Renovating
5 Industry Tips for Cost-Effective Building and Renovating
With budget the biggest constraint, how can you save money on building costs to afford the wow items you've been dreaming of?
We all have lots of ideas on how we plan to furnish and personalise our homes after renovating or building. There are so many great new products and interesting materials at our disposal in a global marketplace. We see inspiration everywhere; but how to afford even a few dream items when the mundane (yet obviously very necessary) construction elements of the project absorb so much of the budget that we would much rather spend on beautiful finishing touches that express our own tastes and individuality? The good news is that with some discipline, you can make your build more cost effective. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
By minimising demolition, you will not only save on the high costs of dismantling the home, but you will also avoid many of the knock-on costs of demolition, such as repair and make-good work, and the ultimate budget killer, structural changes and remediation. That isn’t to say that demolition should be avoided at all costs. In some circumstances the removal of an internal wall may be what makes the whole project work. If demolition creates a significantly better result, then you will be left with no option.
Demolition is also a critical element in your quotes from builders. Ensure that builders have an understanding of the structure (ideally they should have visited the home to inspect it) and that they have made proper allowance for required demolition in the quote. By that I mean that they have simply not added a notional figure as a ‘provisional sum’ in the quote to allow for demolition. We know that provisional sums are an estimate of the cost of works and that they are also subject to change. Therefore, if the builder’s guess at demolition costs is wrong, you will be paying the shortfall and potentially a 20 per cent builder’s margin on the difference. For that reason, you must ensure that the quote includes the demolition element of the project as part of the quote, not as a provisional sum.
Solar passive is cost effective
They say nothing comes for free. As it turns out, our most effective heat source does come for free when the sun rises each morning. As gas and electricity prices continue to rise, don’t underestimate the value of solar passive design. Solar passive design is designing a building with awareness of the climate and using appropriate materials and insulation so that the internal spaces of the building are more comfortable year round, without a high demand for costly heating and cooling. The simple idea is for the home to collect and hold warmth in the winter months and to shield it from the heat of summer. By designing a solar passive home, you should expect to save money in the long term by using less energy to heat and cool your home. Because you are consuming less energy, you are being friendlier to the planet by lowering the demand on natural resources and, most importantly, you will also be designing a home that is more comfortable to live in.
They say nothing comes for free. As it turns out, our most effective heat source does come for free when the sun rises each morning. As gas and electricity prices continue to rise, don’t underestimate the value of solar passive design. Solar passive design is designing a building with awareness of the climate and using appropriate materials and insulation so that the internal spaces of the building are more comfortable year round, without a high demand for costly heating and cooling. The simple idea is for the home to collect and hold warmth in the winter months and to shield it from the heat of summer. By designing a solar passive home, you should expect to save money in the long term by using less energy to heat and cool your home. Because you are consuming less energy, you are being friendlier to the planet by lowering the demand on natural resources and, most importantly, you will also be designing a home that is more comfortable to live in.
The good news is that, for the most part, Australia’s temperate and comparatively mild climate is well suited to solar passive design. Unlike much of Europe, where the sun may not be seen for weeks at a time, Australia enjoys lots of clear sunny days, even through winter. This availability of sunlight makes solar passive design far easier and highly beneficial in terms of the comparatively minimal investment made for the significant advantages it provides.
We are all becoming more familiar with the concept of attracting natural warmth from the sun in winter. However, in my experience, the most commonly overlooked aspect of solar passive design is providing adequate shading to windows in summer (especially west and north-west facing windows), which is critical to lowering the costs of running air conditioning.
New homes tend to be easier to design solar passively than extensions, simply because you are starting with a clean slate and are not constrained by the existing building. However, even new homes can present challenges if the block has poor orientation. Make sure you are dealing with a designer who is experienced and proficient in providing effective solutions. The association of Building Designers Australia is a great place to start.
New homes tend to be easier to design solar passively than extensions, simply because you are starting with a clean slate and are not constrained by the existing building. However, even new homes can present challenges if the block has poor orientation. Make sure you are dealing with a designer who is experienced and proficient in providing effective solutions. The association of Building Designers Australia is a great place to start.
Less really is more
The size of our homes in relation to the amount of people living in them is surprising. While the size of our typical family shrinks, the homes we are building keep getting bigger. Somewhere along the line, we seem to have been seduced into thinking that bigger is better. Sure, I get the idea that bigger can feel a little more special, but if bigger isn’t done well, then bland and underused is often the result.
The size of our homes in relation to the amount of people living in them is surprising. While the size of our typical family shrinks, the homes we are building keep getting bigger. Somewhere along the line, we seem to have been seduced into thinking that bigger is better. Sure, I get the idea that bigger can feel a little more special, but if bigger isn’t done well, then bland and underused is often the result.
By designing your project to specifically suit your needs, you should be able to avoid the trap of overbuilding and therefore have more money available to create unique and interesting spaces, rather than simply vast spaces. By that I mean don’t design for resale or to ‘keep up with the Joneses’, or based on what your mother-in-law feels is necessary.
Simply build your home to suit you and the needs of your family. By not being distracted by the opinions of others, you might be able to consider spaces that are multi-purpose rather than have separate spaces for each function. For example, would a well designed breakfast bar at the kitchen that also doubles as the kids’ homework station as well as a lovely dining space be a better and more efficient option than building a dining room, a meals area and a bench at the kitchen?
