One of the quickest ways to gain extra space for your home is to enclose the garage. Here are some tips to think about.

Enclosing a garage can add some much-needed extra space. This is especially true where the garage is attached to your house or where the garage is below the house. However, here are some considerations to be aware of before you start.

1. Usually, a garage would be classed and approved as a Class 10 building. This class is reserved for structures like car ports; sheds and garages where the structure; insulation and waterproofing treatment is not as critical as with a house. Foundation are slightly smaller, floor slabs slightly thinner or not as high off the ground or don’t have a damp-proof lining under the slab. All of these items need to be investigated and improved on, before your extension can be approved.

2. With spaces under houses, the critical issue is head height. The NCC (National Construction Code) requires that all habitable spaces like bedrooms or living rooms have a minimum ceiling height of 2.4 meters. You can raise the building (at a reasonable expense) or excavate the floor lower if the terrain allows it. Natural ventilation and light are contributing factors when ceiling height is considered. Very few certifiers approve spaces below this height limitation.

3. Walls to garaging often do not have thermal insulation or damp-proofing to them. It is easy enough to install thermal wool when lining the walls with sheeting. However where brickwork has been used, especially if acting as a bit of an earth retainer wall, the damp proofing behind the wall is something that must first be taken care of.

The extension exercise can be a sure way to add easy space and value to your home but please be sure to consult a professional to have it legally approved.

Feel free to call us to talk through your options.

Gapdesign.com.au

Creating a beautiful deck space is one of the best ways to add real (and relatively inexpensive) value to your property. We all love the outdoors, but houses may be built on tight budgets, and entertainment areas are often neglected.

By adding on a deck area, cover from the Australian sun, and a few well-placed plants, you will see your house transformed anew.

Your budget for your renovation is and should be the dominant factor in determining the outcome. However, most people don’t do this regularly and things can go wrong. Here are four key points to help you plan your project.

1.  Why are you renovating ?

Are you trying to improve the comfort of your home environment, or do you have your eye on selling in the future? If the answer is lifestyle, then spending some extra money on two or three special items, is clearly justified. If you are renovating for a future sale, then the economical use of space and materials must be your guide. Also get advice from your local property professional, to ensure you are in tune with what is in demand.

2. What is your budget ?

Currently in Brisbane, renovating is more expensive than building anew. As strange as it sounds, merging your renovation with the complexities of the previous build can be more expensive than starting from scratch. A safe round number for renovating could be $ 2000 per meter squared for extensions. Even this number could be inadequate for some, once the complexity of the renovation is revealed.

3. Do you need cosmetic or structural work done?

Moving internal walls and adding rooms externally would require certification / council approval and would need an engineer to advise on the structural implications. Clearly this is more costly than re-doing the finishes only. Getting a good designer involved can save you money in economising on the use of space, and maximising potential of areas.

4. Can you do some of the work yourself?

Roughly speaking, building costs in SEQ can be broken down into;

25 %   – builder’s costs & profit, insurances, machine hire etc.

25 %   – materials

50 %   – labour

If you are prepared to try your hand at painting, you could shave $ 5000 off the builder’s costs. If you are planning on staying on in the house for a while and you are a handy person, you could register as a homeowner builder and manage the build yourself. Note that all the approvals and sign-off on building and structure still need to take place.

As the saying goes: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”, and clearly defined goals and budgets can easily make or break your project.

Feel free to call us to talk through your options.

Gapdesign.com.au