David and Philippa bought their home knowing it would need extensive work to make it truly theirs. With its dated kitchen, “funky” vinyl floors, and an orange bathroom with blue walls, the house had plenty of quirks. They also missed the ensuite and open-plan living area they’d enjoyed in their previous home. Also, while their house was a solid 1940’s bungalow, the single glazed joinery was peeling and in some cases rotting. It was time for a few upgrades!
Their vision was ambitious: add a second-story master suite, renovate the ground floor to create an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area, refresh the bathroom, double-glaze all the windows, and finally move the laundry out of the kitchen into a dedicated space. This did change during the concept phase, as our architectural designer discovered while he was doing his due diligence that the height in relation to boundary infringement was too significant for us to get consent for the second storey. Thus, we had to pivot.
One frustration that David and Philippa had initially decided to overlook, was their double garage which was too small for two cars, too far away from the house and built in the sunniest part of their section. When their second storey extension became no longer feasible, our attention turned to what other options we had to help them achieve their brief, which was as follows:
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- Master Bedroom, Ensuite and Walk-In-Robe
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- Double Glazed Joinery
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- Main Bathroom Renovation
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- Open Plan Kitchen/Living/Dining Area
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- Dedicated Laundry Space
In close consultation with our architectural designer, our recommendation to them was to remove the double garage from it’s existing position which would allow space for a 60m2 open plan kitchen/living dining area to be added to the back of their existing home. The existing kitchen/living/dining space could then be converted into a master suite, spacious bathroom, laundry cupboard and small storage room. We also proposed a new, larger garage at the front of the house, giving David and Philippa easier access. With this change, they could park two cars much closer to their home, making trips inside with groceries or in the rain, far more convenient!
Once the concept was finalised, the input required from David and Philippa was minimal. We oversaw their architectural documentation, organised all of the third party consultants required and communicated with the council on their behalf, to ensure that there were no unnecessary delays. During this process, we also attended a kitchen design consultation with David and Philippa and made them a weekend appointment with our recommended bathroom merchants so that they could start selecting the fun stuff, while our team handled the paperwork. David and Philippa were very hands-on during the selections process and collectively, we did a lot of research to help them feel confident about the decisions that they were making. Some of our clients like this approach, whereas others prefer us to narrow down their options to make the decision making easier and we’re happy either way. We want to do what’s best for you!
With David and Philippa living in their home for the duration, construction could have brought challenges, but our team is well-accustomed to sharing the site. By leaving the existing bathroom in place until their new ensuite was complete and using signs to section off two bedrooms, they had a private space without the added stress and cost of moving out and paying rent. Our weekly Friday reports and the comprehensive schedule on our project management platform also meant that they were fully informed from start to end. In our experience, excellent communication is key to cohabiting with the client in harmony on a construction site in our experience!
The end result exceeded expectations. From the bedrooms that finally had built-in wardrobes, to the little details that made up the extension like the window seat in the lounge, to the wide hallway with feature door that led into the new kitchen/living/dining area, everybody was left smiling. Months on, we had an email from David & Philippa to share how much they were looking forward to a family Christmas where they didn’t have to share the loo!
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