Simply build your home to suit you and the needs of your family. By not being distracted by the opinions of others, you might be able to consider spaces that are multi-purpose rather than have separate spaces for each function. For example, would a well designed breakfast bar at the kitchen that also doubles as the kids’ homework station as well as a lovely dining space be a better and more efficient option than building a dining room, a meals area and a bench at the kitchen?
The other big saving to be made in this area is by minimising bathrooms and wet areas – they have a high cost per square metre due to the extra trades, finishes and fittings that they require. Think about how you might be able to consolidate two wet areas into one to save on both the area involved, the high cost to finish the space, and in the longer term, the extra time spent on cleaning!
Lightweight construction has benefits
While most new homes being built in the eastern states of Australia are brick veneer construction, there is an increasing awareness and appreciation for the benefits of using lightweight construction. In simple terms, lightweight construction uses the same structural timber stud frame as used in brick veneer construction, however doesn’t require the non-structural brick skin (that’s right, it is the timber frame that holds the roof up anyway). The brick skin can be replaced with any number of lightweight cladding materials that might be timber, compressed fibre cement, polystyrene foam sheets, or even Colorbond steel.
While most new homes being built in the eastern states of Australia are brick veneer construction, there is an increasing awareness and appreciation for the benefits of using lightweight construction. In simple terms, lightweight construction uses the same structural timber stud frame as used in brick veneer construction, however doesn’t require the non-structural brick skin (that’s right, it is the timber frame that holds the roof up anyway). The brick skin can be replaced with any number of lightweight cladding materials that might be timber, compressed fibre cement, polystyrene foam sheets, or even Colorbond steel.
While brick veneer is taken to be our most cost effective type of construction, there are many situations where lightweight cladding will prove a more cost effective and attractive option. Brick veneer is most competitive on price when the bricks are left as the exposed surface; which we call ‘face brick’. However, if we start to apply rendered surfaces that then also need to be painted, brick veneer becomes a dearer option than a lot of lightweight cladding options. If you imagine your project to be more contemporary than traditional in design, lightweight cladding will give you a range of options to consider. Lightweight cladding is also likely to be a far more cost effective option for builders who are heavily involved in the carpentry aspect of the project, where they are more likely to be doing more of the work themselves rather than paying other trades to do it. This can be advantageous for smaller, hands-on builders rather than larger, project management style builders.
Lightweight construction can also have significant benefits in the renovation market where the physical benefits of being a lightweight option come into play. For example, upper floor additions can be designed with more flexibility and built at less cost simply because it is easier to structurally support a lightweight wall than it is to support much heavier brick walls.
To fully understand the cost considerations for lightweight construction, talk to your designer about their experience with the product.
To fully understand the cost considerations for lightweight construction, talk to your designer about their experience with the product.
Understanding the costs of staging
One of the common objectives for people undertaking extension and renovation projects is to live in the home while the work is being completed. The reasons for doing so are obvious. They will save money by not having to pay for alternate accommodation and they will not need to uproot their lives for the several months that the project is likely to take to be completed.
One of the common objectives for people undertaking extension and renovation projects is to live in the home while the work is being completed. The reasons for doing so are obvious. They will save money by not having to pay for alternate accommodation and they will not need to uproot their lives for the several months that the project is likely to take to be completed.
However, if you are planning on living through your extension or renovation project, you should also be aware that the decision to stay will probably add cost to the build, and some builders will only take on the project if you are not living there throughout. You living in the home will mean that the project will most likely take longer to complete than it would if you were not living there.
This is because the builder will need to stage the work so that the impact of construction work upon your lives in the home is minimal. Sometimes the staging may only add a couple of weeks to the program, however for larger extensions and significant renovations, the staging of the project may add many months to the build time. This is a far less efficient process for the builder and the trades who often need two or three additional staged visits to the site to complete the work over and above what would usually be required.
This is because the builder will need to stage the work so that the impact of construction work upon your lives in the home is minimal. Sometimes the staging may only add a couple of weeks to the program, however for larger extensions and significant renovations, the staging of the project may add many months to the build time. This is a far less efficient process for the builder and the trades who often need two or three additional staged visits to the site to complete the work over and above what would usually be required.
It is easy to see that staging a project in this way will increase the time it takes to complete; and the longer it takes to complete, the less profitable the project will be for the builder. Therefore, they are likely to allow for those additional costs by either increasing their profit margin or by adding a contingency for the additional time it will take.
Take your time to select a builder who can clearly and confidently set out a program for the project, and make sure you are both clear on the level of impact the building activity will have as you live in the house, and the cost implications of staging the project to suit your expectations.
YOUR SAY
Built your own house? Share you experiences in the Comments.
MORE
The Construction Process: 7 Must-Dos Before You Start to Build
Countdown to Renovation: 10 Things to Discuss With Your Builder
From the Pros: How to Join Building Materials With Precision
Take your time to select a builder who can clearly and confidently set out a program for the project, and make sure you are both clear on the level of impact the building activity will have as you live in the house, and the cost implications of staging the project to suit your expectations.
YOUR SAY
Built your own house? Share you experiences in the Comments.
MORE
The Construction Process: 7 Must-Dos Before You Start to Build
Countdown to Renovation: 10 Things to Discuss With Your Builder
From the Pros: How to Join Building Materials With Precision
If you are renovating or extending, there is likely to be some demolition involved in your project, be it one whole end of the house being removed or just an internal wall or two selectively removed. Either way, demolition is labour intensive and costly. While you’re not likely to be able to eliminate all demolition, you should be trying to design your project in a way that minimises the extent of demolition required.