always depends on what you start with but in our experience a major renovation is much more expensive than building a new home and even a knock down rebuild is more expensive as you have to add in the cost of demolition and assume that will include asbestos removal so, you either have to plan on buying a more expensive house, that has already had major works done (to your own needs and taste) or plan for a major commitment in time and money..about 5 years ago we completed a major renovation of a 1950s DB and tile house (including new roof structure, kitchen, bathrooms, windows, electrical, plumbing and only 4sqm extensions)... we had a very good builder with a team of reliable skilled tradesmen and also contributed our own experienced DIY skills and didn't have jobs or family to consider..after about 18 months of planning and careful preparation the work from beginning to handover took another 12 months plus a few weeks for installation of floor covering, furniture etc ready to move in and cost about $500.000 ... our bank was very happy to extend credit until we sold another property but we bought the house for our own planned retirement, used it for tenants and made lots of improvements like new fences, external painting, garage and driveway while it was rented and long before we started the major work for our own occupation so, might be worth discussing this option with your financial advisers

Wow. A lot to consider, especially before buying! Thank you fo your advice on your experience. I am a bit daunted actually.

at the time it was overwhelming but careful planning and trusted builder made all the difference

Thank you.

Budget for at least $600/700K min if you are not doing anything yourself. There are numerous peripherals to factor in including landscaping & services, finishes, furnishings etc - all comes down to what you are wanting. Costs for design professionals will vary depending upon the extent of service - budget approx 10% ballpark to cover design, engineering, surveying, interiors etc. Construction management by the builder typically embedded within the building contract sum.

Construction timeframe typically allow ballpark 12 months, but to design and document a project typically will take 12-18 months before being ready to building depending on whether planning permission is required or not. So think 2-3 years from start to finish approx.

Good luck PD

www.pauldistefanodesign.com

The price wouldn’t be an issue but the time frame would as covering mortgage while living in our present house. We are only gutting the interior snd refitting. Back deck would need council approval though. 2-3 years would be too long for us.

if time is an issue and there is no extension or substantial structural changes, it's more refurbishment than comprehensive remodelling / extension, then potentially a building company with in-house interiors services specialising in this type of project may be a good option for you as they can potentially package up the lot in a more contained timeframe - possibly within a year or so........I recently referred a project onto another local building company due to importance of timeframe that was impossible to achieve if pursuing an independent customised design process etc.......

Thank you again Paul. I just looked at some of your work photos. You do impressive work! Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

Kylie, no problem / easy done.......

Appreciate the comment - I service a particular niche area of residential design and here it's a business of "quality over quantity", striving for supremely resolved results that exceed expectations and I suppose our work demonstrates the attention to detail and care in this regard.

We inherently understand the importance of having properly designed and inspiring spaces to live in, which whilst has always been important, never has it been so obvious with the current situation of lockdowns / restrictions etc

Stay well & safe, & best of luck with it all

Cheers PD :)

It doesn't sound like you have extremely specific requirements that are too outside the norm , and there will be 100's of California Bungalows that have had most of the same things done . It sounds like time isn't a huge problem , so maybe I am too laid-back , but I'd spend a few months or a few years looking , and buy something where most of the work has been done -- its obviously way easier to take out a wall or two , add a window or two , and change a couple of paint or floorcovering colours , than it is to gut something that is good bones but a million miles away ( figaratively ) from what you want to achieve .

In other words , buy something similar to what you want , and tweak it . I can almost guarantee it will be a lot cheaper .

Thank you everyone for your advice. I looked at the house today and it won't work for us. Traffic noise and other problems we don't want to deal with. We will take some time and wait for another one.