislation. So consider making some allowance for unforeseen but necessary increase in your anticipated scope of work.
These competing factors are some of the challenges that need to be brought together into a single vision. Engaging an architect will mean you have a professional by your side who is skilled in balancing aesthetics, functionality, and regulatory requirements, ensuring your dream home is both beautiful and practical.
Decide on Your Project Approach
Be aware that renovation, extension, or interior design project working with an existing building can often be more complex than undertaking a new construction project. This is due to having to resolve and navigate around an existing building rather than a blank slate.
Full professional engagement: Renovations often require a team of experts—not just an architect, possibly a structural engineer, heritage consultant, ESD consultant or other specialist consultants. Determine early on if you’re ready to manage a more complex team, or you’d like an architect to manage this for you.
Owner build requirements. Some homeowners enjoy rolling up their sleeves for renovations. However, given the unexpected challenges of updating an older home, professional guidance might save you time, money, and stress. There are also strict owner build requirements in Victoria, some further information can be found at the Victorian building authority website, https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/owner-builders/being-an-owner-builder
The Last word
Another question I am asked often is whether renovations will require a building permit. The answer in most all cases is Yes, sometimes even with interior design work only, you can need a building permit and a building surveyor to review your project meets regulations. More information on some Building permits and other building regulations can be found at the Victoria Building authorities website, https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/home-renovation-essentials/permits
Hopefully this has given you small insights into some of the work and considerations that go into a renovation project and you’re a little better prepared to handle the unique challenges and opportunities that come with updating an existing home. Whether you’re looking to preserve the character of a historic property or simply breathe new life into your current space, taking these preparatory steps can help you on your renovation journey, which is as rewarding as it is transformative.
This article provides general guidance and is intended for informational discussion purposes only. Every project, house is unique, and regulations, costs, and timelines vary. For advice tailored to your specific needs and location, you must consult with a professional such as an architect or other relevant experts. To repeat this in plain language, this hopefully provides some useful pointers of items you should consider in your next project. It’s not a complete or exhaustive list of everything that can affect a project. Also be aware of the limitation of the information provided in the Linked websites. This information cannot be used to make financial or other decisions, you must consult with a professional to provide you with a personalised and unique advice suited to your circumstances.